VALDOSTA, February 10, 2012- The 2012 Class of Leadership Lowndes recently traveled to Atlanta to attend the annual Lowndes County Bird Supper. The class also had the opportunity to tour the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta and to visit the Georgia State Capitol. Throughout the trip, they met with state legislators and government officials to discuss issues of concern in our community.
This morning, several Leadership Lowndes participants appeared on the Scott James Show to discuss the trip. Leah McMillan, Assistant Director of the VSU Counseling Center and 2012 Leadership Lowndes class member, shared her concerns about Governor Nathan Deal’s decision to remove funding for the proposed VSU Health Sciences building from his recommendations for the state’s 2013 budget.
“The Health Sciences building would allow VSU to partner with SGMC and Wiregrass Tech to develop healthcare professionals in our region and state. We expressed to our legislators that this program is absolutely the future of our university and community. They were able to see our passion for this issue,” said McMillan.
Pending these cuts, the project will be put on hold indefinitely.
Individuals in the 2012 Leadership Lowndes class include the following: Amanda Peacock, Andrea Schruijer, Andy Bolton, Andy Stone, Angie Crawford, Bob Burk, Bruce Allred, Chares White, Dana Richards, Frank Batten, Jamie Hill, JaTaryia Thomas, Jeff Worn, Kevin McCraney, Lake Jordan, Laurie Hancock, Leah McMillan, Lisa Day, Mark Sherry, Matt King, Michael Anderson, Sam Warren, Sandra Wilcher, Sharah Denton, Stacy Bush, Stan Crance, Theresa Freeman, Tina Godwin, Vincent Savino and Wes Sewell. Jeremy Davis (Leadership Lowndes Class of 2010) served as day chair for the trip.
Many local businesses and organization invested in the future leaders of our community by sponsoring the trip. These organizations include: Georgia Power Company, Citizens Community Bank, First State Bank & Trust, Commercial Banking Company, Langdale Industries, Waller Heating & Air, Heritage Bank of the South, Valdosta State University, Brian Sumner State Farm, Moore, Clark Duvall & Rodgers, Southeastern Capital Investment Group, LLC, Southeastern Federal Credit Union, KFC, Innovate Engineering Solutions, Lovell Engineering Associates P.C., Pro Pluming & Repair LLC, Valdosta Electric, Taylor Insurance, ENT & Allergy Associates of South GA, Jeremy Davis, Smitty’s Package Store, and South Georgia Pecan Company.
Leadership Lowndes seeks to inspire individual leadership growth by providing learning experiences that lead to a better understanding of our community, while also preparing individuals to meet present and future community challenges. Leadership Lowndes supports the continued development and expansion of our community and provides a forum for the exchange of community information, resources and viewpoints for the betterment of Lowndes County. For more information about the organization, visit www.leadershiplowndes.com.
