40 under 40: Laura Warren

Congratulations to Laura Warren (ABJ ’11), on being named a 40 under 40 honoree by the UGA Alumni Association.

Warren is a Grady College graduate and the first female chairman of UGA’s Arch Society. She spent more than 13 years in television news, serving as lead evening anchor in Augusta, earning multiple industry honors and leading investigative reporting efforts that drove meaningful change in her community. Her commitment to service is exemplified by Finding Solutions, a reporting initiative that led to the creation of a community partnership providing beds and infant cribs to families in need, an effort that continues through the annual Augusta Duck Dash Fundraiser.

Warren serves as Community Development Regional Manager at Meta. She leads Meta’s community engagement strategy across Georgia and South Carolina, helping direct philanthropic investments, workforce development initiatives and technology-driven programs that strengthen local communities.

Following are excerpts from a Q&A with Warren.

What experience during your time at Grady College had the biggest influence on where you are today?

Grady taught me that storytelling is a strategic skill, not just a creative one. I came in thinking I’d be writing to share facts, and I left understanding that the ability to listen deeply, synthesize what you hear and translate it into a narrative that moves people to action, that’s a superpower in any industry.

The experiences that shaped me most were the ones that got me out of the classroom and into communities. I reported assignments where I had to knock on doors, earn trust quickly and tell someone’s story with integrity. That muscle—showing up, listening first, building trust before asking for anything—is exactly what I do every single day managing community relationships for Meta’s data center portfolio.

What would you tell your 20-year-old self?

Your career path doesn’t have to be linear for it to make sense. Every “detour” is actually building a skill set you’ll use later, you just can’t see the throughline yet. The communications job, the PR role, the community work, it all compounds.

Also, invest in relationships like they’re your retirement fund, because they are. I’m willing to bet at least one break along your journey will be from a relationship, or a connection willing to vouch for you, not from a box you checked on your resume. My boss who nominated me for this and hired me at Meta is a UGA alum, but we crossed paths as middle schoolers in Georgia 4H. We knew each other as acquaintances, but also by reputation. You’re surrounding yourself with people who may be your boss or a great hire every day. I tell my kids who are only 8 and 6, your resumes start now. How you carry yourself. How you interact with people. Your integrity. Put God first and everything else will follow. Be consistent. Be genuine. The compound interest is real.

What skill(s) or advice should graduates and young alumni have for success early in their careers?

Learn to translate. The most valuable professionals are the ones who can take complex, technical information and make it resonate with a city council member, a nonprofit leader or a VP in the same week. Grady trains you to do this. Lean into it. In news, I was taking complex information about nuclear reactors and boiling it down so a parent doing the dishes catching the news on in the background could understand it. It’s important to consider being concise, being catchy, being memorable, being able to speak the language of the people you are trying to convey information to.

Say ‘yes’ to the room you’re not sure you belong in. Every major opportunity in my career came because I raised my hand for something slightly outside my lane. You don’t need to be the expert, you need to be the person who shows up prepared, listens well, and follows through.

Be the person who names names. When something goes well, give credit publicly and specifically. When you see someone’s contribution, say it out loud. This isn’t just generosity, it’s how you build a reputation as someone people want to work with. Credit flows back to people who give it away. I wish I had learned this much sooner.

How do you get inspired?

Passionate people… who go above and beyond. The doers. The problem-solvers. Surrounding myself with those people. In nearly every environment, you’ll find about 20% of people doing 80% of the work. I get inspired by people who care deeply about their communities and are willing to do the messy work of solving problems instead of complaining. I manage community relationships for Meta’s data centers across the Southeast, and the moments that light me up are never the ones that look impressive on paper. It’s the workforce development graduate who tells you this program changed her family’s trajectory. It’s the county commissioner who calls you a “partner” instead of a “company.” It’s the teacher who says, ‘Our students who started in the robotics program Meta funded in middle school are now getting full rides to top colleges.’ Every one of those moments started with a community leader with an idea or a vision willing to do more than just talk about it. 

I also get inspired by my team. I have the privilege of working at Meta where some of the brightest minds in the world work, and within that organization, I’m lucky enough to work on an incredibly supportive community engagement team. I think imposter syndrome can be real, because I look around sometimes, and I think, ‘How did I get in this room?’ But, the person you’re putting way up on a pedestal, probably doesn’t have it all figured out either. No one does. But learn from them. If you’re not a little uncomfortable, you’re probably not growing. 

What do you believe is your biggest strength and how has it helped you in your current role?

I’m a connector. I’ve learned I don’t necessarily have to have all the answers, my real strength is knowing exactly who to put in a room together to make something happen.

Grady gave me the foundation for this. Journalism trains you to see patterns across stories, to understand what motivates people, and to build trust quickly across wildly different contexts. My current role at Meta requires me to operate across elected officials, community organizations, construction partners, policy teams, and corporate leadership, sometimes all in the same day. The ability to translate between those worlds, to genuinely listen to each one, and to find the “and” where others see “or”: that’s the connector skill. 

Rapid Fire Round

Favorite Podcast?

The Morning After — Kelley Stafford. She hasn’t recorded in a long time but I hope she starts back. It felt like a really fun 6 degrees of separation connection point back to Athens, and we’re about the same age.  I just really enjoyed her transparency.

One job-related tool you can’t live without?

AI in general, but more specifically Wispr Flow. This is an AI dictating tool that turns voice into clean text. It is such a time saver. For example, I press the shortcut key on my laptop and say ‘I need to draft an email to so and so, make it warm and friendly but concise, and I need to schedule a time to meet with them to talk about xyz.’ And instead of verbatim word dictation, it will do what I ask it to do and create the polished e-mail draft.

Favorite restaurant in Athens?

Last Resort

Favorite place you’ve traveled?

Italy

Item on your bucket list?

Skydiving

Editor: Sam Tupper, samuel.tupper@uga.edu