b'communities, says Shenton, who represents Lowndes County. This experience has opened my eyes to all our region has to offer. I hope that our class will continue to work together long after this program is finished to bridge the gaps between our communities and strengthen South Georgias economy and quality of life.Tift County entrepreneur M. Jay Hall Jr., says networking and creating a vision for the region attracted him to the South GeorgiaLEADS program. I wanted to be a part of the class of South Georgia LEADS to take advantage of the tremendous opportunity to network with and learn from a diverse group of individuals, who all shared a common vision for the need of good leaders to move South Georgia forward, says Hall, CEO of Collins, an event venue in Tifton. I hope to gain a greater appreciation for the unique issues that we face in South Georgia and to help develop strategies to address them. I would like to become more aware of my role as a leader and be able to serve my community in ways that will create more opportunities for growth and development.South GeorgiaLEADS was developed in 2015 as a partnership with the Georgia Chamber of Commerce, the University of Georgia J.W. Fanning Institute for Leadership Development, and Locate South Georgia. This year, Valdosta State University partnered with South GeorgiaLEADS to provide administrative, promotional, and creative support to the program. Sponsors for South GeorgiaLEADS include Georgia Power, Georgia CEO, AT&T, Colony Bank, CTSI, Andrew College, Moultrie-Colquitt County Development Authority, Mitchell County Development Authority, Phoebe Worth, Leadership Worth, and Sylvester-Worth County Chamber of Commerce.Check Us OutOn Social Media!/SouthGeorgiaMagazine//SouthGAMag/SouthGeorgiaMagazine/34 SG MAGAZINE| FALL 2019 BUSINESS + CULTURE35'