Atlanta, GA – The Leadership Georgia Board of Trustees is proud to announce Ray James, from Monroe, LA, has been selected for the organization’s Class of 2026.
Ray James, a 2007 graduate of Richwood High School, will participate in the year long fellowship, along with his wife, Dr. Ryan Lee-James (Detroit, MI).
Each year, Leadership Georgia seeks out emerging leaders from every corner of the state and selects sixty-three participants from a pool of several hundred applicants to participate in the year-long leadership program.
Class of 2026
Heather Abbott |
Thomasville
Tasha Allen | Dacula
Rick Anderson | Atlanta
Alyssa Baskam | Atlanta
Will Beasley | Watkinsville
Phil Bonelli | Gainesville
Joseph Brannan |
Columbus
Ben Chambers |
St. Simons Island
Matthew Chancey |
Monroe
Amy Cheng | Atlanta
Rob Clifton | Evans
Alvie Coes | Athens
Adriana Collins |
Gainesville
Laura Lyn Coody | Perry
Omari Crawford | Decatur
Kade Cullefer | Atlanta
Jesse Dillon | Savannah
Gala Jackson Dobbins | Valdosta
Ken Eason | Eastman
Corey Ferguson | Mableton
Salvia Fox | Jonesboro
Houston Gaines | Athens
Garrett Green | Augusta
Marshall Guest | Decatur
John Hardman | Atlanta
Ray James | Atlanta
Wendi Jenkins | Midland
Tal Johnson | Statesboro
Will Keyes | Macon
Megan Kocikowski |
Roswell
Kaitlynn Kressin | Macon
Katie Leonard | Cumming
Josh Lovett | Moultrie
Angel Maldonado | Tyrone
Marissa Maldonado | Smyrna
John Manly | Savannah
Tiffany McBride | Midland
Arthur McPhaul |
Gainesville
Jocelyn Merisca | Newnan
Shaun Mock |
McDonough
Aprille Moore | Decatur
Arren Moses | Uvalda
Creshema Murray |
Atlanta
Clay Neely | Newnan
LaRhonda Patrick |
Warner Robins
Christy Payne | Dalton
Mark Pettitt | Gainesville
Lizzie Piazza | Sea Island
Josh Pittman | Vidalia
Britney Pooser | Augusta
Malini Reddy |
Watkinsville
Russ Richards | Atlanta
Tyler Riddle | Tifton
Stuart Sinyard | Albany
Haley Smith | Rome
Jamelia Smith | Smyrna
Brad Stockton | Rome
Randell Trammell |
Cartersville
Sarah Watchko | Roswell
Mitchell Weltman Tatar | Valdosta
Natalie Williams | Atlanta
Champa Woodham | Martinez
Bo Wren | Newnan
The mission of Leadership Georgia is to prepare strong and effective leaders for the future development of our great state. Over the course of the program year, the class participants will experience five immersive programs that examine critical issues facing rural and urban communities of Georgia. Together, the class participants of Leadership Georgia seek mutual understanding of the challenges of the state and the solutions developed and implemented to drive change and success for all Georgians.
The 2026 Leadership Georgia Class will be led by President Chandra Harris of Atlanta. “Resilient – Resourceful – Rising Higher” is the 2026 program theme.
Leadership Georgia is the country’s most prestigious statewide leadership organization. The organization was founded in 1971 and graduated its first class in 1972. Since then, more than 5,000 leaders – from elected officials to business owners to non-profit leaders – have participated in the program. Leadership Georgia is a volunteer-run organization governed by its Board of Trustees and is an affiliate of the Georgia Chamber of Commerce. Learn more at leadershipgeorgia.com.
