Georgia’s Leaders Learn About Environmental Challenges in Southwest Georgia

A group of Georgia’s top environmental leaders visited southwest Georgia earlier this month to learn about the region’s natural resource-based economy through the statewide leadership program Institute for Georgia Environmental Leadership.

IGEL is an experiential program dedicated to building and sustaining a network of environmentally educated leaders in the state. Its purpose is to provide leaders the knowledge, skills and network necessary to collaborate across boundaries in addressing Georgia’s environmental challenges now and in the future.

Officials said the IGEL application process is highly selective. A group of 30-35 members is chosen to participate in the program, and classes are diverse, with members representing a wide range of backgrounds including occupation, geography, economic status, political views, race and gender.

Over the course of a year, classes are held in different areas of the state in order to introduce class members to the environmental challenges that each region of Georgia faces.

The current IGEL class spent July 9-12 in southwest Georgia exploring environmental issues surrounding agriculture, water and equity, with programming for the session enhanced by a gift from The Edward C. Fogg III and Lisbeth A. Fogg Charitable Trust.

Read the full story from the Albany Herald.