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50 Georgia Leaders Selected for 2022 GeorgiaForward Young Gamechangers Cohort
ATLANTA — GeorgiaForward has tapped 50 evolving professionals to serve the organization’s 2022 Young Gamechangers (YG) program. YG is a unique leadership action program hosted by GeorgiaForward, a non-profit organization administered by the Georgia Municipal Association. Young Gamechangers brings professionals from across the state to work on the persistent challenges of one Georgia community.
In 2022, Dalton-Whitfield County will host the Young Gamechangers. Dalton leaders have finalized their four “Challenge Questions” that the 2022 cohort will be charged to answer through the five months they will spend developing specific, actionable recommendations for the community. These questions revolve around redevelopment, education, community engagement and more.
”We are delighted to return the Georgia Forward program to the communities of Georgia after a break due to the COVID-19 pandemic,” said AJ Robinson, chair of GeorgiaForward’s board of directors. This program has proven beneficial to every locale in which it has taken place, bringing new and fresh ideas to cities and counties across the State. It is a premier leadership development opportunity which produces results on many levels.”
“We are thrilled that Dalton will be the first city north of Atlanta to host the Young Gamechangers program, and we look forward to showing them all that makes our community special,” said Allyson M. Coker, project manager for Believe Greater Dalton. “From the beauty of the Northwest Georgia mountains and the history of our great industry to the charm and diversity of our people, we can’t wait to showcase all that makes Dalton special. Dalton-Whitfield County has great momentum on so many fronts with exciting projects that are currently underway, and we look forward to this talented group of young professionals coming into our community to give us their perspective on how we are doing and how we can continue to make Dalton a more attractive place to live, work and play.”
The 2022 cohort of Gamechangers will meet for the first time in the city of Dalton on April 27 and their work will culminate with a community presentation of their findings and recommendations in late September. The Gamechangers are accomplished professionals aged 41 and under from across the state who wish to make an impact through civic engagement, economic development and community partnerships. A third of the class is from the Dalton-Whitfield County area, another third is from the metro Atlanta region and the remaining third are from greater Georgia.
“The timing is perfect for the Young Gamechangers program to come to the city of Dalton to bring fresh ideas and perspectives as our community continues to grow and evolve,” said City Administrator Andrew Parker. “There are so many exciting projects taking place within the city over the next few years, and the Young Gamechangers will help us continue to think critically about how to best position the community for long term success.”
Previous Young Gamechangers Host Communities are Americus-Sumter County, Dublin-Laurens County, Douglasville-Douglas County, Augusta-Richmond County, LaGrange-Troup County, Milledgeville-Baldwin County, Albany-Dougherty County and Monroe-Walton County.
The 2022 Young Gamechangers Cohort includes:
Britney Anderson – Canton, Cherokee County
Sarah Andrews – Villa Rica, Carroll County
Amanda Brown – Dalton-Whitfield County
Christopher Brown – Dalton-Whitfield County
Ross Burger – Chatsworth, Murray County
Sarah Carnes – Athens-Clarke County
Claudia E. Colichon – Brookhaven, DeKalb County
Kara Cooper – Atlanta, Fulton County
Kayla Cooper – Martinez, Columbia County
Hasco Craver – Newnan, Coweta County
Natalie Crawford – Flowery Branch, Hall County
Rosalba Cuna – Dalton-Whitfield County
Livvy Davis – Baxley, Appling County
Chelsea DeWaters – Dalton-Whitfield County
Asher Dozier – Covington, Newton County
Candace Eaton – Dalton-Whitfield County
Reed Fincher – Dalton-Whitfield County
Carolyn Gibson – Dalton-Whitfield County
Joseph Goldstein – Marietta, Cobb County
Gita Harden – Dalton-Whitfield County
Anna Hart – Dalton-Whitfield County
Amber Hefner – Dalton-Whitfield County
Brooklyn Herrera – Dalton-Whitfield County
Ashlyn Johnson – Valdosta, Lowndes County
Marisa Kelley – Dalton-Whitfield County
Tori Kerlin – Marietta, Cobb County
Alana Langford – Dalton-Whitfield County
Patrick Ledford – Atlanta, Fulton County
John Minor – Dalton-Whitfield County
Laura Mitchell – Atlanta, Fulton County
Aprille Moore – Decatur, DeKalb County
Jorge Perez – Dalton-Whitfield County
Tara Pearson – Thomasville, Thomas County
Matthew Pepper – Norcross, Gwinnett County
Leah Poole – Hinesville, Liberty County
Sarah Preston Rigby – Warner Robins, Houston County
Gabrielle Rogers – Stone Mountain, DeKalb County
Mallory Safley – Dalton-Whitfield County
Luzmilla Sanchez – Dalton-Whitfield County
Alexandra Sanford – Dalton-Whitfield County
Trey Smith – Woodstock, Cherokee County
Mitchell Snyder – Dalton-Whitfield County
Aaron Szarowicz – Smyrna, Cobb County
Travis Taylor – Dalton-Whitfield County
Andrew Thomas II – Dalton-Whitfield County
Chelsea Tucker – Decatur, DeKalb County
Ashlan Troutman Webb – Covington, Newton County
Tonya Woolfolk – Kathleen, Houston County
JT Wu – Norcross, Gwinnett County
About GeorgiaForward: Based in Atlanta, GeorgiaForward strives to improve the state of Georgia by working as a catalyst to promote cross-sector, statewide conversations and partnerships by engaging young professionals and business, political, academic and civic leaders.
GeorgiaForward engages and convenes young professionals and leaders in civics, industry, government, academia and the media to find a common vision for Georgia. The nonprofit organization, which is administered by the Georgia Municipal Association, accomplishes this by creating an environment in which vision and pragmatism supersedes political deadlock, fostering communication and goodwill among Georgia’s stakeholders, seeking innovative solutions to Georgia’s biggest challenges. To learn more about GeorgiaForward visit, georgiaforward.org.
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