09/01/2025
🌟 The wait is over! 🌟
Today, September 1, we proudly present the 2025 Class of Rural Leader Magazine’s 40 Under 40 Honorees — extraordinary leaders making an impact in small towns, rural counties, and beyond.
📅 Premiere: TODAY at 11 AM EST
📺 Updated YouTube Premiere Link: https://youtu.be/MJ2Yjo1KQQU
We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience with the earlier link and thank you for your patience. 🙏
Help us celebrate these bold visionaries who prove that what you do truly matters. ✨
📝 Editor’s Note
When Rural Leader Magazine launched in March 2014, it was born out of a simple but profound mission: to highlight everyday people doing extraordinary things. Over the years, we have remained steadfast in that vision—amplifying the voices and stories of leaders in business, education, music, community, art, sports, and leadership, both nationally and abroad.
What began as a digital publication has grown into a platform that not only informs but inspires, proving that meaningful leadership does not require a big city stage—it thrives in the heart of small towns, rural counties, and communities where resilience is a way of life.
Through the years, Rural Leader Magazine has celebrated excellence on many levels: the 20 Under 20 Honors, the 40 Under 40 Honors, Best Small-Town Restaurant, Small Town America’s 100 Most Influential People, the Scholars of Collegiate Distinction, Fifty Under Fifty, and the Eagle Elite Club.
Each of these recognitions has carried the same guiding belief: leadership is not defined solely by titles, but by the impact one makes in the lives of others.
This year, we proudly present our 11th Annual Forty Under 40 Honors. It is more than just a list of names and titles—it is a testament to the determination, sacrifice, and innovation of emerging leaders who are shaping the future of rural communities across Alabama, Georgia, and Florida.
These honorees represent educators nurturing the next generation, first responders protecting lives, entrepreneurs creating jobs and opportunity, healthcare professionals providing compassionate care, and advocates fighting for equity and access. Collectively, they embody the spirit of possibility that fuels rural America.
As someone who has spent 26 years in rural community leadership, I know firsthand the unique challenges and triumphs that come with leading in places where resources may be limited but the will to make a difference is limitless.
What has always inspired me—and what inspires this publication—is the way ordinary men and women transform those challenges into opportunities for growth, resilience, and renewal. Their stories remind us that leadership in rural places often means wearing many hats, making sacrifices behind the scenes, and holding fast to a vision that others cannot yet see.
To our honorees: your work matters. You stand as living proof that leadership, when rooted in service and passion, has the power to change not just a community but the trajectory of countless lives. To their families and supporters: thank you for being the steady force that makes leadership possible.
And to our readers: may these stories remind you that leadership can take root anywhere—even on the front porch of a small-town home, in a classroom, on a fire truck, or in a boardroom.
The 40 Under 40 Honor is more than recognition. It is a call to action. It is a reminder that no matter your age, background, or ZIP code, you can make a difference. You can be the light your community needs. And as we celebrate these honorees, we reaffirm the heart of our mission at Rural Leader Magazine: to lift up those who are quietly but powerfully shaping the future.
Congratulations to the Class of 2025. May your stories inspire the next generation of rural leaders to rise, because in everything you do, we believe this simple truth: what you do matters.
Regards,
Kuanita E. Murphy, PhD
Publisher/Editor-in-Chief
🎉 Welcome to the 2025 Rural Leader Magazine 40 Under Forty Virtual Honors Presentation! 🎉Each year, Rural Leader Magazine proudly recognizes outstanding yo...
