Leadership Savannah Announces 2013-2014 Class – Bouhan Falligant Attorney Benjamin W. Karpf Selected
The following people have been selected to participate in the 2013-2014 Leadership Savannah program:
Jamal Barrow – United States Air Force; John Bennett – Savannah Bicycle Campaign; Mark Bennett – Gulfstream; Kate Blair – Wells Fargo Insurance Services; Karen Bogans – International Paper; Tommy Branch – Callaway, Braun, Riddle & Hughes, P.C.; Toby Browne – The Savannah Bank; Eric Bull – Spine and Sport; Ricky Byrd – Elkins Constructors, Inc.; Todd Cellini – South University; Patrick Connell – Ellis, Painter, Ratterree and Adams; Carol Coppola – SunTrust Bank; Kerry Coursey – Savannah Chatham County Public Schools; Daniel Crook – HunterMaclean; Beth Desloges – Susan G. Komen Coastal Georgia; Emily Dickinson – Wet Willie’s Management Corp.; Megan Duffy – City of Savannah, Georgia; Patton Dugas – The Coastal Bank; Catherine Edwards – Skidaway Institute of Oceanography; Troy Follak – Gulfstream Aerospace Corporaton; John Giordano – Thomas & Hutton Engineering; John Harper – US District Court for the Southern District of Georgia; Tom Hartridge – Willis; Amy Henderson – Bart Meyer & Company LLP; Brandt Herndon – SEDA; Tina Hinson – Savannah Area Chamber of Commerce; Robert Howard – Armstrong Atlantic State University; Dani Ibarra – Beckmann – Savannah College of Art and Design; Wanda Jackson – USG Savannah State University; Benjamin Karpf – Bouhan Falligant, LLP; Gina Kreiss – North Point Hospitality Group; Ryan Martin – Sea Island Bank a division of Synovus Bank ; Alfred McGuire – Savannah Chatham County Public Schools; Brian Mitchell – Georgia Power Company; Sheron Morgan – City of Savannah; Jessica Pedigo – Seacrest Partners, Inc.; Michael Poulios – H+K Engineering Group; Mark Revenew – City of Pooler; Nancy Reyes – Savannah Morning News/savannahnow.com; Lizann Roberts – Lizann Roberts Consulting; Andrew Smith – R.B. Baker Construction; Ernie Tafoya – US Army, Hunter Army Airfield; Cody Tharpe – Tharpe Structural Design Group; Jessica Thomas – Memorial Health Anderson Cancer Center; Tripp Turner – J.T. Turner Construction; Tony Uhrich – Hussey Gay Bell & DeYoung, Consulting Engineers; Randall Webb – Deemer Dana & Froehle LLP; Jenny Woodruff – Savannah Music Festival; Bea Wray – The Creative Coast; Paul Yarborough – Georgia Ports Authority.
These leaders and potential leaders are chosen because they are active in business, education, the arts, religion, government, community-based organizations and ethnic and minority groups, which reflects the diversity of the community. The program is a one-year commitment, which focuses on developing the leadership skills of the group to improve the community.
By the end of the year, the participants should have:
- A better understanding of themselves and their individual leadership styles;
Improved leaderships skills; - A deeper knowledge of the Savannah community and how it fits in the regional, state, national and global economy;
- Identified the major challenges facing Savannah;
- Built relationships with other class members and existing community leaders;
- Used their leadership skills to provide service to Step Up, Savannah’s Anti-poverty Initiative (www.stepupsavannah.org) or another community challenge;
- Developed a deep commitment to making the Savannah community a better place to live and work.
The programs consist of monthly interactive sessions led by top community experts within their fields. For the 2013 – 2014 Leadership Savannah class, sessions begin in September 2013 and conclude in June 2014 with graduation. In 2013, Leadership Savannah graduated 46 people at a ceremony held in June for the 2012-2013 class.
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The Savannah Area Chamber of Commerce is a business organization managed by a volunteer board of directors. The Chamber encompasses Visit Savannah, Ambassadors Council, the CEO Council, Communities in Schools, Drug-Free Workplace, Savannah Sports Council, Governmental Affairs Council, Leadership Savannah, Legends of Golf, Manufacturers and Distributors Council, Military Affairs Council, Owner’s Council,