South GeorgiaLEADS is proud to announce the graduation of its sixth cohort, with 26 graduates committed to creating a competitive South Georgia through strong leadership and working collectively as a region. With corporate support from Graduation Sponsor, Colony Bank, South GeorgiaLEADS (SGL) spent the day in Colquitt County, learning firsthand from the community about leadership and collective impact.   

Members of South GeorgiaLEADS heard from Joanne Jones, PCOM’s Chief of Campus Operations, Jim Matney, President and CEO of Colquitt Regional Medical Center, and Kristoff Cohran, Program Coordinator for Georgia South Psychiatry Residency Program, regarding regional collaboration and how collective impact can expand leadership tenacity. On Thursday, March 23, the sixth cohort concluded the program with a celebration sponsored by Colony Bank, the Graduation Sponsor.  SGL also received support throughout the year from the Sustaining Sponsor, Georgia Power Company, and Presenting Sponsor, Electric Cities of Georgia. Without these corporations’ support, the program would not be as impactful.  

Jody Redding, a lifelong South Georgia resident whose love of agriculture, public service, and politics led him to a political career serving three United State Senators (Paul Coverdell, Zell Miller, and Johnny Isakson), was the keynote speaker. Currently, he serves as the Director of Field Services in the Office of Georgia Governor Brian Kemp. Redding shared lessons of communication, compromise, and relationship building with South GeorgiaLEADS graduates and guests. In his final thoughts, he shared “Find your passion, and run with it as you never know where it might take you.”

This year’s cohort certainly has a passion for South Georgia and the connections they’ve made throughout the year. Recent graduate Cicily Florence shared her excitement about participating in the program and what she was taking away from it, “It takes a village, and we have a great sense of hospitality here.  We will always speak.”

With representation from 15 counties across South Georgia, SGL is an eight-month leadership experience that develops individual leadership skills while engaging participants in discussions of regional importance around economic development, identity and influence, workforce development, and community growth that are both unique and relevant to South Georgia.  Georgia Power, Sustaining Sponsor , had a representative at the graduation Joe Brownlee, Regional Director, South Region – Valdosta, who shared during his welcome, “LEADS is planting trees to provide shade for the future,” as he encouraged class members to find ways to continue to grow personally, serve the region, and build other leaders.  

The 2022-2023 South GeorgiaLEADS graduates are as follows:

Incoming Chairman, Rob Collins, announced at the graduation celebration that Mary Crawford, Donica Williams, and Josh Drew would be welcomed as new board members to represent the 2022-2023 cohort. Chairwoman Barbara Grogan and Mary Beth Brownlee, Program Chair, shared remarks at the end of the evening expressing their appreciation of the class, sponsors, partners, and board members who helped make the program possible. Grogan stated that “this program was the right platform to create, evolve, and sustain to help advance our leadership, communities, and region.  South GeorgiaLEADS creates the venue for engagement, conversation and strategic consideration and response to regional needs and future possibilities.”  Brownlee shared in the sentiments saying, “If you believe in something, carry it forward.” 

The purpose of South GeorgiaLEADS is to develop informed, aware, and educated leaders to promote and grow South Georgia by:

·        Increasing awareness of assets and resources;

·        Creating a shared sense of regional pride and ownership in both action and solutions;

·        Strengthening partnerships and alliances; and

·        Enhancing political influence and acuity to support the needs and opportunities of South Georgia.

As the largest regional leadership program in the state, South Georgia is raising the bar for leadership, economic development and civic engagement for existing leaders.  They are carrying forward their passion for the region and working together to collectively impact South Georgia. 

Nominations and applications for next year’s class (2023-2024) will open later this year, with the program set to launch its seventh cohort in August 2023.  Interested applicants may contact their local Chambers of Commerce or Economic Development Authorities, or South GeorgiaLEADS directly at https://southgeorgialeads.org/.

Sponsors of this year’s program included:  Georgia Power, Electric Cities of Georgia, NEOS Technologies, Colony Bank, Valdosta State University, Coleman-Talley Strategies, Georgia CEO, One Sumter Economic Development Foundation, Southern Regional Technical College, The UPS Store, Albany, AT&T, City of Valdosta, First National Bank, Fitzgerald-Ben Hill Co Development Authority, Georgia EMC, Greater Valdosta United Way, Lee Co. Development Authority & Chamber, Valdosta Lowndes County, Development Authority, Lowndes Co. Board of Commissioners, Terramore Development, Thomasville-Thomas Co. Payroll Development, Whaley Realty, Locate South Georgia, City of Bainbridge, Downtown Development Authority of Bainbridge, Leadership Worth, and Sylvester Worth Co. Chamber of Commerce. 

Facilitation, implementation and partnership support are provided by the J.W. Fanning Institute for Leadership Development at the University of Georgia and the Center for South Georgia Regional Impact at Valdosta State University.