The following people have been selected to participate in the 2015-2016 Leadership Savannah program:

Cecilia Arango                           Thomas & Hutton Engineering Co.
Bill Astary                                 Georgia Tech Professional Education
Brannon Bowman                      165th Airlift Wing - Georgia Air National Guard
Jeff Brady                                 Rountree and Brady Isurance Agency
Lisa Clark                                 United Way of the Coastal Empire
Adam Cohen                             Tenon Consulting
Phil Cole                                   Savannah State University
Karen Cooper                            Smile Designs By Dr. Karen Cooper
Stephanie Dammen-Morrell         Hussey Gay Bell
Brooke Denhard                         Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation
Luke Dorman                             DPR Hardin Construction Company
Kara Ford                                  Abshire Public Relations
Stuart Fox                                 JCB, Inc.
Allan Galis                                HunterMaclean
Marianne Ganem Poppell            Johnnie Ganem wine & package shop
Bill Haws                                  Georgia Power Company
Jen Herman                              City of Savannah
Kurt Hetager                              Savannah-Chatham County Public School System
TJ Hollis                                   Lee, Black & Hollis, PC
Kimberly Holmes                       Savannah State University
J. D. Hunt                                 Holland, Henry & Bromley, LLP
Arnold Jackson                          Savannah Chatham County Public School System
Lorna Jackson                           Curtis V. Cooper Primary Health Care
Laura Johnson                           Savannah Economic Development Authority
Chris Lane                                Weiner, Shearouse, Weitz, Greenberg & Shawe, LLP
Sara Lane                                 Visit Tybee
Jack Lumpkin                            Savannah Chatham Metropolitan Police Deparatment
George Major Jr.                        Oliver Maner LLP
Megan Manly                             Ellis, Painter, Ratterree & Adams LLP
Harris Martin                             Bouhan Falligant LLP
Tony Martin                               Martin Financial Group
Veleeta McDonald                     City of Savannah Mobility and Parking Services
Joshua McKenzie                      St Joseph's/Candler Health System
Padgett Mixon                           Sea Island Bank
Dawn Morgan                            Collins Construction Serv Inc
Kelin Murphy                             Oliver Maner LLP
Dawn Odom                              St. Vincent's Academy
Mary Crane Orne                       Gas South, LLC
Keith Parker                              BB&T
Ryan Price                                Rives E. Worrell Company, a JE Dunn Construction Co.
Brian Sapp                                Tharpe Engineering Group
Heather Seibert                         St. Joseph's/Candler Health System
Jen Singeisen                            Junior Achievement of Georgia - Southern District
David Spisso                             Georgia Air National Guard
Mark Thompson                         Choate Construction Company
Ashley Tillman                           USI Insurance Services
Nashia Whittenburg                    Armstrong State University

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 2015-2016 Leadership Savannah class, sessions begin in September 2015 and conclude in June 2016 with graduation. In 2015, Leadership Savannah graduated 47 people at a ceremony held in June for the 2014-2015 class.