Class of 2027 Leadership Retreat Sponsored by SRP and AU
Leadership Augusta Class of 2027 Retreat
The 2027 Leadership Augusta Retreat was an amazing time of informative sessions, engaging experiences, and fellowship with our awesome cohort. Greenville, SC was the perfect place for the future leaders of Augusta to gather and see what is possible in our city.
Due to work obligations, I could not attend the first night, however, from the pictures I’ve seen and stories I’ve heard, LA 2027 was welcomed to Greenville with open arms. Many classmates shared meals, drinks, and walks along Greenville’s iconic downtown.
Friday: We started Friday Morning with a engaging session of Greenville’s history and revitalization with Jared Hartzell from Greenville EDC, Jeff Brown of the Greenville Drive, and Heath Dillard from Visit Greenville, SC. This session helped us to understand the importance of public-private partnerships in Greenville’s revitalization, and how strategic the stakeholders and power players in the Greenville city community had to be to forge new relationships to help grow the area.
During the retreat, I kept finding myself going back to the question “How could this happen in Augusta?” Not as a way of comparison, but to understand the unspoken things that were in place in Greenville to help facilitate the revitalization. One common theme that I noticed was that the central messaging behind Greenville’s revitalization was cohesive and streamlined across print, digital, and other forms of marketing, as well as a united front approach with stakeholders across industries to quintessentially “roll out the red carpet” for investors, entrepreneurs, and new residents to come to the Greenville area and continue to make it a great place to live and work.
Our second session of the day was The STAR Power Session with Brendan Leahy from UGA’s Fanning Institute, which was an engaging simulation regarding class structure and the dynamics of money and bargaining in our society, and how those factors determine social outcomes. While I stayed in the group with the least amount of money through the entire duration of the simulation, it was really interesting to hear the different experiences of my classmates even through the simulation to understand how they perceived their own roles in our society, but also how they approach moving throughout society when given different resources.
Reflecting on how I plan to implement the things I learned in Greenville in Augusta, I really had to think about the ways in which our community works with individuals of all backgrounds, socioeconomic statuses, and other determining factors create the vibrant community we call home. However, in Augusta, the challenges and barriers to rising in the community are apparent and need to be adequately addressed. However, doing that in an equitable way that does not cast people out and leave others out completely is quite a challenge that is not unique to Augusta, but must be on the forefront of our minds as we forge new relationships with new partners, we cannot forget the people who are already there.
Our last session on Friday was talking about homelessness, workforce development, and other challenges facing Greenville. We were excited to hear from Candice Lewis from Greenville Technical College, Cody Carver from Greenville Together, and Dorothy Dowe, Vice Mayor Pro Tem for Greenville City Council. Hearing from these three leaders in government, education, and a non-profit, it was great to have a moment of understanding the challenges that have come with Greenville’s growth.
Many of the challenges Greenville has faced despite their growth are issues that Augusta have seen and could see at a higher level during the growth we’re seeing at home. However, understanding the importance of access to affordable housing in strategic growth areas; workforce development initiatives that actually help people get actual careers in fields that are sustainable and in high demand, and having city leadership who is unrelenting and willing to go the extra mile for their constituents from the local all the way to the national level is paramount for Augusta’s growth in the future. It is reassuring that we have no shortage of organizations helping to address homelessness and affordable housing, as well as educational institutions that offer a diverse range of programs in many sustainable fields, and we are continuing to find and elect new officials who will be unrelenting in the pursuit of Augusta’s growth and success.
We closed Friday night with a delicious dinner and the annual Leadership Augusta Retreat Talent Show. We had guest appearances from one of the Ninja Turtles, a Live Action Caddy from Augusta National, The Backstreet Boys, a Worm-Off (yes, you heard that right), AND The Duke of Augusta was there. It was iconic, let me tell you.
Saturday: To finish off the retreat, we had a choice of Group Therapy Adult Playground or Tubing on the Saluda River. I opted for tubing because why not, and to say that we bonded during our time in the river in an understatement. We truly had to work together to get down the river in one piece. I will spare you the details because you just simply had to be there, however, no injuries to report, and everyone made it home safely.
In closing, the Retreat was a great introduction to the amazing things happening in Greenville, but it was also a great reminder of the amazing things that are also happening in Augusta. We can almost look at Greenville as Augusta’s older sibling who we can learn from, and still do things our way while learning from the things that they’ve done as well. It was truly an amazing time and The Leadership Augusta Class of 2027 (The Best Class Ever), is excited to continue to do the necessary work to help our city grow and thrive.
Written by Rickey Jones, Class of 2027
Thank you to our Presenting Sponsor, SRP Federal Credit Union and our Program Partner, Augusta University, for their continued partnership and commitment to developing community leaders.
