On February 12, 2026, MAX convened our Leadership MAX Class of 2026, presented by Amazon, for our first “Learning Day” of the year. This year’s program is led by 2026 Leadership MAX Chairs – Jenny Taylor, chief mission officer and vice president of career services with Goodwill of North Georgia, and Kristin Laarhoven, assistant commissioner with the Technical College System of Georgia (TCSG). Policy and Lawmaking Day started with a primer on how the legislature and legislation works and was packed with insights from state workforce leaders on recent policy developments, current policy priorities, and legislation of interest from a workforce development perspective.
Special thanks to MAX board leads Tim Cairl, vice president of talent development, with the Metro Atlanta Chamber, and Daniela Perry, executive director with the Georgia Chamber Foundation for their leadership of the planning and execution of Policy and Lawmaking Day for our Class of 2026. Special thanks also to MAX board member Dr. Barbara Wall, deputy superintendent with the Georgia Department of Education, for hosting us on this day. Our sincere gratitude also goes to the workforce executives who joined Cairl and Perry to share their timely insights and expertise include:
- Cosby Johnson, Vice President of Government Affairs, Georgia Chamber;
- Miki Edwards, Implementation Consultant, Governor’s Office of Planning and Budget;
- Irene Munn, Principal, The Munn Firm, LLC; and
- Mark Peevy, Chief of Staff, Technical College System of Georgia (TCSG).
In addition to sharing their policy expertise, Edwards, Munn, and Peevy discussed Governor Brian P. Kemp’s initiative to make Georgia the Top State for Talent.
The day included real-life scenario planning around “three talking points if you met your legislative representative” led by Taylor and group reflections on leadership strengths informed by CliftonStrengths led by Laarhoven.
Taylor and Laarhoven also shared the honor of presenting Peevy with a special MAX Award in gratitude for his earlier work as a MAX founder.
Special thanks to Amazon for serving as our Presenting Sponsor and Goodwill of North Georgia for serving as a program sponsor.
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.
