48 S G M A G A Z I N E | FA L L 2 0 1 8 Courtney Gooding Chase Daughtrey Jason Dunn Actively involved in the Valdosta North Rotary Club, Courtney Gooding exemplifies Rotary International’s motto of “Service Above Self.” Gooding, who is director of client services with Bush Wealth Management, is a volunteer in numerous community organizations including the Lowndes Associated Ministries to People (LAMP) Board of Directors, Community Partners in Education Advisory Council, and Board of Trustees for Leadership Lowndes (class of 2017). In 2016, Gooding received the Valdosta-Lowndes County Chamber of Commerce Young Professional of the Year Award. Chase Daughtrey was sworn in as probate court judge of Cook County in January 2009. When he took office, at the age of 26, he was the state’s youngest probate court judge. Since taking office, Daughtrey has been honored by Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) for his support in the organization’s South Georgia campaign to keep roads safe. He was named Probate Judge of the Year in 2014, and in 2016 he was appointed by Gov. Nathan Deal to serve on the Board of Commissioners for the Probate Judges Retirement Fund. Active within the Cook County community, Daughtrey serves as chairman of the Board of Trustees for the Cook Medical Center and on the Advisory Board for the Georgia Department of Community Supervision. With a passion for regional partnerships, Jason Dunn, executive director of the Fitzgerald and Ben Hill County Development Authority, is an active participant in Locate South Georgia, a collaborative effort that promotes economic development in 21 South Georgia counties. The mission of Locate South Georgia is to market and brand the region as a globally competitive location for business and industry, work toward the recruitment of new jobs and capital investments, and educate and foster community leaders. Dunn is also instrumental in creating a bridge between industry and education through the WELD program. Dunn, along with other community leaders, formed WELD, a collaborative program that works to establish additional avenues of employment, reduce unemployment and poverty rates, and improve the overall quality of life in Ben Hill County. The WELD partnership includes the Fitzgerald and Ben Hill County Development Authority, Fitzgerald High School, Wiregrass Georgia Technical College, and Communities in Schools of Fitzgerald and Ben Hill County. “Simply put, WELD is providing young people with an entryway into a career,” Dunn said. “One of the best things it has done is create partnerships with education, the development authority, and industry. This has led to careers for young men and women that are likely to remain in Ben Hill County upon high school graduation.” The WELD program has increased placement of high school students in local industry jobs, facilitated an essential railcar car repair curriculum with Wiregrass Georgia Technical College, and has created community awareness on the importance of industry and education collaborations to strengthen workforce development. Chase Daug h t r e y Courtney Gooding Jason Dunn