Each spring, a new Leadership DeKalb class is nominated and selected to participate in our 10-month leadership development program. Through the program year, members of the class view DeKalb County from many angles, learning about the issues facing the region and discovering the impact they can have as well-informed leaders.
In order to understand any community, learning its history is vital. On History Day, members of the Leadership DeKalb class hear from county experts on local history, beginning with the ancient Native Americans and continuing through the founding of the county in 1823 to today. Along the way, the class learns about the people who wove the fabric of the community and discovers how DeKalb developed its unique diversity
DeKalb County is one of the most diverse counties in the country, and its leadership program does not miss the chance to discuss in detail what it means to lead in a community with dozens of ethnic groups. During the day, facilitators challenge members of the class to ponder how they react to diversity as well as show how much we all have in common despite our different ethnic and cultural origins.
Each year, members of the Leadership DeKalb class are offered the chance to witness first-hand the inner workings of the county’s storied educational system that reaches from pre-K to colleges and universities. Educators show members of each class how the county’s students benefit on a daily basis from school systems, technical schools, and colleges and universities.
With activities including tours of the county jail and morgue, Justice & Public Safety Day focuses on how justice is dispensed in the county and the link between violations of juveniles and the prison population, among other topics. Class members hear from judges and public safety officials the ins and outs of administering federal, state and local laws.
Over the course of Economic Development Day, members of the class come to an understanding of how economic development/business recruitment works and what role the area’s varied forms of transportation (mass transit, airline, interstate, etc.) play in maintaining a good climate for business viability.
DeKalb County is the proud home of some of the country’s most prestigious healthcare institutions, including DeKalb Medical, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Emory University School of Medicine and Yerkes National Primate Research Center. On Health Day, Leadership DeKalb visits these outstanding research centers to hear from top-level personnel as well as taking a more local look at how healthcare is provided by visiting Grady Memorial Hospital and the DeKalb County Board of Health.
The cost of the Leadership DeKalb program is $3200. If you have any other questions or concerns about the program, please visit our Frequently Asked Questions.
Download the Class of 2019 application form HERE. Please send completed & signed application form and $35 application fee to Leadership DeKalb by Monday, March 26, 2018.
You may mail or email your application form to Leadership DeKalb. All emailed applications should be sent to suzanne@leadershipdekalb.org. Please send all mailed applications to:
Leadership DeKalb
ATTN: Suzanne Fahlstrom
315 West Ponce de Leon Avenue
Suite: 550
Decatur, GA 30030
TEL: (404) 373-2491
EMAIL: suzanne@leadershipdekalb.org
Leadership DeKalb convenes current and emerging leaders from diverse backgrounds, informs them about vital issues for a thriving and forward-looking DeKalb County, and engages them to lead in ways that improve quality of life for all who live and work in DeKalb.
