Release Date: Wednesday, March 4, 2009

Georgia General Assembly honors Terry's Institute for Leadership Advancement as a 'Shining Star' of the University System of Georgia

Athens, Ga. — The Institute for Leadership Advancement in UGA's Terry College of Business was honored by the Georgia General Assembly as a "Shining Star" of the University System of Georgia during its legislative session last month. ILA Director Dale Gauthreaux attended the recognition ceremony at the state Capitol.

Rep. Bob Smith (R-Watkinsville), who serves as vice chairman of the House Appropriations Committee for the Higher Education Subcommittee, led the Feb. 12 recognition. Smith said ILA students "are instilled with the core values of the institute — responsibility, stewardship, excellence, integrity and purpose — with the goal of developing leaders with both the sharpest business acumen and strongest characters."

"The program is relatively new," Smith added, "but has already achieved great results, helping place students at...PricewaterhouseCoopers, the Coca-Cola Co., King & Spalding, Goldman Sachs, and the White House."

ILA was established in 2000 as a multidisciplinary unit of the Terry College, charged with developing leaders who enhance the performance of their organizations and communities. Through assessment, instruction and opportunities for experiential learning, students study, practice and develop key leadership behaviors.

ILA oversees two undergraduate programs that are central to the institute's mission. The Leonard Leadership Scholars Program is an intensive, two-year leadership development program designed exclusively for Terry College business majors. The Certificate in Personal and Organizational Leadership is an academic certificate program open to all undergraduate majors at UGA. Both programs emphasize a servant leadership perspective.

In recent years, a number of ILA students have been selected for acknowledgment as "Amazing Students" on the UGA home page. Some of the most recent students to receive the recognition are political science major Arthur Tripp (certificate student), accounting major Bryan Davis (Leonard Scholar), risk management/real estate double major Eric Tonn (certificate student), accounting major Susan Guo (Leonard Scholar), and 2008 graduates Kramer Johnson (Leonard Scholar) and Abby Blaylock (certificate student).

For more information, visit ILA's website.

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