FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Cindy Eidson, Director of Economic and Community Development (678) 686-6207 ceidson@gacities.com
Amanda Coyne, Communications Associate (678) 538-3794 acoyne@gacities.com
Alana Langford Selected for 2022 GeorgiaForward Young Gamechangers Cohort
ATLANTA — GeorgiaForward recently selected Alana Langford as one of the 50 evolving professionals to serve the organization’s 2022 Young Gamechangers (YG) program. YG is a unique leadership action program hosted by GeorgiaForward, a non-profit organization administrated by the Georgia Municipal Association. Young Gamechangers brings professionals from across the state to work on the persistent challenges of one Georgia community.
In 2022, Dalton-Whitfield County will host the Young Gamechangers. Dalton leaders have finalized their four “Challenge Questions” that the 2022 cohort will be charged to answer through the six months they will spend developing specific, actionable recommendations for the community. These questions evolve around redevelopment, education, community engagement and more.
”We are delighted to return the Georgia Forward program to the communities of Georgia after a break due to the COVID-19 pandemic,” said AJ Robinson, chair of GeorgiaForward’s board of directors. This program has proven beneficial to every locale in which it has taken place, bringing new and fresh ideas to cities and counties across the State. It is a premier leadership development opportunity which produces results on many levels.”
Alana Langford, 39, is one of the 50 Gamechangers selected for this class. Alana has worked in the financial services industry for over 14 years and specializes in marketing, client experience, and client service at Lawson Winchester Wealth Management. “I am so excited to be a part of this year’s group of Gamechangers. Working with other creative, accomplished, and hardworking Georgians is truly a dream. I cannot wait to see the impact we have on the Dalton/Whitfield Community,” Langford said.
“We are thrilled that Dalton will be the first city north of Atlanta to host the Young Gamechangers program, and we look forward to showing them all that makes our community special,” said Allyson M. Coker, project manager for Believe Greater Dalton. “From the beauty of the Northwest Georgia mountains and the history of our great industry to the charm and diversity of our people, we can’t wait to showcase all that makes Dalton special. Dalton-Whitfield County has great momentum on so many fronts with exciting projects that are currently underway, and we look forward to this talented group of young professionals coming into our community to give us their perspective on how we are doing and how we can continue to make Dalton a more attractive place to live, work, and play.”
The 2022 cohort of Gamechangers will meet for the first time in the city of Dalton on April 27 and their work will culminate with a community presentation of their findings and recommendations in late September.
“The timing is perfect for the Young Gamechangers program to come to the city of Dalton to bring fresh ideas and perspectives as our community continues to grow and evolve,” said City Administrator Andrew Parker. “There are so many exciting projects taking place within the city over the next few years, and the Young Gamechangers will help us continue to think critically about how to best position the community for long term success.”
Previous Young Gamechangers Host Communities are Americus-Sumter County, Dublin-Laurens County, Douglasville-Douglas County, Augusta-Richmond County, LaGrange-Troup County, Milledgeville-Baldwin County, Albany-Dougherty County and Monroe-Walton County. About GeorgiaForward: Based in Atlanta, GeorgiaForward strives to improve the state of Georgia by working as a catalyst to promote cross-sector, statewide conversations and partnerships by engaging young professionals and business, political, academic and civic leaders. GeorgiaForward engages and convenes young professionals and leaders in civics, industry, government, academia and the media to find a common vision for Georgia. The nonprofit organization, which is administered by the Georgia Municipal Association, accomplishes this by creating an environment in which vision and pragmatism supersedes political deadlock, fostering communication and goodwill among Georgia’s stakeholders, seeking innovative
solutions to Georgia’s biggest challenges. To learn more about GeorgiaForward visit, georgiaforward.org.
About the Georgia Municipal Association: Based in Atlanta, GMA is a voluntary, non-profit organization that provides legislative advocacy, educational, employee benefit and consulting services to all of Georgia’s 537 cities. GMA anticipates and influences the forces shaping Georgia’s cities and to provide leadership, tools and services that assist municipal governments in becoming more innovative, effective and responsive. Created in 1933, the Georgia Municipal Association (GMA) is the only state organization that represents municipal governments in Georgia. For more information, visit www.gacities.com.
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