Atlanta, Georgia – The Board and Alumni of the Institute for Georgia Environmental Leadership (IGEL) welcome thirty-two leaders from agriculture, forestry, business, education, environmental organizations, government, and civic groups who have been selected for the eighth class of IGEL.  IGEL is a leadership program begun in 2001 to build and develop a diverse network of state environmental leaders who can work together to address Georgia’s environmental challenges.

The 2009 class will join the ranks of 212 environmental leaders from across the state who have previously completed the program.  IGEL alumni are leaving their imprint on the development of national, state and local environmental public policy.  The communication and consensus building skills that the IGEL program strengthens in its participants will contribute to greater collaboration of the government, business, and non-governmental sectors in environmental decision making.

The IGEL program is a partnership between IGEL, Inc. and the Fanning Institute at the University of Georgia.  IGEL, Inc. is an independent 501(c)(3) organization that raises a large share of the funds to pay for the program, selects the participants, and works with Fanning facilitators to develop program content and organization.  Fanning Institute is primarily responsible for planning and facilitating the IGEL sessions with some services provided through in-kind contributions to the program.

IGEL participants will attend four sessions held in different locations throughout the state beginning in May and concluding in November 2009.  Nominations will be accepted for the Class of 2010 beginning in August.

Participants selected for the 2009 IGEL Class are:

Gregg Bayard, Co-Executive Director, Parallel Housing, Inc.
Rex Boner, Vice-President, The Conservation Fund
Jeff Cown, Manager-Solid Waste Management Program, Environmental Protection
                    Division, Georgia Department of Natural Resources
Dwight Davis, Environmental Affairs Team Leader, Georgia Power
Robert Farris, Executive Director, Georgia Environmental Facilities Authority (3/1/09)
Steve Friedman, Chief of Real Estate, Georgia Department of Natural Resources
Rick Gardner, Commissioner, Bryan County
Jewell Harper, USEPA Environmental Liaison, Spelman College
Jane Hayse, Division Chief-Transport, Atlanta Regional Commission
Ben Hill, Senior Business Advisor, Georgia Tech/Venture Lab
Ginny Holton, Environmental Manager, Packaging Corporation of America
Lewis Jones, Attorney, King and Spalding, LLP
Shelly Lakly, Executive Director-Georgia, The Nature Conservancy
Scott Loehr, Chief Executive Officer, Flint RiverQuarium
Dorothy McDaniel, Executive Director, Trees Columbus, Inc.
Kevin McIntyre, Education Coordinator, Joseph W. Jones Ecological Research Center
Bill Miller, Senior Client Program Manager, Shaw Environmental & Infrastructure Group
Clarence Mitchell, Senior Vice-President, Oglethorpe Power Corporation
Callie Moore, Executive Director, Hiwassee River Watershed Coalition, Inc.
Kathy Nguyen, Water Efficiency Manager, Cobb County Water System
Terry Norton, Director and Veterinarian, Georgia Sea Turtle Center
Ira Pearl, Vice-President, Engineering Services/Supply Chain, AGL Resources
Brad Peebles, Special Projects Director, Tetra Tech EC
Charlie Phillips, Owner/Manager, Phillips Seafood/Sapelo Sea Farms
Susan Richardson, Environmental Attorney, Kilpatrick Stockton
Marilyn Royal, Executive Director, Mitchell County Development Authority
Allen Saxon, Asst. Director for Wastewater Treatment, City of Augusta
                    Utilities Department
Patricia Stallings, Senior Historian/Project Manager, Brockington and Associates, Inc.
Greg Wilson, Vice-President/Area Manager, CH2M Hill
Denise Wood, Alderwoman-City of Dalton and Director of Environmental Compliance,
                    Mohawk Industries, Inc.
Russell Wright, Jr., Deputy Regional Administrator, US EPA, Region 4

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