South Georgia Women's Leadership Initiative graduates 19

The Daily Citizen, Dalton, Ga.
·4 min read

Apr. 10—CAIRO — Just six months after the launch of the inaugural class of the South Georgia Women's Leadership Initiative, 19 ladies from across South Georgia celebrated a milestone as the first group of women to complete the program dedicated to empowering women to make an impact in the region.

With keynote speakers who echoed the importance of women supporting women, the Empowerment Celebration bookended the program with a trio of female leadership from Lowndes County — County Manager Paige Dukes and architects from a female-only firm, Gladwin Vaugh Architecture. Organizers said their remarks resonated with the inaugural cohort, as they have recently celebrated the grand reopening of the Historic Lowndes County Courthouse in Valdosta with the project being spearheaded by the female-driven team.

Aligned with the recognition of Women's History Month, Dukes charging the cohort to serve as only women can serve. She urged the graduates to take on projects with passion, sharing the following advice: "Lead with logic, celebrate with emotion. Don't ever let the two things get confused — make sure logic stays part of the process." Dukes closed by encouraging the women to be the leaders they have needed over the course of their careers to other who are beginning their journey.

Founding Sponsor Georgia Power Company was well represented with the program being led by SGWLI Planning & Steering Committee Chair Toni Reid. Reid shared her excitement over the success of the inaugural year of the women's program, "This program year has surpassed the expectations of everyone. The leadership learnings through one another, support from across the region and engagement from leaders in our communities have contributed to a significant and successful first year." She continued, "It is an honor to work alongside other phenomenal ladies from across the region facilitating a women's leadership program in our community that fosters the strong leadership needed to sustain the growth in our region for years to come."

In partnership with Georgia Power, the South GeorgiaLEADS (SGL) Board of Directors announced the first graduating class of the South Georgia Women's Leadership Initiative:

—Dale Rickett, of Colquitt County, Colquitt County Schools Foundation.

—Carrie Viohl, of Colquitt County, Southern Regional Technical College.

—Emily Watson, of Colquitt County, UGA College of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences.

—Tommie Beth Willis, of Colquitt County, Access to Capital for Entrepreneurs (ACE) South Georgia.

—Lori Clemons Gadson, of Dougherty County, Keller Williams Realty Group.

—Lequrica Gaskins, of Dougherty County, City of Albany.

—Cicily Florence, of Lee County, entrepreneur/self-employed.

—Cindy Wisham, of Lee County, United Way of Southwest Georgia.

—Mary Crawford, of Lowndes County, Girls on the Run South Georgia.

—Kristi Hill, of Lowndes County, Performance Foodservice.

—Christie Moore, of Lowndes County, Valdosta-Lowndes County Chamber of Commerce.

—Chanel Randolph, of Lowndes County, Access to Capital for Entrepreneurs (ACE) South Georgia.

—Dr. Veronica Brown, of Mitchell County, Mitchell County Schools.

—Nancy Bryan, of Tift County, Ruth's Cottage and Patticake House.

—Melody Cowart, of Tift County, Tifton-Tift County Chamber of Commerce.

—Cindy Evers, of Tift County, Alliance for Children Georgia.

—Dr. Audrey Luke-Morgan, of Tift County, Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College.

—Dr. Tonja Tift, of Tift County, Tifton Urban Redevelopment Agency.

—Christy Wray, of Turner County, Turner County Schools.

SGWLI launched in September in Albany-Dougherty County with the opening retreat being facilitated by Georgia Power and faculty from the University of Georgia's J.W. Fanning Institute for Leadership Development. Sessions rotated throughout the region, focusing on women in business, nonprofit management, women's health, the second half life, holding elected office and shaping policy. Facilitators, practitioners and experts from around the state engaged with the women, sharing their personal experiences and providing guidance on how to excel while balancing the work-life demands that women often face throughout their careers.

Sponsors of the inaugural South Georgia Women's Leadership Initiative included: Georgia Power Company, Access to Capital for Entrepreneurs (ACE) South Georgia, Cairo-Grady County Chamber of Commerce, CJB Industries, Inc., Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College, Girls on the Run South Georgia, Greater Valdosta United Way, Innovative Senior Solutions, Phoebe Sumter Medical Center, Southern Regional Technical College, South Georgia Banking Company, TruVista, and state Sen. Sam Watson and state Rep. Chas Cannon.

Nominations and applications for the upcoming SGWLI class (2024-2025) will open later this summer, with the program set to launch its second cohort in September 2024. Interested applicants may contact Toni Reid, Tifton Area Manager for Georgia Power and Chair of the SGWLI Planning & Steering Committee at (404) 831-4010 or at southgawomenslx@gmail.com. More information regarding SGWLI can also be found online at https://southgeorgialeads.org/sgwli/, or on Facebook and Instagram.