City of Valdosta Announces Carithers and Sealy Participants for 2024 Young Gamechangers Program

GeorgiaForward recently selected City of Valdosta Human Resources Coordinator, Jada Carithers, and Main Street Coordinator Ally Sealy as two of the 45 promising professionals to serve the organization’s 2024 Young Gamechangers (YG) program. YG is a unique leadership action program hosted by GeorgiaForward, a non-profit organization administrated by the Georgia Municipal Association. Young Gamechangers brings professionals from across the state to work on the persistent challenges of one Georgia community.

In 2024, the City of Valdosta will host the Young Gamechangers. Local leaders have finalized their four “Challenge Questions” that the 2024 cohort will be charged to answer through the eight months they will spend developing specific, actionable recommendations for the community. These questions focus on economic development, green infrastructure, corridor redevelopment, and community togetherness.

“Participating in the Young Gamechangers program is an incredible opportunity for me to not only share my own ideas but also to engage in meaningful discussions and innovative problem-solving sessions with other ambitious young professionals. I see this as a platform to contribute to the transformation of not only the City of Valdosta but also beyond. I believe that through this experience, I will grow both personally and professionally by embracing diverse perspectives and challenges, ultimately becoming a stronger leader and advocate for my community,” stated Carithers.

Sealy, also shared her excitement: "As the Main Street Coordinator for Valdosta, I am thrilled to be part of this year's Young Gamechangers Program. It's an exciting opportunity to collaborate with other talented professionals and contribute to the revitalization and growth of our community.  I look forward to working together to address the challenges we face and create a more vibrant and sustainable future for Valdosta-Lowndes County."

The 2024 cohort of  Young Gamechangers will meet for the first time in the City of Valdosta on April 24th, and their work will culminate with a community presentation of their findings and recommendations on October 10th.

“We are all excited to welcome this impressive program and equally as impressive list of young leaders and professionals into our community! The deep look, the fresh set of eyes, and the programs and projects they bring back to us will be received by an enthusiastic team ready to coordinate with City staff and civic leaders for implementation.  The future is theirs, the time to act on that future is now…welcome Gamechangers!” said Valdosta Mayor Scott Matheson.

Previous Young Gamechangers Host Communities are Americus-Sumter County, Dublin-Laurens County, Douglasville-Douglas County, Augusta-Richmond County, LaGrange-Troup County, Milledgeville-Baldwin County, Albany-Dougherty County, Monroe-Walton County, Dalton-Whitfield County, and Columbus-Muscogee County.

About GeorgiaForward: GeorgiaForward is a convener, connector, and unifier. We exist to unite our state, strengthen communities, and create a talent pipeline within Georgia.

GeorgiaForward engages young professionals with leaders in civics, industry, government, academia, and the media to find a common vision for Georgia. The nonprofit organization, which is administered by the Georgia Municipal Association, accomplishes this by creating an environment in which vision and pragmatism can overcome political deadlock, fostering communication and goodwill among Georgia’s stakeholders, and seeking innovative solutions to Georgia’s biggest challenges. To learn more about GeorgiaForward visit, georgiaforward.org.