Fourteen business professionals graduate Thursday, May 25,  from the Albany Area Chamber of Commerce Institute for Leadership Development, a program that aims to create stronger leaders to serve Albany Area businesses and the community by effectively utilizing the resources of the chamber. The graduation ceremony will be hosted at Wynfield Plantation in Albany at 5:30 p.m.

“The Albany Area Chamber’s Institute for Leadership Development has been successful in molding future business leaders through personal and professional development. It is important to build upon the professional skills of our participants and realize that leaders can be developed from all levels within an organization,” said Bárbara Rivera Holmes, president and CEO of the Albany Area Chamber of Commerce.

A key element of the Institute for Leadership Development is the mentor-mentee program, which pairs current community leaders with young professionals, providing invaluable experience and knowledge to help fully develop the participants’ talents. Along with mentorship, the curriculum provides a genuine and detailed focus on several key leadership qualities including effective networking, delegation; understanding leadership style; visioning and strategic planning; political savvy; influence and negotiation; image and the media.

INSTITUTE FOR LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT CLASS OF 2016-2017

David Anderson       MCLB Albany

Kimberly Carter       Albany State University

Deborah Clemons    Renasant Bank

James T. Ealum        Campaign Manager

Lola Edwards            Albany Technical College

Erin Freeman            Albany Area Resource Center

Reedi Hawkins         Albany-Dougherty EDC

Tim Hunter                Tim Hunter, CPA

Haley Janousek         Mauldin & Jenkins

Michael Kennedy      Lee County Library

Whitney Passmore    AB&T

Latreesa Perryman   MCLB Albany

Daniel Stone              SB&T

Jason Wilson             Southern Point Staffing

On May 11, the Albany Area Chamber of Commerce and Leadership Albany announced a merger of the two leadership programs. The merger allows for the blend of the Leadership Albany program, which places a strong emphasis on building community trustees, and curriculum programs of the chamber’s Leadership Institute, which focuses on developing traits such as political awareness, media savvy and business leadership.