From Staff Reports

AMERICUS — Sumter County Chamber of Commerce announces the first class of INSPIRE Sumter, a college leadership program designed by J.W. Fanning Institute for Leadership Development, University of Georgia.
Students from Georgia Southwestern State University and South Georgia Technical College were chosen to participate in this year’s inaugural program. Students were selected based on genuine interest in learning leadership skills and working together as a team. INSPIRE Sumter Leadership Class students have demonstrated leadership in their college or university and community activities. This program also gives students from different schools a chance to meet and learn from each other as they develop their own leadership skills.

INSPIRE Sumter is designed to broaden college students understanding of what makes a community successful, to develop critical and reflective thinking skills, learn to exhibit the ability to work effectively with those different from themselves, and develop collaborative relationships with other students, elected officials and community partners.

Paul Farr, Sumter County Chamber of Commerce Leadership Division chair, and director of Business and Industry Services at South Georgia Technical College; Jill Hohnecker, director of Residential Living at Georgia Southwestern State University; and Cynthia Carter; South Georgia Technical College, GOAL coordinator have directed and planned each module for this year’s INSPIRE Sumter.