LEAD Athens

LEAD Athens is an intense year-long program of the Athens Area Chamber of Commerce designed to develop effective leaders committed to building a vibrant community. The vision of LEAD Athens is to be the premier program inspiring leaders to exceed both their individual and collective potential.
Through Leadership, Education, Awareness, and Development, participants are heavily immersed in community issues including economic development, health and human services, education, the arts, local industry, and government.
Team building, problem-solving, and decision-making are also part of the program which yields a class of leaders ready to LEAD Athens. Founded in 1982, LEAD Athens has a rich history and has yielded over 700 alumni from all cross sections of the community. The LEAD Athens alumni have become great leaders in the Athens area and are helping the Chamber to guide this city to a bright and prosperous future.

Danielle Vito
Class of 2022
"LEAD has given me an opportunity to really get to know the Classic City and the fabulous people who influence our uniqueness. Being able to work along side such amazing leaders, while learning more about everything Athens has to offer, will be an experience I hold on to forever."

Tionya Lawrence
Athens Neighborhood Health Center
Class of 2022
"LEAD Athens has given me an opportunity to truly see Athens--the opportunity to see her in all her glory and in all her shortcomings. It's given me the opportunity to connect with individuals I may not have otherwise met and together we can all take what we've learned, engage, and collaborate to make Athens an even better community."

Class of 2024-2025


Christina Wolfe - Athens Technical College

Amy Burnett - Coldwell Banker Upchurch Realty

Katie Ann Morris - Golden Pantry Food Stores Inc

Josh DeFee - Synovus Bank

Dr. Ben Morris - University of Georgia

Caitlin May - ACLU of Georgia

Sallie Starrett - Brightpaths

Ryan Dobrin - Self-Employed

Kelly Klein - Food Bank of Northeast Georgia

Tim DeMott - The Classic Center

Weston Baumgartner - AMT, PC

Madison Sanders - Family Promise Athens

Michael Burton - burton and BURTON

Joe Perloff - New Urban Forestry

Katie Bradshaw - Emmanuel Episcopal Church

Dr. Kara Fresk - Collective Growth Endeavors | Lion Leadership

Stacy Kellogg - Compass Rose Coaching

Blake Ogden - James Bates Brannan and Groover, LLP

Cameron Jay Harrelson - The Cancer Foundation

Emily Escoe - Fortson, Bentley and Griffin, P.A.

Amy Moore - Hope Haven of Northeast Georgia, Inc

Chris Griner - Clarke County School District

Antonio Derricotte - Downtown Ministries

Peter Dale - Five & Ten

Terelle Norman - Athens-Clarke County Police Department

Noah Huggins - BankSouth

Parissa Burton - PB Marketing, LLC

Cleveland Miller - BankSouth Mortgage

Von Kidd - Foxglove Plantbar

Elaine Douglas - Piedmont Athens Regional

Destin Newfont - Athens Area Community Foundation

Anna Lloyd- Jackson EMC

Kethia Gates - Boys and Girls Clubs of Athens

Garrett Clements - Classic City Bank

Nate Chittick - Prior Law Firm
2024 - 25 class photos and headshots by Rouse Photography