Leadership Sandy Springs

LEADERSHIP SANDY SPRINGS' (LSS) VISION IS TO INSPIRE AND EMPOWER LEADERS IN OUR REGION TO BE CATALYSTS FOR COLLABORATIVE, TRANSFORMATIONAL PROGRESS. OUR MISSION IS TO DEVELOP, EDUCATE, AND CONNECT LEADERS THROUGH INNOVATIVE PROGRAMMING, COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES TO ENRICH OUR DIVERSE SANDY SPRINGS AND CENTRAL PERIMETER AREA.

LEADERSHIP SANDY SPRINGS IS A PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATION THAT PROVIDES STRATEGIC LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT AND COLLABORATIVE CIVIC ENGAGEMENT IN SANDY SPRINGS AND THE CENTRAL PERIMETER AREA. THROUGH OUR LEADERSHIP PROGRAMS, WE DEVELOP, EDUCATE AND CONNECT DIVERSE INDIVIDUALS AND INSPIRE THEM TO CONTRIBUTE THEIR TIME AND TALENTS TO OUR COMMUNITY. WE WORK WITH LOCAL & STATE GOVERNMENTS AND MANY CIVIC & NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS TO ADVANCE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, CULTIVATE COMMUNITY & CIVIL SERVICE AND PROVIDE MULTIPLE EVENTS TO BENEFIT OUR COMMUNITY. FOR 35 YEARS, LSS HAS HELPED EMERGING AND RECOGNIZED LEADERS ENHANCE THEIR LEADERSHIP SKILLS AND EXPAND THEIR KNOWLEDGE OF LOCAL AND STATE ISSUES, INSPIRING THEM TO TAKE LEADERSHIP ROLES IN THEIR COMPANIES AND OUR CITY. DURING THE NINE-MONTH PROGRAM, DAY-LONG SESSIONS ARE CENTERED ON ISSUES AND THEMES THAT ARE RELEVANT TO SANDY SPRINGS AND THE CENTRAL PERIMETER AREA. SESSIONS INCLUDE SPEAKERS AND INTERACTIVE ACTIVITIES ON MUNICIPAL & STATE GOVERNMENT, BUSINESS & COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT, EDUCATION, ENVIRONMENT, HUMAN SERVICES AND REGIONAL ISSUES. TWO RETREATS AND SEVERAL EVENING SESSIONS ROUND OUT THE CURRICULUM AND PROVIDE TEAM BUILDING AND UNSTRUCTURED TIME FOR FELLOWSHIP AND DISCUSSION ON KEY POINTS FROM PROGRAM DAYS.

YOUTH LEADERSHIP SANDY SPRINGS (YLSS) WAS LAUNCHED BY LEADERSHIP SANDY SPRINGS IN 2011 AND PROVIDES HIGH SCHOOL SOPHOMORES AND JUNIORS WITH EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES TO HELP DEVELOP THEIR LEADERSHIP SKILLS AND LEARN MORE ABOUT THEIR COMMUNITY. STUDENTS DISCOVER WHAT IT TAKES TO BUILD A THRIVING COMMUNITY BY SPEAKING WITH BUSINESS, HUMAN SERVICES AND CIVIC LEADERS, AS WELL AS LEARN LEADERSHIP SKILLS TO HELP THEM REACH THEIR FULL POTENTIAL. IN THE YEAR-LONG PROGRAM, STUDENTS EXPLORE SANDY SPRINGS THROUGH SIX INTERACTIVE PROGRAM DAYS AND DEVELOP LEADERSHIP SKILLS DURING THREE AFTERNOON WORKSHOPS. THE INTERACTIVE DAYS INCLUDE MEETING WITH GOVERNMENT LEADERS AND PUBLIC SAFETY OFFICIALS, WHILE GOING BEHIND THE SCENES TO VISIT A JAIL. ADDITIONALLY, STUDENTS GO TO HUMAN SERVICES ORGANIZATIONS AND LARGE & SMALL COMPANIES. WORKSHOPS HELP STUDENTS DEVELOP LEADERSHIP, COMMUNICATION AND PERSONAL SKILLS TO BETTER UNDERSTAND THEMSELVES AS CURRENT OR EMERGING LEADERS.

MOVIES BY MOONLIGHT (MBM) CONNECTS OUR COMMUNITY BY PROVIDING THREE, FREE MOVIE NIGHTS THAT COMBINE THE NOSTALGIA OF POPULAR OUTDOOR MOVIES, THEMED CHILDREN'S ACTIVITIES, FOOD TRUCKS, CONCESSIONS AND PERFORMANCES BY LOCAL MUSICAL AND PERFORMANCE ARTISTS. SINCE 2004, MBM HAS BECOME A FAMILY FAVORITE, ATTRACTING MORE THAN 1,500 PEOPLE PER NIGHT AND SERVING AS THE CONNECTIVE TISSUE IN OUR GROWING, DIVERSE COMMUNITY. MBM IS HELD AT SANDY SPRINGS' CITY SPRINGS GREEN, AND IS RECOGNIZED BY THE CITY, RESIDENTS, CORPORATIONS AND CIVIC PARTNERS AS ONE OF THE PREMIER EVENTS IN SANDY SPRINGS AND THE CENTRAL PERIMETER AREA.

OTHER PROGRAMS INCLUDE LIVE LEARN LEAD AND VOLUNTEER FOR A BETTER SANDY SPRINGS. LIVE LEARN LEAD IN 2015, LEADERSHIP SANDY SPRINGS INITIATED A NEW PROGRAM FOR COMMUNITY- WIDE INTEREST ON RELEVANT TOPICS ENTITLED LIVE LEARN LEAD. WHAT STARTED AS A SMALL RECEPTION-STYLE SPEAKER SERIES, LIVE LEARN LEAD HAS EXPANDED TO TWO EVENTS WITH 200+ ATTENDEES AND NATIONALLY KNOWN SPEAKERS AND EXECUTIVES FROM MAJOR COMPANIES IN THE METRO ATLANTA AREA. RECENT SPEAKERS HAVE INCLUDED A U.S. SENATOR AND C-SUITE EXECUTIVES FROM LOCKHEED MARTIN, GEORGIA PUBLIC BROADCASTING, COX ENTERPRISES, GEORGIA STATE UNIVERSITY, EMORY UNIVERSITY, SOUTHERN COMPANY, AND THE COCA COLA COMPANY. IN 2019, LEADERSHIP SANDY SPRINGS WAS AWARDED THE EXCELLENCE IN INNOVATION AWARD BY THE ASSOCIATION OF LEADERSHIP PROGRAMS FOR LIVE LEARN LEAD'S OUTSTANDING PROGRAM CONTENT. VOLUNTEER FOR A BETTER SANDY SPRINGS 2022 MARKS THE 20TH ANNUAL VOLUNTEER FOR A BETTER SANDY SPRINGS (VBSS) COMMUNITYWIDE DAY OF SERVICE PRESENTED BY LEADERSHIP SANDY SPRINGS. SINCE 2003, LSS HAS FACILITATED MORE THAN 800,000 IN MATERIALS, TOOLS, PLANTS, SUPPLIES AND VOLUNTEER HOURS TO IMPROVE THE CITY'S NONPROFITS, PARKS AND PUBLIC SCHOOLS. ADDITIONALLY, LSS HAS ASSEMBLED MORE THAN 4,300 COMMUNITY AND CORPORATE VOLUNTEERS WHO HAVE CONTRIBUTED OVER 516,000 HOURS AT 30 SITES DURING THIS DAY OF GIVING BACK TO THE COMMUNITY. VBSS IS A PRIME EXAMPLE OF A PUBLIC, PRIVATE, CIVIC, NONPROFIT AND VOLUNTEER PARTNERSHIP THAT ENGAGES RESIDENTS AND CORPORATE CITIZENS TO BUILD A STRONGER, MORE VIBRANT COMMUNITY.