About The champion newspaper. (Decatur, GA) 19??-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 17, 2019)
Tr :-$yfje Page 4B THE CHAMPION, THURSDAY, JANUARY 17 - 23, 2019 Johnson Mosely Fletcher Turano Vaughn Young professionals come together to create a better Georgia BY KATHY MITCHELL Each year since 2012, a group of up to 50 young Georgia professionals has come together to make the state better one community at a time. This year’s members of an organization called Young Gamechangers—including eight DeKalb County residents— will for six to eight months use their talents, energy and experience to find ways to improve the Monroe/ Walton County area approximately 47 miles east of Atlanta. Young Gamechangers, a division of GeorgiaForward, is a leadership action program that brings together Georgia professionals 40 and younger to help solve persistent challenges of one Georgia community, according to its website. GeorgiaForward defines itself as “a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization working to strengthen communities, unite our state and create a talent pipeline within Georgia.” “The Young Gamechangers program brings together some of Georgia’s brightest, most forward- thinking young professionals from the ages of 24 to 40 who have volunteered to help communities around the state,” according to Kris Vaughn, executive director of GeorgiaForward. “The idea is to generate big ideas and recommendations for persistent challenges in a Georgia community. The community then prioritizes and implements these ideas.” Both the volunteers and the communities in the program have gone through a selection process, Vaughn said. “We have a selection committee that each year brings together a volunteer group, two- thirds of whom are from outside the target community. The committee seeks to create a group that’s a mixture of men and women and diverse in terms of background, experience and where they fall within the 24 to 40 age range.” Vaughn said participants come from such areas as business, law, public health, real estate, urban planning, the arts, nonprofits and academia. “It really doesn’t matter as long as they are big thinkers, innovators and creative, civic- minded people, who will roll up their sleeves and get the job done. We are so fortunate here in Georgia to have such an excellent pool of young professionals to draw on. Each year, we have more applicants than we can accept; however, those who don’t get in the first time are free to apply again for another year,” she said. “On the first day of their first two-day visit, we have the volunteers tour the area without being told what the community has identified as its challenges. We want them to just get a feel for the community before they start thinking about what they can do for it,” Vaughn said. The group is presented with four challenge questions and asked to make three recommendations in response to each. The Young Gamechangers develop a blueprint for community improvement with recommendations for a timeline, budget, possible funding sources and expected impact; however, the community implements the plan. Vaughn offered as an example of Young Gamechangers projects one created in Dublin, Ga., in 2013. “The city had a vibrant downtown that was surrounded by blight. That year’s group recommended a river walk connecting downtown with other areas.” Charlie Moseley of Decatur, who is one of this year’s Young Gamechangers, said he is eager to get started on a project in this year’s target community. A 36-year-old Georgia Power employee, Moseley said he has long had an interest in community improvement. “In my economic development position, I am often involved in projects that make communities better, but I don’t always see the results of our work. With Young Gamechangers, we will walk away with a tangible product. That will be a nice takeaway.” Many of the volunteers, including Sarah Fletcher, were attracted to the program’s leadership development potential. “I’m self- employed so I don’t automatically have opportunities to work with colleagues on projects that develop leadership as I might if I worked for a company. So, I have to go out and create those opportunities.” Vaughn called the program “unique because it’s a leadership action program. Not only are there opportunities for networking and professional growth, but these young leaders create real blueprints for change.” Abigail Johnson, a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention employee, said she heard of the program from a colleague and it sounded like an ideal match with her skills and interests. “I had been yearning for more community involvement and the opportunity to work with other young professionals from a variety of backgrounds sounds very exciting to me.” Abby Turano said she brings a unique perspective to the program. “I’ve traveled around the state and around the world with Georgia’s economic development organization and I’ve had the opportunity to visit many communities and see what works in terms of tourism, the arts and many other areas,” she said, adding “besides, I have a brother in Monroe so I’m already familiar with the area.” Other DeKalb participants in this year’s program are Yterenickia Bell, Kelly Griendling, Daphne Bond-Godfrey and Melissa Waller. The project kicks off Jan. 31 at the Monroe City Hall.
