On May 8, 2025, MAX convened our Leadership MAX Class of 2025 members for our Business & Employer Engagement Day, presented by Amazon. The day began with opening remarks from Leadership MAX Class of 2025 co-chair Breezy Straton, Vice President, Elevate Douglas and MAX board member Chris Kidd, Director of Economic Development, University System of Georgia. Kidd, along with Dr. Ray Perren, Deputy Commissioner, Technical College System of Georgia, and Joe Paolini, Vice President, Business Services, Bobby Dodd Institute served as board leads in the planning and execution of this day.
Our featured speaker for our first session was Greg King, Associate Vice President with the Georgia Institute of Technology, who led an interactive discussion on engaging with employers where class members could share their experiences. Following King, Stephanie Scearce, Vice President, Workforce Development, with the Georgia Association of Manufacturers (GAM) shared expert advice on how to best network with business leaders. (Hint from Stephanie: Be Your Authentic Self!) The day proceeded with a keynote luncheon address from Dr. Irvin Clark, President of Southern Crescent Technical College, who shared expert advice on how to partner with business and industry in workforce development efforts, drawing on the models put in place by technical colleges across the state.
Following lunch, the day proceeded with two sessions on specific types of business engagement practices. Meshell Holiday, Senior Manager, Business Development with SourceAmerica, shared her organization’s model for engaging in contracting opportunities with employers. Brittany Jenkins-Morrow, Program Director, Talent Development, with the Metro Atlanta Chamber (MAC), discussed how MAC supports skills-based hiring practices among employers and MAC’s implementation of two-employer informed initiatives to address workforce gaps: Connect to Work and the Georgia Intern App. Leadership MAX Class of 2025 co-chair John Helton, President & CEO of CareerRise, shared CareerRise’s Industry Partnerships model and how through this model his team is successfully supporting sector partnerships in key industries identified as priorities for the Atlanta region.
The day was capped with a dynamic session based on the book “Impact with Integrity” by Becky Margiotta and led by Dr. Adrian Epps, Dean, Bagwell College of Education, Kennesaw State University. Epps led class members in a time of personal reflection and heart-felt dialogue as they considered their “essence” and how they are impacting those around them.
Special thanks to our program chairs, board leads, and speakers for coming together to create another amazing learning experience for our class members. And special thanks to Monty Green, IT Apprentice Program Manager, and Danielle Quarterman, Program Consultant, with Elevance Health for hosting our class on this day!
As always, a special shout out to Amazon for serving as our Presenting Sponsor and to Goodwill of North Georgia for serving as our Silver Sponsor for this year’s inaugural cohort of Leadership MAX.
If you have not already done so, click here to meet our Leadership MAX Class of 2025!
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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.
