VSU holds Student Leadership Conference

Blazer Leadership 101, a student leadership conference presented by LeaderQuest, Inc., was held on Saturday, Feb. 19 on the campus of Valdosta State University.

Attendees had the opportunity to learn what it takes to become a more effective leader. The conference theme was baseball and was inspired by a quote from John Raper, ?Hit the ball over the fence and you can take your time running around the bases,? expressing that leadership is about ?hitting a homerun? and excelling at whatever you do. It was the first leadership conference to be held at Valdosta State University.

The conference started with an address from keynote speaker Jeffery Wallace, vice president of planning and pricing for the Georgia Power Company. Wallace knows what it takes to be an effective leader. He has served as assistant to the president of Georgia Power, vice president of customer service for Georgia Power, and has twenty years of experience in various other management positions. Wallace also has a long list of civic involvement including: service director of South Fulton Rotary, chairman of South Fulton Chamber of Commerce, and he served on the board of directors for Fayette County Chamber of Commerce and the executive board of the Atlanta Area Council of Boy Scouts of America.

After words of wisdom from Wallace, seven concurrent sessions took place in which guest speakers engaged in interactive discussions on leadership qualities. Guest speakers included Myrna Ballard, president of the Valdosta/Lowndes Chamber of Commerce, Gregory A. Jackson, manager of revenue protection for the Georgia Power Company, and VSU faculty and staff members.

LeaderQuest, Inc. is made up of three components: emerging leaders, existing leaders, and experienced leaders. Each component is designed to give students an opportunity to become involved in leadership opportunities appropriate to correspond with their collegiate experience. Their mission is to educate, equip, and motivate students toward leadership. LeaderQuest, Inc. plans to host this conference annually students from other colleges and universities in Georgia will be invited.