Lowndes Leadership held a graduation ceremony for the Class of 2014 on Nov. 20 at the Annette Howell Turner Center for the Arts. 

Graduating in the 2014 Leadership Lowndes class were:  Amanda Leverett, Ashleigh Kenny, Ben Smith, Dacia Charlesworth, Danny Knight, David D'Amico, Erin Willis, J.D. Dean, Jamie Baltrus, Jammie Wilbanks, Jared M McGahee, Jason Dove, Jessica Freeman, Joby Crane, Joe Herndon, Jonathan Miller, Julie Hiers, Kerry Morris, Lee Beth Smith, Leonard Carter, Malynda Dorsey, Meghan Duke, Paula Sheffield, Philip Jones, and Tommy Jabari Jackson.

The following are other awards and highlights that took place at the event:

· As a part of their commitment, program participants were assigned to one of five community service project groups. The 2015 service groups collectively raised over $47,000 and donated over 1,500 community service hours during the year—the most ever raised in the 25 years of the organization.

· Class Community Service Group 1—whose members are Ashleigh Kenny, Danny Knight, Jonathan Miller, Kerry Morris and Lee Beth Smith—won the Community Service Award for their outstanding work with raising funds and awareness for the Children’s Advocacy Center (CAC). The group raised over $18,000 through a blue envelope campaign and the CAC Celebrity Waiter Fundraiser.

· Ashleigh Kenny was elected by her peers as the class president and tasked with keeping the group together in the years ahead. 

· Ashleigh Kenny and Paula Sheffield tied for the Tess Price Cox award, which honors the most enthusiastic and passionate class member(s) who consistently demonstrated a positive attitude throughout the year.

· Seven Leadership Lowndes alumni were recognized for their contributions in planning the 2014 program year:  Patrick Collins, Andrew Flemer, Edward Ford, Carla Gervin, Suzan Prince, Janice Richardson, and Amanda Shapard.

· Five Leadership Lowndes Board members were honored for completing their three-year commitment to the organization:  Lacie Guy, Kelly Madsen, Jill Maine, Anne Shenton, Eric Tillman and J.D. Yeager.

Leadership Lowndes Charter member Judge H. Arthur McLane presented the Georgia Power Company with the H. Arthur McLane award, given each year to recognize a community organization or individual who exemplifies the high standards of excellence, demonstrates a steadfast support of the Leadership Lowndes program, and seeks to use its resources to build a better Lowndes County.  Terri Lupo, Georgia Power Company Vice President of the South Region, accepted the award on behalf of her organization and their continued support of leadership and community development in our Lowndes County.

In one of the last acts of official business, outgoing 2014 Board President Sementha Mathews presented 2015 President Joe Belson with an engraved gavel.  Joe Belson will oversee the Board of Trustees, the Leadership Lowndes Program and the Lowndes Youth Leadership League in the coming year.