Committee recommends $300,000 for county leadership development program with Columbus State University

The IRPS Committee recommended that the full Board of Commissioners approve funding for the county’s Bright Futures leadership development program in partnership with Columbus State University. Staff said the contract funds an elite training program intended to prepare employees for higher‑level positions.

Staff said the program began in 2015 and the first graduating class was 2016. To date presenters said the program has graduated 189 participants and that about 40% of graduates have moved into higher positions at DeKalb County. Staff listed recent graduates by name as examples of program alumni and said the program is open countywide and includes multiple tracks: aspiring managers, emerging executives and a newly added “soaring executives” track for recently promoted department heads.

Program capacity and cost: staff said the FY spending request is $300,000 to support the program; the university conducts application and participant selection. Staff described the intended cohort sizes as about 24 participants each for the aspiring managers and emerging executives tracks and at least eight participants for the soaring executives track.

Committee action: Commissioner Shakira Johnson moved to approve item 2025‑1159; a commissioner seconded and the committee voted “aye.” The chair announced the recommendation for approval to the full board.

Ending: staff said they will provide the committee the program curriculum and selection criteria on request. The committee’s approval sends the funding recommendation to the full board for final action.