On November 13, 2025, MAX convened our Leadership MAX Class of 2025 members for Trilith Day in Fayette County, presented by Amazon. This was our last learning day of the year for the Class of 2025 and one designed to provide a front-row seat to extraordinary leadership in action. Namely, the day focused on experiencing the Town at Trilith, an innovative, master‑planned, mixed-use community in Fayetteville, Georgia with residential, business, creative and entertainment, and lifestyle components. The Class of 2025 learned more about the Town at Trilith and its neighboring developments Trilith Studios and Trilith Live and how they are together creating an exciting and transformative maker experience in south metro Atlanta.
The day began with opening remarks from Breezy Straton, Vice President, Elevate Douglas from on behalf of the Leadership MAX Class of 2025 program chair team which also includes John Helton, Founder + Principal, Bright Idea Collab, LLC; welcome remarks from local hosts Niki Vanderslice, President & CEO of the Fayette County Development Authority (FCDA) and MAX member Amanda Fields, Vice President of Economic Development, also with FCDA; and greetings from Amy Lancaster-King, Founder + Principal, Long Game Solutions, LLC and Jeannie Ross, Director of Workforce Development, City of Refuge on behalf of the Trilith Day board lead team which also includes John Hallman, Deputy Commissioner, Georgia Department of Human Services.
Kicking off the discussion was Vanderslice who shared a welcome message from Trilith founder and visionary Dan Cathy, chairman of Chick-fil-A – and discussed how Fayette County worked in partnership with Cathy and many others to bring Trilith to fruition. Following Vanderslice, Scott Votaw, Executive Director of the Georgia Film Academy and Assistant Vice Chancellor, University System of Georgia, shared how the Georgia Film Academy is working through its base operations in Trilith to grow the workforce for Georgia’s film industry. The development of Trilith helped attract the attention of the U.S. Soccer Federation which decided to move its headquarters and construct a first-of-its-kind national training center (NTC) in Fayette County, with the support of the Arthur M. Blank Foundation. Tom Norton, General Manager of the Arthur M. Blank National Training Center with the U.S. Soccer Federation joined Vanderslice to discuss how U.S. Soccer Federation came to Fayette and future plans for its new presence in Fayette.
Lunch offered a moment to refuel and reflect, accompanied by a keynote from Rob Parker, Founder and CEO of Wisdom Transfer and former President of Trilith Development, LLC. His insights into leadership and creative development left attendees inspired and motivated. Parker illustrated how Trilith has become the place where makers live, create, and inspire the world, as envisioned by its founders. The day proceeded with a visit with Josh Lee, COO and Co-Founder, Trilith Institute and tour of the Georgia Film Academy. Special thanks to FCDA’s Lindsey Wooddy for guiding our afternoon.
During the day, cohort members were provided an opportunity to display their “acting chops” thanks to a group activity designed and led by board leads Lancaster-King and Ross. Class members brought their favorite leadership movies to life in skits, sparking laughter and thoughtful conversation. The day concluded with a happy hour at Barleygarden Kitchen and Craft Bar, the first restaurant to open in the Town at Trilith, giving attendees a chance to meet town manager Jake Pitman and relax, network, and celebrate a day filled with learning, creativity, and inspiration.
Special thanks to all the aforementioned leaders who shared their time, expertise, and insights and made this day possible for our class members. And as always, special thanks to Amazon, our Presenting Sponsor, Goodwill of North Georgia, our Silver Sponsor, and program sponsors Georgia Power and Select Fulton – for their support in advancing the Leadership MAX experience.
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