The Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) has named Cornelia Community Development Manager Jessie Owensby as an Appalachian Leadership Institute Fellow. Owensby is one of 40 people selected to participate in the program this year and one of only three from Georgia. The two others from the state are Dawson County Chamber of Commerce Economic Development Director Betsy McGriff and Madison County Library Branch Manager Jennifer Ivey.
Owensby and her fellow class members will participate in the Institute’s nine-month series of online skill-building seminars featuring regional experts, peer-to-peer learning, and case study analysis. The program runs from mid-October through July of next year. Upon completion, participants will automatically become part of the Appalachian Leadership Institute Network, a peer-to-peer working group committed to Appalachia’s future.
“The skills development and network-building opportunities offered by this program have proven to be valuable,” says ARC Federal Co-Chairman Tim Thomas, adding that “this past year has shown that effective local leadership is essential.”
Over 100 people from 13 states applied for the program. The region covers 205,000-square-miles along the spine of the Appalachian Mountains from southern New York to northern Mississippi. It includes all of West Virginia and parts of 12 other states: Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Maryland, Mississippi, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia.
‘Extremely proud’
Owensby has worked for the City of Cornelia since 2015. When she began, she had no experience in local government or community development. City Manager Dee Anderson says he’s “extremely proud” of all she’s accomplished in her short but successful career.
“Being the quick learner that she is and her networking capabilities have helped her to make contacts around the state that have enabled us to transform our downtown back into a vibrant, charming destination for visitors,” says Anderson.
The Appalachian Leadership Institute is a comprehensive regional leadership training program developed by ARC in partnership with the University of Tennessee, Knoxville; The Howard H. Baker Center for Public Policy; Tuskegee University; and Collective Impact. This is the second year of the program.
Last October, Georgia Trend magazine named Owensby to its prestigious annual 40 Under 40 list.
