Leadership MAX (L-MAX) is a competitively selected, cohort-based leadership development program designed especially for developing leaders in the workforce development field. L-MAX is comprised of a combination of retreat-style, full day, field trip, and service-learning opportunities over the course of a year.

2025 Leadership MAX Chairs John Helton, CEO, CareerRise, and Breezy Straton, Vice President, Elevate Douglas, excitedly announced the inaugural Leadership MAX Class of 2025, presented by Amazon, at our MAX Annual Meeting in December 2024.

“One of the greatest benefits of MAX is the networking and getting to know who’s who in the state and region, especially the decision-makers,” says Jenny Taylor, Chair, MAX Board of Directors, and Vice President and Chief Mission Officer, Goodwill of North Georgia, noting how because of MAX, we advance our collective mission and operate at the ‘Speed of Trust’. Says Taylor: “I am confident that Leadership MAX will be an accelerant, both for the emerging and experienced leaders in the cohort AND for the workforce development ecosystem. I am so proud of the participants in the inaugural class for stepping forward, and of each member of the board and leadership who is volunteering their precious time to pour into their development.”

PRESENTING SPONSOR OF LEADERSHIP MAX CLASS OF 2025

Amazon has long been a highly impactful partner in metro Atlanta and Georgia’s economic development landscape, accounting for an estimated 34,000 jobs in the state according to company records. Amazon, which has built a culture around solving problems, partners with communities across the nation.

SILVER SPONSOR

Goodwill of North Georgia has a simple mission: we put people to work. At career centers throughout North Georgia, Goodwill offers job-search resources, helps with writing a professional résumé and cover letter, provides access to employment opportunities, delivers hands-on skill training, and so much more.