On January 23rd and 24th, MAX hosted our inaugural class of Leadership MAX…the Leadership MAX Class of 2025, presented by Amazon, at Callaway Gardens. While the timing of the retreat was impacted by wintry weather conditions, such weather did not damper the excitement and enthusiasm felt by members of the Leadership MAX Class of 2025 – all of whom joined our retreat wholeheartedly. At the retreat, class members were introduced to “Strengths Based Leadership,” and they reviewed authentic and servant leadership principles, explored the ins and outs of inclusive leadership, and did a deep dive into metro Atlanta and Georgia’s workforce ecosystem.
The retreat was led by Leadership MAX 2025 Program Chairs John Helton, CEO, CareerRise, and Breezy Straton, Vice President, Elevate Douglas. Special thanks to the following partners who joined us in creating a meaningful retreat experience for all:
- Terreta Rodgers, Head of Community Affairs, Atlanta Region, Amazon Public Policy
- Chunk Newman, Vice Chair, State Workforce Development Board and Project Executive, Batson-Cook
- Jenny Taylor, Chief Mission Officer and Vice President, Career Services, Goodwill of North Georgia
- Dana Inman, President & CEO, Atlanta Center for Self Sufficiency
- Dr. Carolina Darbisi, Assistant Director, J.W. Fanning Institute for Leadership Development
- Dr. Brendan Leahy, Public Service Associate, J.W. Fanning Institute for Leadership Development
- Kristin Laarhoven, Executive Director, Technical College System of Georgia, Office of Workforce Development
- Brett Lacy, Deputy Director, Select Fulton and Director, WorkSource Fulton
- Dr. Barbara Wall, Deputy Superintendent, Georgia Department of Education, Career, Technical, and Agricultural Education
- Dr. Ray Perren, Deputy Commissioner, Technical College System of Georgia
- Dr. Adrian Epps, Dean, Kennesaw State University, Bagwell College of Education
During the retreat, MAX board chair and 2022 Wendell Dallas Excellence in Leadership Awardee Jenny Taylor led the class to recognize John Helton, Dana Inman, and Breezy Straton for their leadership of MAX and Joy Wilkins for serving as a MAX founder, presenting each with a special MAX award. Taylor was also applauded for her leadership of MAX and was gifted a MAX award. In addition, the group celebrated the 2024 Wendell Dallas Excellence in Leadership Awardee Dr. Barbara Wall.
Members of the Leadership MAX Class of 2025 include:
- Autumn Andrews, Gwinnett County Government
- Rachel Ash, Elevate Douglas Economic Partnership
- Dr. Chuck Barlow Jr., Saving Our Sons & Sisters International aka SOSSI
- Ann Burris, Georgia Department of Human Services
- Dr. Maxine Cain, STEM Atlanta Women, Inc.
- Lisa Davis, Atlanta Regional Commission
- Chanell Davis, City of Atlanta
- Carla DeBose, Technical College System of Georgia (TCSG)
- Tiffany Francis, Urban League of Greater Atlanta
- Nate Futrell, CareerRise
- Sergio Galeano, Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta
- Brenda Johnson, The Collaborative Training Company
- Jason Martin, ThrivalED
- Dr. Ubani Ogbonnaya, Atlanta Technical College
- Angelia O’Neal, Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce
- Ashlee Phillips, First Step Staffing
- Anggie Pope, City of Refuge
- Dr.Susan Simmons-Stevenson, Americans Thrive, LLC
- Jahari Soward, NPursuit Career Partners
- Paul Terlemezian, Georgia LEARNS Now, LLC
- Jordan Troutman, Newton County School System
- Michelle Vialet, WorkSource Fulton
- Joshua Williams, Decide DeKalb Development Authority ; WorkSource DeKalb
- Toya Williams, STRIVE Atlanta
- Olivia Wilson, CobbWorks Inc. / WorkSource Cobb
Thankfully, the retreat an enriching time of fun, food, and fellowship for all.

ABOUT LEADERSHIP MAX
Leadership MAX provides an exciting opportunity for workforce developers to grow within the workforce development community and develop into a community of peer leaders who will solve problems together in the years to come. Designed especially for developing leaders in the workforce development field, this cohort-based leadership development program is as an extension and evolution of our commitment to provide high-quality professional development and network-building opportunities for our members. Click here to learn more.