South Georgia Leads graduates new class

MOULTRIE – South Georgia recognized 32 leaders who are dedicated to the economic success and welfare of the region last week with the graduation of the most recent class of South GeorgiaLEADS. The 2020-2021 class represents 14 counties of the 21-county region and are united in a shared desire to the future growth of southwest Georgia.

Sustaining Sponsor, Georgia Power Company, and Presenting Sponsor, Electric Cities of Georgia invested in the fifth cohort of South GeorgiaLEADS throughout a unique year marked by programmatic changes and innovation in response to COVID-19.

“As always, the graduates of South GeorgiaLEADS are impressive, encouraging and engaged leaders of south Georgia,” SGL Board Chair Barbara Grogan said in a news release. The 2020-2021 class even more so, as they navigated during a national pandemic, showing perseverance and commitment to participation in LEADS. They completed the coursework and gained as much insight as possible to further their individual communities and the region.”

Launched in 2016, South GeorgiaLEADS is an eight-month leadership experience that links regional site visits and issue awareness to relevant leadership development content within the framework of the South GeorgiaLEADS priorities. Since that time, the program has partnered with Valdosta State University’s Center for South Georgia Regional Impact as the administrative home to SGL, serving both organizations’ objectives of furthering growth and progress across the region.

Facilitated by the faculty from the J.W. Fanning Institute for Leadership Development at the University of Georgia, SGL emphasizes regional priorities throughout the program, each session directly linking leadership skills training to issues of critical importance to south Georgia: regional identity and influence, work force and economic development, and collective visioning and planning.

“This year’s participants faced challenges that allowed them to immediately utilize the leadership skills they learned to adapt and thrive throughout an unprecedented year,” Matt Bishop, director of the Fanning Institute, said. “Over the last five years, South GeorgiaLEADS has set the standard for developing leaders with the skills and regional perspective to address issues and take advantages of opportunities in south Georgia. We appreciate our partnership and look forward to the future.”

Among the South GeorgiaLEADS 2020-21 graduating class, their counties and places of employment are:

Ben Hill County

Melissa Dark, Fitzgerald-Ben Hill County Chamber of Commerce

Colquitt County

Sarah Adams, UGA Archway Partnership

Justin Cox, Colquitt County Board of Commissioners

Jordan Hammack, Colquitt Regional Medical Center

Caroline Horne, United Way of Colquitt County

Summer Richmond, Ameris Bank

Cook County

Heather Green, Adel-Cook County Chamber of Commerce

Chris Posey, ANS Signs Inc.

Crisp County

Rusty Slade, Planters First Bank

Dougherty County

Chris Hatcher, Commodore Conyers College & Career Academy

Bridges Sinyard, Adams Exterminators

Tom Sullivan, Phoebe Putney Health Systems

Grady County

Whitney Brannen, UGA Archway Partnership

Lee County

Joey Magaddino, People South Bank

Lowndes County

A.C. Braswell, City of Valdosta

Joe Brownlee, Georgia Power Company

Jessica Catlett, Valdosta-Lowndes County Parks & Recreation Authority

Michael Smith, Greater Valdosta United Way

Merritt Wall, Valdosta State University

Mitchell County

Vance Green, Planters and Citizens Bank

Randolph County

Kayla Wall, UGA Extension-Quitman County

Sumter County

Elena Carne, T31 Handcrafted Activewear

Edward Jackson, New Horizons Habitat for Humanity

Darrell Sabbs, Barnum Funeral Home

Jessica Sinclair, Sumter County Family Connections

Stephen Snyder, Georgia Southwestern State University

Thomas County

Chandler Foy, New Hire Solutions

Tift County

Sara Hand, ABAC Museum of Agriculture

Eric Larson, Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College

Tom Mark, Tom Mark Diversified Enterprises

Katie Murray, University of Georgia-Tifton Campus

Worth County

Donald Gilman, Ignite College & Career Academy

Richard A. Carvajal, president at Valdosta State University, describes the partnership with South GeorgiaLEADS and its importance to VSU’s mission: “Developing and supporting our future leaders is one of the most important things we do at Valdosta State University. To that end, VSU created the Center for South Georgia Regional Impact in 2018 and through the center, VSU has become the administrative home for South GeorgiaLEADS. As south Georgia’s flagship university, Valdosta State remains committed to being a key contributor for economic awareness, growth and development in south Georgia.

“Being a strategic partner with South GeorgiaLEADS underscores VSU’s commitment to being a regional leader. Congratulations to this year’s graduates, and we look forward to seeing the impact you have on our region for years to come.”

The South GeorgiaLEADS graduation was held at The Lee Council House in Americus and was sponsored by Georgia Power Company and hosted by the One Sumter Economic Development Foundation and New Horizons Habitat for Humanity.

Lisa Smith, West Region Vice President for Georgia Power Company, served as the keynote speaker at graduation. Smith congratulated and challenged the graduates of South GeorgiaLEADS, encouraging graduates to “… focus on true collaboration by not accepting the way things have always been.”

“If a tradition is good and right, then hang on to it; if it isn’t, let it go, move on from just being present to actively engaging and shaping your own narrative,” she said.

Three of this year’s graduates are doing just that: Whitney Brannen (Grady County), Michael Smith (Lowndes County), and Tom Sullivan (Dougherty County) all have stepped forward to serve as the newest members of the South GeorgiaLEADS Board of Directors.

Rolling off the board after multiple years of service are Alyssa Blakley (Grady County), Grant Buckley (Crisp County), Paige Gilchrist (Mitchell County), Sandra Giles (Tift County), Karen Rackley (Worth County), Matt Reed (Dougherty County) and Matt Seale (Irwin County).

“As chairman, I am grateful for South GeorgiaLEADS, the work the entire board has done, and continues to do, to ensure sustainability and growth in the region, our sponsors, and most importantly the graduates who take time from their busy lives to be committed,” Grogan said.

“Working with host communities, the board creates unique sessions each year that combine leadership training from UGA’s Fanning Institute with real-life examples in our communities. SGL is a true example of a board of directors combining numerous partners to bring success to Southwest Georgia. None of this would be possible without the dedicated board members who give of their time, and I am grateful for them all.”

Current members of the board include Mary Beth Brownlee (Lowndes County), Jennifer Carter (VSU), Lisa Davis (Lee County), Mesha Davis (Coffee County), Jason Dunn (Ben Hill County), Anna Ford (Colquitt County), Lori Gadson (Sumter County), Barbara Grogan (Colquitt County), M. Jay Hall (Tift County), Darrell Moore (VSU), Rachael Oliver (Sumter County), Patrick Pearson (Lowndes County), and Rebecca White (Randolph County).

Sponsors of the 2020-2021 program included: Georgia Power Company, Electric Cities of Georgia, AT&T, CTSI, Inc., Fitzgerald-Ben Hill County Chamber of Commerce, Fitzgerald & Ben Hill County Development Authority, Georgia CEO, Georgia’s Rural Center at ABAC, Leadership Worth, Lee County Chamber of Commerce, Locate South Georgia, Moultrie-Colquitt County Development Authority, New Horizons Habitat for Humanity, Ocilla-Irwin County Chamber of Commerce, One Sumter Economic Development Foundation, Southern Regional Technical College, Sylvester-Worth County Chamber of Commerce, Tift County Development Authority, Tift Regional Medical Center Foundation, and the Valdosta-Lowndes Development Authority.

For more information about South GeorgiaLEADS, please visit https://locatesouthgeorgia.com/leadership-development/; or contact South GeorgiaLEADS Chair Barbara Grogan at 229.921.1457; or [email protected].