Georgia County Government - October 2008 - (Page 89) Feature The Institute for Georgia Environmental Leadership he Institute for Georgia Environmental Leadership, Inc. (IGEL) is dedicated to building and sustaining a diverse network of environmentally educated leaders to help resolve Georgia’s environmental challenges. IGEL brings together public and private sector leaders with a proven commitment to confronting environmental issues in our state and to sustaining and improving the health of Georgia’s environmental resources. County officials, both elected and appointed, have participated in the program since its inception in 2001. The IGEL program is built upon the foundation of convening important stakeholders from many backgrounds (federal, state and local government, academia, environmental organizations and private business) to work on identification of solutions for complex environmental issues confronting Georgia. IGEL strives to achieve a balance between providing leadership skills and providing a complete overview on critical environmental issues facing Georgia today and well into T ACCG Deputy Director Ross King and 2008 IGEL participants Whitfield County Commissioner Randy Waskul, Jones County Commissioner David Gault, and Union County Commissioner Lamar Paris. the future. The program facilitators and instructors concentrate on environmental problem solving, communication skills and conflict management. “Thanks to some visionary Georgians including Connie Wiggins, Jim Stokes, Harold Reheis, David Word, Win Hill and others who served on the governor’s Environmental Advisory Council in the late 1990s, IGEL was born long before ‘green’ became such a hot topic,” said County Graduates: Robert Barr, former Chairman, Carroll County Board of Commissioners Mike Berg, Chairman, Dawson County Board of Commissioners Steve Gooch, Chairman, Lumpkin County Board of Commissioners Jim Ham, Commissioner, Monroe County Board of Commissioners David Hankerson, Cobb County Manager Jerry Jennings, Floyd County Board of Commissioners Phil Jones, Bryan County Administrator Wesley Nash, Chairman, Madison County Board of Commissioners Dave Wills, Chairman, Webster County Consolidated Government ACCG Staff Graduates: Ross King, Deputy Director Todd Edwards, Associate Legislative Director, Natural Resources & Environment 2008 Class Participants: David Gault, Commissioner, Jones County Board of Commissioners Randy Waskul, Commissioner, Whitfield County Board of Commissioners Lamar Paris, Sole Commissioner, Union County Sole Commissioner Ross King, immediate past-chair of IGEL and deputy director of the Association County Commissioners of Georgia (ACCG). “With nearly 185 leaders from agriculture, forestry, business, education, environmental advocacy and government, the IGEL alumni community represents a powerful asset for a state endeavoring to balance a growing economy and a healthy environment. IGEL is rapidly developing a strong network of key decision makers who are leaving their imprint on the development of state and local environmental public policy. The consensus-building skill sets reinforced at IGEL programs has, and will continue to, lead towards a stronger sense of the key importance of collaboration in environmental decision making.” The program is managed by the IGEL Foundation, Inc., and is facilitated under contract by faculty of the Fanning Institute at the University of Georgia. “These participants are already leaders and experts in their own fields. IGEL provides them with an opportunity to explore the role of their leadership skills and expertise across boundaries to address complex issues in the state,” said Rob Williams, Fanning Institute, University of Georgia, who facilitates the Institute. IGEL participants attend four sessions (three days in length) held in different locations throughout the state beginning in May and concluding in November each year. Nominations are now being accepted for the Class of 2009. Application, tuition and program information is available on the IGEL Web site, www.igeleaders.org. ■ For More Information To learn more about the program, please call IGEL program coordinator Sue Hilliard. She can be reached at 229-336-8562 or by e-mail at sue_igel@bellsouth.net. OCTOBER 2008 www.accg.org 89 http://www.igeleaders.org http://www.accg.org
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