7th Annual Global Trade & Investment Symposium

As of August 1, 2024, Mrs. Katherine Raeymaekers has been appointed as Consul-General at the Belgian General Consulate in Atlanta, Georgia, USA, covering 10 states in the South-East.

After joining the Belgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 2008, as a career diplomat, she has served as Deputy Head of Mission at the Belgian Embassy in Sofia, Bulgaria (2009-2013) and in Budapest, Hungary (2013-2017). Prior to the USA she served as Political and Economic Counsellor at the Belgian Embassy in Rabat (2020-2024).

Between 2017 and 2020, she served as counsellor at the Department for European
Coordination within the Belgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, responsible for matters related to transport, telecom/digital and energy/green deal.

She holds a Master degree in Political Sciences – International Relations from the University of Ghent (2000), Belgium, and followed post-graduates courses in Regional cooperation – Mercosur at the University of Buenos Aires in Argentina
(2001-2003).

She is fluent in 6 languages: Dutch, French, English, Spanish, Italian and German. She also has some notions of Bulgarian and Hungarian. Beyond her professional pursuits, Mme Raeymaekers likes to explore nature and the surroundings while hiking or biking.

Jason Dunn has 10 + years of service with the Fitzgerald and Ben Hill County Development Authority.
Since 2016, his team has been successful in recruiting six new industries into Fitzgerald and has partnered with existing employers to add nearly 500,000 SF in new industrial buildings, filled over 500,000 SF in vacant industrial buildings and procured over $250,000,000 + in capital investment, all the
while creating hundreds of new jobs.
Prior to moving back to his hometown to lead the community’s economic revitalization, Jason and his
family resided in Albany, Georgia where he specialized in site selection and commercial real estate
brokerage for 18 years with one of southwest Georgia’s leading real estate brokerages. With a heart for community advocacy, he was part of the team that helped establish Albany’s Lily Pad Sexual Assault and Nursing Examination Center and currently chairs the Children’s Advocacy Centers of Georgia’s Board.
Dunn is the incoming Secretary/Treasurer for the Georgia Economic Developer’s Association, vice-chairfor the Georgia Chamber of Commerce’s Rural Prosperity Council, is the board chair for the Fitzgerald
High School College and Career Academy, and incoming board chair for South Georgia LEADs.
Jason and his wife Dana recently celebrated 25 years of marriage. The couple have two children, Jacob (23) a production leader for Lippert Components’ Fitzgerald facility and Jenna (21), a senior majoring in
Communications at the University of Georgia. Go Dawgs! Dunn is an avid reader, an even better
fisherman, and enjoys tending his vineyard, teaching a men’s Sunday School class, and being the
broadcast voice of the Fitzgerald High School Purple Hurricane Baseball team.

Ember Bentley serves as Executive Director of the Georgia Aerospace & Defense Alliance and Vice President for External Relations at Mercer University.

Previously, Ember was Chief of Staff and Vice President for External Affairs at Middle Georgia State University, home to Georgia’s flagship School of Aviation. Her prior experience includes serving as Executive Director of the Georgia Forestry Foundation, Deputy Commissioner for International Relations at the Georgia Department of Economic Development, and Special Assistant to First Lady Sandra Deal.

Ember is actively engaged in civic and professional leadership across the state. She serves on the boards of the Georgia Forestry Commission, Georgia Humanities Council, Jekyll Island Foundation, Macon-Bibb Industrial Authority, and Stratford Academy. She is also a member of the Georgia Chamber of Commerce’s Rural Prosperity Council and Government Affairs Council, as well as the Protocol and Diplomacy International Protocol Officers Association.

A graduate of Leadership Georgia, Protocol Partners, and the Georgia Academy for Economic Development. Ember holds a bachelor’s degree from Shorter College and a master’s degree in Public Administration with a focus on Public Policy from Georgia College & State University.

She and her husband, Will, live in Macon with their two daughters and are active members of North Macon Presbyterian Church.

Andrew Capezzuto is the Director of Corporate Affairs for Rivian. Serving on Rivian’s Legal and Public Policy Team, Andrew leads a team that is responsible for pursuing financial and tax incentive programs, overseeing licensing for Rivian’s service centers and spaces, and driving community engagement and thought leadership activities.
Andrew previously served as both the Chief Administrative Officer and General Counsel at the Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD) where he oversaw strategic planning and legal matters, including negotiating incentive contracts with companies locating or expanding in Georgia. Prior to his work at GDEcD, he was an attorney in the commercial litigation division of Greenberg Traurig, LLP. Andrew received law degree from the University of Mississippi School of Law, with honors, and his undergraduate degree in business from the University of Georgia.