Forty-four individuals have been selected for the Leadership Gwinnett Class of 2024 — the 38th class of the organization’s signature program for established community leaders. This group was selected through a competitive application process to represent the richness of the vibrant Gwinnett community. Since 1985, Leadership Gwinnett has ensured that Gwinnett’s most influential and esteemed leaders are knowledgeable about issues, well-networked, and passionate about the success of the county and the region. These talented leaders will spend nine months immersed in an active learning experience, diving into our community’s history, assets, and challenges, emerging ready to create positive change alongside a network of influencers and decision-makers. Equipped with new knowledge, connections, and perspectives, Leadership Gwinnett graduates are prepared to take their places as effective civic leaders. The Leadership Gwinnett program will begin in August 2023 and run through May 2024. The Class of 2024:

Shaun Adams, Counsel, Parker Poe Adams & Bernstein, LLP Shameka Allen, Associate Director, Good Samaritan Health Centers of Gwinnett Nelmaris Alvarez, Director of Development, Corporate Relations, Junior Achievement of Georgia Andrea Barclay, Founder & CEO, Because One Matters Christy Barnes, General Counsel, Georgia Department of Community Affairs Katha Blackwell, CEO, Partnership Against Domestic Violence Clayton Cain, CEO/ Managing Partner, Cain Injury Law Andre Castro, Director of Community Engagement, GNR Public Health Arefeen Chowdhury, Financial Planning & Analysis Manager, ABM Industries Dr. Christine Miller Divine, Vice President for Information Technology/Chief Information Officer, Georgia Gwinnett College Chris Fehn, Principal Consultant, SEI-Atlanta LLC Dr. Reuben Gresham, Cluster Superintendent, Gwinnett County Public Schools Kelsey Grodzicki, Partner, Winter Capriola Zenner, LLC Melissa Hardegree, Chief Communications Officer, City of Lawrenceville Lisa Robinson Hernandez, Attorney, The Fowler Firm Adela Iturregui, Founder/Owner/Managing Attorney, ABC Estate and Legacy Planning Liz Jackson, Director of Community Relations, Piedmont Eastside Medical Center Sydney Johnson, Creative Director, Accent Creative Group Michelle Kang, President/CEO, AAPI Outreach & Engagement, LLC Yari Lawson, Founder/Partner, Lawson Law Firm, PC Tray Leslie, Renewables and Resiliency Manager, Georgia Power Tony Lockard, Director of Safety and Security/Chief of Police, Gwinnett County Public Schools Dr. Andrea P. Mann, Dean and Chief Academic Officer, Osteopathic Medicine Program, Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine, Georgia Senator Nikki Merritt, District 9, Georgia State Senate Bret Muetzelfeld, CEO/Broker, Peach State Realty Imran Niazi, CEO/President, Blackwater Construction Group Paul Oh, Director, Public Policy & Community Affairs, Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce Chris Palmer, Client Service Leader, Jacobs Tommy Pearce, Executive Director, Neighborhood Nexus Wesley Person, Judge, Gwinnett County Recorder’s Court Samuel Richmond, Founder and President, Nvestfit, LLC Craig Roberts, District Director, Engineering & Operations, Jackson EMC Sydney Sattler, Controller, TechCXO Dr. Brett Savage, Principal, Brookwood High School, Gwinnett County Public Schools Jammie Taire, Managing Attorney, SmithTaire Legal, LLC Curt Thompson, Attorney/CEO, Thompson and Associates Law Firm, P.C. Robert Thompson, Captain, Suwanee Police Department M. Nikki Thornton, Senior Director, School Leadership, 3DE by Junior Achievement of Georgia Patty Thumann, Managing Partner, PBJ Media Holdings Michelle Vereen, Director, Department of Child Advocacy and Juvenile Services, Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners Bianca (BB) Watkins, Agent/Owner, BB Watkins Agency- State Farm Angie West, CFO, Richardson Housing Group Nikeisha Whatley-Leon, System Director, Behavioral Health Services, Northside Hospital Jen Young, Executive Director, Impact46, Inc.

If you know someone who would be a perfect fit for Leadership Gwinnett, nominate them or yourself for the class of 2025. Applications open in January 2024. Ready to get involved now? Register for our two-and-a-half-day program, Glance Gwinnett, offered October 25-27, 2023, and April 24-26, 2024. About Leadership Gwinnett Leadership Gwinnett’s vision is a thriving community sustained by an inclusive network of empowered leaders. Our mission is to educate, equip, and engage diverse leaders and inspire civic involvement. Over 1,200 have graduated from the flagship program, over 900 have graduated from the introductory program, Glance Gwinnett, and hundreds continue their leadership enrichment every year through our alumni programming. Leadership Gwinnett is a proud recipient of the 2018 IMPACT Regional Business Award, Nonprofit Sector, and the 2021 Outstanding Organization Moxie Award by the Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce.