Chuck Button – Class of 1991 |
Jay Dennard – Class of 2012 |
Leadership Gwinnett’s mission is to educate, equip, and engage leaders who move our county forward. That mission takes on added meaning this year with the addition of two longtime community builders, and fellow Leadership Gwinnett graduates, to the Leadership Gwinnett Foundation Board: Chuck Button and Jay Dennard.
Chuck Button, a member of Leadership Gwinnett’s Class of 1991, helped shape the Gwinnett we know today. Chuck served as Gwinnett County Manager during the late 1980s and early 1990s, when Gwinnett was the fastest growing county in the country, overseeing a budget exceeding $427 million and 2,700 employees. He went on to serve more than 15 years as COO and principal of JJG, now Jacobs, and later as a Client Service Manager, managing over $75 million in resources and more than 500 employees. His service to the community spans the Executive Board of the Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce, Gwinnett Clean and Beautiful, the Council for Quality Growth, the Gwinnett United Way Board, and the Gwinnett County Redevelopment Board, among many others.
Joining him is Jay Dennard, FACHE, FHFMA, CPXP, who serves as President of the Gwinnett Hospital Foundation and Vice President for Governmental and Community Affairs for Northside Hospital System, following a career of senior executive roles across several health systems. A graduate of Leadership Gwinnett’s Class of 2012, Jay has long paired operational discipline with a deep investment in this community. He has served on boards including the Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce, Partnership Gwinnett, the Community Foundation of Northeast Georgia, United Way, the Rotary Club of Duluth, and the Georgia Gwinnett College Board of Trustees, and he currently chairs the Governance Committee at Annandale Village. A recipient of the Scott Hudgens Distinguished Citizen Award, Jay speaks regionally and nationally on workforce retention, leadership development, and organizational culture. He and his wife, Margaret, live in Duluth with their two sons, Trey and Will.
Together, Chuck and Jay bring more than three decades of Leadership Gwinnett history back to the table. One helped build the framework that made today’s Gwinnett possible. The other is helping shape the county’s healthcare and civic landscape now. We look forward to the insight, experience, and collaborative spirit they will bring as we continue shaping leaders who drive Gwinnett’s future.
Learn more about these wonderful leaders:
