[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 172 (Wednesday, October 30, 2019)]
[Senate]
[Page S6297]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       TRIBUTE TO JENNIFER EVANS

 Mr. ISAKSON. Mr. President, today, I rise to pay tribute to 
Jennifer Evans, the president of Leadership Georgia for 2019. 
Leadership Georgia is one of the Nation's oldest and most successful 
State leadership training programs. Leadership Georgia serves primarily 
young business, civic, community leaders who have the desire and 
potential to work together for a better Georgia.
  The idea for a statewide leadership development program was first 
proposed in 1971 during an informal conversation between several key 
business leaders at a Georgia Chamber of Commerce meeting. This 
inspired group included Pat Patillo, then-president of the Georgia 
Chamber; business leader Jim Lientz, Sr.; Rogers Wade of the Georgia 
Public Policy Foundation; and community visionary J.W. Fanning, who 
would eventually serve as the program's longtime advisor and guiding 
hand.
  The first class of Leadership Georgia started in 1972 and included 
aspiring leaders from across the State. Future U.S. Senator Sam Nunn 
was a member of the inaugural class who, at the time, was a young 
lawyer from Perry, GA. The story goes that Nunn was inspired to run for 
the Senate shortly after attending his first Leadership Georgia 
Program. I am also a proud alumnus of the organization, as is my former 
colleague, Saxby Chambliss.
  Beyond its founding, Leadership Georgia leads the way in many areas. 
Thanks to J.W. Fanning's active wife Cora Lee, Leadership Georgia has 
always stressed partner and spousal participation. Another key focus of 
Leadership Georgia is diversity among its members. The highly 
competitive selection process includes participants from every comer of 
the State and seeks out those from different occupations, genders, 
cultures, and races. The philosophy behind this diversity goal is that 
each Leadership Georgia class of 120-plus participants connects on a 
deeply personal level that highlights different perspectives while 
learning how to work together as one united force for Georgia's best 
future.
  As president of Leadership Georgia for 2019, Jennifer Evans was 
responsible for selecting the five locations where the Leadership 
Georgia class have spent their time together. To showcase the ``Georgia 
United'' theme she chose, Jennifer selected the Georgia communities of 
Young Harris and its Brasstown Resort in the North Georgia mountains; 
Albany, which has been resilient in the face of recent natural 
disasters; Gainesville, the poultry capital of the world; and Perry, 
home to the Georgia National Fairgrounds.
  This year, Jennifer also set aside one of these programs to visit us 
here in Washington, DC, to allow these emerging leaders to interact 
with their elected and appointed officials to deliver the message of 
``United We Can'' and encourage us to find common ground for the 
betterment of our State and Nation. That is a message I think all of us 
need to hear on a regular basis.
  Both members of Leadership Georgia's Class of 2011, Jennifer and her 
husband Lee, have dedicated countless hours of time to Leadership 
Georgia to ensure the organization maintains its sterling reputation in 
our State. They served as program chairs for the Leadership Georgia 
Class of 2012 and planned and executed a successful program weekend in 
Savannah, GA. Jennifer then served on the board of trustees from 2013 
through 2015, where she helped select class members for those years, 
and she was asked to rejoin the board of trustees and serve as the vice 
president of the organization in 2018. She is currently serving as 
president and next year will assume the role of chair of the board of 
trustees.
  In addition to their volunteer work for Leadership Georgia, Jennifer 
and Lee both have busy lives and full-time jobs in Vidalia, GA. 
Jennifer is director of transportation for Dot Foods, and Lee just 
opened his first Barbaritos franchise. Their children, Rebecca, who is 
14 years old, and Cham, who is 12, have practically grown up with 
Leadership Georgia and have been able to build lifelong friendships 
with kids from across our great State through the extended Leadership 
Georgia family.
  It gives me hope for the future that folks like Jennifer and Lee 
Evans are in each of our States and communities focused on nurturing 
and developing future leaders, working to overcome differences, and 
focusing on bettering communities for so many.
  I want to congratulate Jennifer, current board chair Matt Bishop, the 
entire volunteer Leadership Georgia Board of Trustees, and the program 
chair team assembled by Jennifer and Lee on delivering a fantastic year 
for the 2019 class of Leadership Georgia.

                          ____________________