MOULTRIE, Ga. — Five Colquitt Countians were among 32 recent graduates 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, according to a press release from the leadership program.

Among this year’s participants were:

• Sarah Adams, of the UGA Archway Partnership.
• Justin Cox, Colquitt County compliance officer/zoning official and emergency management director.
• Jordan Hammack, communications coordinator at Colquitt Regional Medical Center.
• Caroline Horne, executive director, United Way of Colquitt County.
• Summer Richman, Ameris Bank

The South GeorgiaLEADS graduation was held at The Lee Council House in Americus on Tuesday, April 13, 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.”

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, workforce 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,” said Matt Bishop, director of the Fanning Institute. “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 advantage of opportunities in south Georgia. We appreciate our partnership and look forward to the future.”

SGL Board Chair Barbara Grogan shared, “As always, the graduates of South GeorgiaLEADS are impressive, encouraging and engaged leaders of South Georgia. 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.”

Sharing her appreciation for the efforts of the board, Grogan concluded, “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.