Recap: Trade Symposium Addresses Consequences of Foreign Policy Shifts for Automotive, Aerospace and Other Sectors

7th Annual Global Trade & Investment Symposium

February 19, 2026
Wesleyan College

With $5 billion and 7,500 jobs on the line at a single plant, what happens in the broader U.S. electric-vehicle sector matters for Georgians.

And major investors, at the moment, are getting swept up in the nets of overlapping policy shifts that have dented demand for battery-powered vehicles while raising manufacturers’ costs and cutting incentives.

During a wide-ranging panel discussion, Rivian Corporate Affairs Director Andrew Capezzuto said the electric truck and SUV maker agrees with the intent to bring back as much manufacturing capacity as possible to the U.S., but the ability to do that, in the short term, depends on access to parts that aren’t fully made domestically, he said.

“We can’t just flip a switch and adjust those foreign supply chains here domestically,” he added, noting that less erratic shifts would help companies immensely. “Businesses don’t like change. We like predictability. We like stability.
From our perspective, if we have a long enough lead time and long enough runway to make a change, that’s fine.”

Aside from voicing concerns about the way Mr. Capezzuto also drummed up some excitement about the coming R2 model, which could eventually be made in Georgia, and the R3 that will follow.

He also outlined the fundamentals that made the state a strong pick for the massive plant that at full scale would make 400,000 vehicles: assistance in training skilled workers and infrastructure by which to export cars in the future.

Georgia Aerospace and Defense Alliance Executive Director Ember Bentley also struck an optimistic note, as the state’s top export sector continues to hum along despite headwinds in global trade. A continuing focus on workforce, she emphasized, is key, as is maintaining the strong international partnerships that have characterized the state’s long-term success. She name-checked GADA founding member Gulfstream Aerospace as the state’s largest manufacturer, employing 15,000 people.

Belgian Consul General Katherine Raeymaekers warned that the state can no longer take investors’ interests for granted, saying leaders “might have to convince them a little more” after the transatlantic tiff sparked by President Trump’s threats to take Greenland. (Gov. Brian Kemp had recently visited companies in Belgium to make the state’s case and thank those who have already made the leap).

At the ground level, Jason Dunn, executive director of the Fitzgerald-Ben Hill County Development Authority, said that unforeseen costs are complicating projects that rely on inputs sourced overseas like machinery.

The solution? Perhaps policy changes, but in the meantime, building solid cross-border people-to-people relationships.

Or see highlights in the video and quotes below.

Presented By:

Hosted by:

Speakers

OPENING REMARKS:

PANELISTS:

Meaghan Blight,
President, Wesleyan College

“We gather an inflection point. Trade is no longer just an economic topic. It’s a geopolitical language. Supply chains have become security strategies. Investment decisions are shaped not only by cost and speed but by resilience, trust and values.

In a world where relationships are being tested, the communities and institutions that still convene across borders thoughtfully, credibly and with humility are more important than ever.“

Katherine Raeymaekers,
Consul General of Belgium in Atlanta

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.

People still want to invest in us, but I think you need to come and convince them a little bit more.

-On the fallout from transatlantic tiffs, noting that investment strategy should be calibrated to new industries like AI, tech, entertainment, beyond just simple manufacturing.

“I’m please to see that Georgia is investing in intermodal, in inland ports, because you need both—your products, but also your workforce.”

Jason Dunn,
Fitzgerald and Ben Hill County Development Authority

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.

“Every community right now is a global community, and we’re involved with global commerce, whether we’re rural or metro,or 17,000 people or a couple million people.

-On the presence of Cafe Budapest in Fitzgerald and how local relationships translate into global commerce

Ember Bentley,
Executive Director, Georgia Aerospace & Defense Alliance

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.

“I have seen, especially with the great investment that we get from countries like Japan and Germany, that is baked into their culture. It’s baked into the way that the children as they grow up and as they graduate — that’s just what they do.”

-On what Georgia can learn from foreign investors about cultivating talent fit for industry.

“Industry at all levels has to be hyper-engaged into, ‘What kind of worker do you want? ‘And in Georgia, I feel like we’re not afraid to kind of go in there and ask for that. It is a race for talent.

Andrew Capezzut,
Director of Corporate Affairs, Rivian

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.

“We’re fully vertically integrated, so we do our own sales, we do our own service, so as you can imagine establishing a a sales and service network to account for that level of volume requires tremendous scaling and tremendous investment across the country.”

-On how Rivian will impact Georgia and the U.S. beyond the plant. It already has set up an East Coast headquarters in Atlanta.