Young Gamechangers to present findings to community

ATLANTA — Since the beginning of the year, 48 of Georgia’s brightest young professionals have researched Albany’s history, met with community leaders, toured campuses and neighborhoods, visited recreation areas, and re-imagined downtown in their quest to come up with big ideas and innovative solutions to some of the area’s most persistent challenges.

Their work will be revealed when they present their final recommendations to the community on Aug. 10 from 2-4 p.m. at Albany State University’s Billy Black Auditorium.

“The community, business and political leadership in Albany/Dougherty County have given the Young Gamechangers tremendous support during our time here,” Kris Vaughn, executive director of GeorgiaForward, which implements the Young Gamechangers program, said. “This area has had weather-related disasters in the last few years and other challenges, but they are rebuilding better and stronger. I’m excited for the Young Gamechangers to share their recommendations designed to help take Albany to the next level.”

The Young Gamechangers group is made up of professionals between the ages of 24 and 40 from across the state who work in diverse sectors, including business, law, nonprofit, education, finance, media, engineering, agriculture, health care, politics, tourism, marketing, urban and economic development.

The four challenge questions presented to the Young Gamechangers are:

— In what ways can Albany-Dougherty County grow a sustainable downtown business corridor that will increase the vitality of the community?

— How can Albany-Dougherty County leverage existing natural resources to develop a more connected and walkable community?

— How can Albany-Dougherty County improve efficiency and effectiveness of the community to meet current and future challenges?

— What can Albany-Dougherty County do to grow their talent pipeline and be the hub for innovation and business in Southwest Georgia?

Some of the Gamechangers’ findings are:.

Kimberly Scott: “Our group is working on the Albany/Dougherty County efficiency question, and we took a creative approach to increasing the spirit of connectivity,” Scott said. “One of our big ideas centers around a plan for a unified state-of-the-art high school campus. I look forward to giving more details when we make our presentations to the community.

“The Young Gamechangers is a unique platform that allows young leaders to build our leadership capacity though experiential learning. It’s an action-oriented program, and at the end we’ll produce a practical product that the community can use as a blueprint.”

Beau Sinyard: “We are working on the question about the downtown business corridor,” Sinyard said. “Our ideas view downtown in a cohesive way, blending practical concerns with aesthetics. When you look out the door of a nice business, you don’t want to see broken sidewalks. If Albany is the Artesian City, how does that concept connect to business?

“I have high hopes for this project. Like me, many people from this group went away to school but came back because we love this community. We’ve been joined by young professionals from around the state who have taken their time to come here and help. I want to wake up in a few years and see the tangible difference we helped make.”

Sarah Cook: “I’m also working in the downtown business corridor group,” Cook said. “Our task is to help Albany emphasize what they have — music, art, culture, civil rights – and to show the personality of the area. What you can expect when you go there is a really rich experience.

“I hope we see the ripple effects of this project for years to come. I’d like to be part of the Albany community tangentially, by attending festivals, coming to art exhibits and shopping downtown.”

Anthony Adam Ross: “Our group is working on how to grow a talent pipeline and help Albany become a hub for innovation and business,” Ross said. “One of our ideas expands on the success of the Commodore Conyers College and Career Academy. It has to do with bridging the gap between jobs that need to be filled with students coming into the work force, and some unique ways to partner with local businesses.

“I have been pleasantly surprised by how the people in leadership and the Albany community have taken the Young Gamechangers seriously. The mayor, police chief, and others have made themselves available to us. And Dr. (Anthony) Parker at Albany Tech has been incredibly helpful. They all agree that Albany has some issues to deal with, but they want to come together and solve them.”

Kelli Bennett: “Sometimes we think high-powered business owners don’t want to hear from younger people about what they could do to make their businesses better,” Bennett said. “We can be intimidated by approaching more experienced business people. The Young Gamechangers program has shown us they do want to hear from us, and that’s empowering.

“I’d love to see the community embrace and own this plan. I hope we can also put a spark in the surrounding communities. As managing editor at GMA, I want to be able to brag about a boom coming to southwest Georgia by way of Albany.”

Mitchell Perry: “Our team is working on the question about leveraging existing natural resources to create a more connected community,” Perry said. “We will be presenting ideas that celebrate Albany’s history and plentiful natural resources. One of our ideas is to create a unique, adventure-themed attraction.

“The diversity of the Young Gamechangers program has proven to be important to this project. Having team members from across the state, including Atlanta and Albany, from different business sectors and backgrounds, has brought a richness of perspectives.”