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The Led County Ledger
Your Hometown Source Of Local News
Hometown Newspaper of Linda Cannon
Volume XLV- Number 51
Leesburg, Georgia - - August 23, 2023
Fifty Cents
Getting to Know Our 2023 LCHS Distinguished Alumni
Mr. Jason Andrew McLeod, Class of 2004
by LCHS Senior Eliza
beth Montgomery
The LCHS Distin
guished Alumni Com
mittee is proud to recog
nize Mr. Jason Andrew
McLeod, Class of 2004,
as a member of the 2023
Class of Distinguished
Alumni. The purpose of
this program is to recog
nize outstanding alumni
who have maintained a
high standard of excel
lence and distinguished
themselves through their
work, persona accom
plishments, or in the
lives of others. These in
dividuals exemplify the
ideals of the Lee County
School System and the
community it serves,
and thus serve as role
models for current and
future Lee County High
School Students.
Jason McLeod is a
kind and caring indi
vidual who has always
inspired and led others.
His strong leader
ship capabilities have
helped him guide others
towards the Kingdom
of God. By traveling
the country for two
years, he was able to
speak the word of God
to thousands of youths.
As an evangelist, he has
also spoken at camps,
revivals, high school/
college sports teams’ de
votions, youth detention
center chapel services,
and prison rehabilita
tion graduations. He
continues to touch the
hearts of youth by being
a student pastor at Life
Community Church
in Jamestown, North
Carolina. McLeod has
impacted many young
lives, especially those
of his five beautiful
children: Brooks, Elbe
Grace, Karis, Eli, and
Mercy. He is known as
a family man who loves
his children and his gor
geous wife of 13 years,
Meagan.
McLeod grew up hear
ing the good news of the
gospel from his parents
and from being a mem
ber of Sherwood Baptist
Church in Albany, Geor
gia. He first responded
to the gospel in the first
grade. Even at that early
age, everything related
to Christ made sense
to him. As a result, he
fully placed his faith in
Jesus, repented his sin,
and decided to follow
Jesus for the rest of his
life. Throughout high
school, he continued to
follow Jesus, being a
leader to those around
him. Whether it was
on the football field, in
the classroom, or in the
community, it is safe
to say that McLeod has
always been a natu
ral-born leader who is
an excellent role model.
In fact, he received the
Good Citizen Award
(given to one senior) at
the state capital. Mc
Leod went on to grad
uate from Lee County
High School in 2004
and then attend Georgia
Southern University,
earning his Bachelor of
Middle School East New Principal
Special to the
Ledger
Lee County Mid
dle School East is
proud to introduce
Principal Maggie
Grange to the East
famiLEE. Mrs.
Maggie Grange
is a graduate of
Lee County High
School, and states
that her experi
ences as a student
in the Lee County
School System were
truly wonderful
and impactful in
helping her reach
and accomplish her
educational achieve
ments. Her goal is to
provide all students
at LCMSE with that
positive experience.
Mrs. Grange is
beginning her 24th
year in education
and her 10th year in
administration. She
has worked in vari
ous school systems
in Georgia through
out her career.
She is excited to
continue her educa
tional journey as an
administrator in Lee
County! Welcome,
Mrs. Grange!
Maggie Grange
LCMS West Welcomes Mr. Zeth
Ford as New Assistant Principal
Special to the Ledger
We’re excited to intro
duce Mr. Zeth Ford as
the newest member of
our school’s administra
tive team at Lee County
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Leesburg
City Council
will meet
Tuesday,
September 5
at
6:00 p.m.
at the
Leesburg
City Hall
Middle School West! As
our new Assistant Prin
cipal, he has innovative
ideas, a commitment to
collaboration, and a pas
sion for helping students
succeed both in and out
of the classroom. We’re
so happy to have him at
LCMS West! Join us in
extending a warm wel
come to Mr. Zeth Ford!
Science degree in Com
munication and Religion
in 2014.
Mr. McLeod has had
a variety of different
jobs, one of them being
an actor. He was part of
the cast of two mov
ies - Facing the Giants
(2006) and Fireproof
(2008) - both produced
by Sherwood Pictures.
In addition, he was
also part of the set
crew in Courageous.
Moreover, he worked
as a field manager for
M&M Distributors from
2008-2010. Also, from
2010-2014, he was a gen
eral manager for Spring
Creek Ag. According to
McLeod, his favorite job
was when he held the
position of a customer
experience manager
from 2018-2020 for To
Your Success, a gifting
service for home service
companies. One of his
favorite things about
this job was being able
to eat and enjoy “a hot
and fresh cookie every
day.” Another part of the
job that he enjoyed was
the kind clients, people,
and family he worked
for and with. He remains
close friends with them
to this day.
Many of McLeod’s
jobs in the past relate
to student ministry.
He was part of the Led
Kids Camp staff in
2008, 2009, and 2011.
From 2015-2017, he was
an FCA (Fellowship
of Christian Athletes)
member and was a team
chaplain for three dif
ferent schools. He was
also a student ministry
intern for two different
churches, First Baptist
Statesboro, and Sher
wood Baptist Church. At
LMCS-East Teacher and
Staff Member of the Year
T
Special to the Ledger
Chambliss Newsome
has been selected by
faculty and staff as the
2023-2024 Teacher of
the Year for LCMS-East.
Mrs. Newsome is a 7th-
grade math teacher for
Team Epic. Mrs. Tara
Simmons was also select
ed as the 2023-2024 Staff
Member of the Year for
LCMS-East. Mrs. Sim
mons is a support teacher
Chambliss Newsome
on Team Inspiration.
Congratulations to both
Tara Simmons
of these East faculty/staff
members.
Chestnut Ridge Baptist
Church, he became an
associate pastor and
worked with students.
Working with the youth
has been a passion
of McLeod’s. He has
known, deep down, that
he has been personally
called to “help students
and families flourish
in their lives spiritual
ly.” McLeod is a firm
believer in investing into
the next generation. Not
only is he passionate
about it, but he also be
lieves that it is on God’s
heart to invest in the
next generation as well.
Specifically, “Psalm 78
communicates God has
a passion and plan for
future generations”. As
of late, McLeod’s min
istry has also extended
beyond youth. Three
years ago, McLeod and
his best friend, who
lost his wife to cancer
at 28, created Refuge
Widowers, a ministry
that helps men navigate
their new lives without
their wives by provid
ing retreats, resources,
personal resources, and
community. McLeod
loves to serve others,
and he finds it absolutely
fulfilling.
Even with his many
achievements, McLeod
does not think he has ac
complished everything
on his own. Instead, he
reflects on how others
have aided him along
the way, helping him to
become the man he is
now. He compares his
experience to a turtle
sitting on top of a fence
post; in his words, the
turtle “didn’t get there
without the help of
someone else!” Not only
is he thankful for the
people in his life, but
he is also thankful for
God’s grace, the reason
he was able to have
his beautiful family.
He considers being a
husband and a father
his greatest accomplish
ments. Both of those
roles require humility,
hard-work, sacrifice,
dedication, and uncondi
tional love.
As a pastor, an active
member of his com
munity, and a devoted
husband and father, Mc
Leod touches the lives
of many. He has helped
by leading, encourag
ing, and giving. Dr.
Chad Grayson, the Lead
Pastor of Life Commu
nity Church, refers to
McLeod as a “pillar of
strength” for him and
others. To Christians,
McLeod gives the
advice to “keep your
eyes on Jesus, trust and
follow Him in what He’s
called you to do in your
life and stay the course!”
McLeod’s passion for
ministry echoes the
words of James Mc
Bride, the Executive
Pastor of Sherwood
Baptist Church, and
a personal friend of
McLeod, who describes
him as a “man of honor,
courage, and integrity”.
For all these reasons,
McLeod is an excellent
representative for Lee
County, and he is a de
serving recipient of the
2023 Lee County High
School Distinguished
Alumni Award.
We will be celebrating
all our Distinguished
Alumni on September
14 and 15, 2023 with a
banquet and recognition
at the football game. For
more information on
how you can celebrate
with us, contact Patsy
James at patsy@lee-
countyfamilyconnection.
org or (229) 903-3993.
To Subscribe Call 229-759-2413
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