Business leaders and community members attended the 10th annual Gathering of Eagles sponsored by Wiregrass Georgia Technical College Foundation South, Southwest Georgia Bank, Taylor Insurance, and Valdosta-Lowndes Development Authority.

“We are so happy to have celebrated the 10th annual Gathering of Eagles with leaders from our community and three outstanding speakers—Ricky Steele, Ron Kitchens, and Bob Ganzak,” said Dr. Penelope Schmidt, executive director for Institutional Advancement at Wiregrass Georgia Technical College. “We appreciate the support from the community for this leadership development program and proceeds from the event will be used to fund scholarships for students at Wiregrass. “ 

Successful business leader and author Ricky Steele opened the forum with a discussion on the importance of networking.  

Outlining key points from his book, “The Heart of Networking,” Steele shared tips for successful networking:  staying organized, communicating on a meaningful level, never burning your bridges, doing your homework, not discounting anyone, and developing a multi-level plan.

Steele also shared his views on the importance of a handwritten note, cultivating meaningful professional relationships, the value of servant leadership, and living the Golden Rule. 

After starting a limo service in Atlanta more than 35 years ago, Steele is now president of Richard E. Steele, Jr., & Associates, and the host of Booth 61, a weekly Internet radio show on Business Radio X, where he provides the latest news and information regarding technology in the Atlanta area.

Ron Kitchens, CEO of Southwest Michigan First Group of Companies, outlined the reasons why education is vital to developing dynamic economic growth. 

Kitchens challenged those in attendance to begin a conversation about the importance and impact of education in the community. 

“We change people’s lives by helping them get that next job and moving up the ladder,” he said. “We have to prepare people for future jobs.”

A certified economic developer, with more than three decades of experience, Kitchens outlined the success of the Kalamazoo Promise, an initiative that provides payment for college tuition and mandatory fees to students graduating from the Kalamazoo Public Schools (there is a sliding scale of benefits based on the number of years in attendance). 

Kitchens said the Kalamazoo Promise, which started in 2005, does not just reward the highest academic achievers; it is open to all students with at least a 2.0 GPA upon graduation. 

“We believe in their future, they don’t have to be in the top 10 percent of their class,” said Kitchens. “The world is run by C average students because they will work the hardest. We want to change the dialogue about what it means to be college-ready.” 

Kitchens explained that in Kalamazoo, Mich., there is an open dialogue about what it means to be college-ready.

“We start talking about college in kindergarten,” he said. “By the time they are in the fourth and fifth grade they are beginning to identify where they want to go to college.”

Kitchens said this program, and similar models, have been emulated in communities across the U.S.

The forum concluded with Bob Ganzak, general manager of Dale Carnegie Training of North Florida, providing characteristics of an effective leader.

“Being a leader does not come with instructions,” Ganzak said. “The true characteristics of a great leader is they don’t criticize, condemn, or complain.”

Ganzak explained that being a positive leader can impact the entire atmosphere of an organization.  

“People leave people…their bosses, not their jobs,” said Ganzak. “We have to do a better job of hiring people who are leaders.” 

Ganzak told the group that something as simple as using a person’s name when you talk to them could make a tremendous positive impact. 

“A person’s name is to that person the most important sound,” Ganzak said. “You can become a better leader by just using a person’s name when you talk to them.”