The Leadership Fayette Class of 2016 graduated on August 25. The 27-member class of business and community members spent the last eight months enhancing their civic knowledge of Fayette County, honing their leadership skills and establishing strong networks with local leaders representing a variety of professions, experiences and thought.

The 2016 program highlighted the interrelationships of local issues, challenges and opportunities. Each full-day session took place in different venues around the county correlating with the session themes, covering topics such as education, healthcare, justice and law enforcement, civil discourse, economic development, and diversity and inclusion.

As a requirement for graduation, class members completed a capstone project focused on civic engagement in Fayette County. The class segmented into groups focusing on four key areas of Fayette’s civic health: social connectedness, community involvement, political action and confidence in institutions. The project required research and collaborative problem solving resulting in actionable suggestions for growing citizen engagement.

“Leadership Fayette provides a unique opportunity for emerging leaders to experience Fayette County as few citizens do, with an immersion into all facets of our community.” said Kimberly Schnoes, CFP, financial planner with Peachtree Planning Corporation and Leadership Fayette co-chair. “The knowledge and connections they gain inspires many to use their talents to serve the community and grows their confidence to use their influence to make a positive impact.”

The 2016 graduates join a group of more than 250 distinguished Leadership Fayette alumni. The first Leadership Fayette class was held in 1980.

A program of the Fayette Chamber of Commerce, Leadership Fayette’ mission is to empower current and emerging Fayette County leaders with knowledge and connections to collectively engage and positively impact our community.

Leadership Fayette Class of 2016 Graduates:

Yvette D. Best, Armstrong Financial Services Corporation

Dr. Loida Bonney, Fayette Care Clinic and Alpha Internal Medicine

David Cleveland, Coweta-Fayette EMC

Jayson Coan, TCIS-The Complete Insurance Source

Greg Detwiler, Georgia Power Company

DeShaun Dumas, Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta

Heather Dunham, NCR Corporation

Tanya Dunne, Anisa International

Hamzah Faruqi, Aventure Aviation

BaSean Jackson, Fellowship of Love Church

Jennifer Johnson, Peachtree City Convention and Visitors Bureau

Nicholas Kilburg, Clayton State University

Kristie King, Fayette County Tax Commissioner’s Office

Maggie Laton, Georgia Department of Economic Development

Erik Manning, enGenius Consulting Group

Jill Mitchell

Leslie Moore, Clayton State University

Letitia Naghise, T & C Transportation Enterprises Inc.

Monte Raynor, Big Frog Custom T-shirts and More

Pamela Reid, AVPRIDE

Mike Scott, Fidelity Bank

James Squires, Panasonic Automotive Systems Company of America

Mike Stachura, Grace Evangelical Church

Jaimi Tapp, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport

Audrey Toney, Fayette County Public Schools

Nadine Tyft, Advo-Kids CASA

Larry Walters, Panasonic Automotive Systems Company of America

Vanessa Wilkins, Promise Place