HomeMy Public PortalAboutCOTI_PR20120301_LeadershipTybee.docxPRESS RELEASE: Contact: Tybee Island City Hall
For immediate release Sharon Shaver, (912) 786-4573, x137
Leadership Tybee 2012 Session
Tybee Island, Ga. – (March 1, 2012) Following a great first session that ended early in 2011, the Leadership Tybee program is preparing to begin its second season, beginning with applications
which are due by March 15th.
The Leadership Tybee program is fashioned after Leadership Savannah and other similar programs in the state and operated with assistance from the Fanning Institute’s Community Leadership
Initiative at the University of Georgia. The City of Tybee Island also provides in-kind and financial support for the program. To continue to obtain this approval and support, the Leadership
Tybee program has to provide tangible, measurable results during each session, and students likewise must set and achieve measurable goals that make a difference in the community. Previous
class goals have looked at somewhat intractable problems, such as reducing billboard blight, more effectively promoting outdoor recreation, and finding more parking for island visitors,
while an exceptionally successful project raised over $77,000 from the community with a $65,000 matching grant to restore the Fort Theater, part of the historic Fort Screven that served
the soldiers and community on the island during the first half of the last century.
When asked about the first session of the program, Tybee Mayor Jason Buelterman said, “Leadership Tybee has had a very positive impact on our little community, and I strongly encourage
interested citizens to apply to be part of this exciting program.”
Student members meet about once a month for about a year to receive training, select group projects, set goals, and work to realize those goals. Although plans call for meetings on Monday
evenings starting at the end of March, the final schedule is chosen based on the availability of all participants to attend as many sessions as possible. The final graduation ceremony
includes a presentation by each group to City Council and staff to report on their projects and their effect on the community.
To become a participant in Leadership Tybee, anyone residing or working on Tybee must file a completed application form returned to Sharon Shaver at Tybee City Hall by March 15th, along
with a community project proposal. In addition, there will be a $125 fee for participation, which can be paid by the student, by a sponsor or employer, or by a full or partial scholarship.
Information about the Leadership Tybee program, including presentations by previous class members and application details for this session, can be found online at http://www.cityoftybee.org/Leadersh
ipTybee.aspx, or by contacting Sharon Shaver at 912-786-4573, x137 or at sshaver@cityoftybee.org.