Develop Your Leadership. Deepen Your Community Connection.

Leadership Effingham is designed for emerging and established leaders who want to better understand the community they serve, strengthen their leadership capacity, and build meaningful relationships across Effingham County. 

Through immersive class days, direct engagement with local institutions and decision-makers, and collaborative service, participants gain a deeper understanding of the people, organizations, systems, and opportunities shaping the county's quality of life and economic vitality. 

An Inside Look at Effingham County

Leadership Effingham takes participants beyond their everyday professional circles to explore the opportunities and challenges affecting the community. Class members connect with leaders across business, government, education, nonprofit service and other areas of community life while learning how the county's many sectors work together. 

Participants also build relationships with one another, exchange ideas and apply what they learn through a collaborative class project intended to create meaningful community impact.

From Learning to Last Impact

The 2025-2026 Leadership Effingham class recently completed a year of learning, relationship-building and community exploration. As its class project, the 16member cohort developed Friendsgiving: Leaders Set the Table, an annual potluck-style luncheon designed to connect nonprofit, business, civic and emerging leaders around a shared table.

​The initiative will create space for organizations and community partners to exchange ideas, share resources and form relationship that strengthen their collective impact throughout Effingham County. 

Friendsgiving has already earned statewide recognition through a 2026 GACCE Innovative Program Grant, made possible by Georgia Power, helping the graduating class move its vision toward implementation.

Representatives of the Effingham County, Columbia County, Rome Floyd, and Warren County chambers of commerce receive 2026 GACCE Innovative Program Grants during the GACCE Executive Leadership Conference at the Jekyll Island Club Resort. Effingham County Chamber President and CEO Susan M. Kraut, IOM, GCCE, pictured third from right, accepted a $2,500 grant to help launch Friendsgiving: Leaders Set the Table. The grant program is made possible through the support of Georgia Power.