Albany, GA – The Albany Area Chamber of Commerce this month celebrated the graduation of the inaugural class of the Albany Area Political Leadership Institute (PLI), a nonpartisan political leadership program aimed at equipping participants for leadership on local boards and in elected office.

The cohort included 14 participants from Albany and the surrounding area, who through the program received basic knowledge on governmental leadership and foundational skills needed to serve in elected or appointed capacities.

“The Political Leadership Institute was designed as an innovative approach to developing local talent, specifically for the purpose of governmental leadership, which often comes with nuanced challenges that can be difficult to navigate without prior experience,” said Barbara Rivera Holmes, president & CEO of the Albany Area Chamber. “PLI helps bridge that gap for political newcomers, providing them with a primer on issues and on what to expect prior to engaging as a political candidate or accepting a position on a governmental board.”

Through PLI, the Albany Area Chamber hopes to engage more people in public service, and to connect with and develop business-minded leaders who have an interest in exploring leadership opportunities.

The program consisted of three half or full-day sessions covering information on local governmental structure, division of responsibilities and services, candidate requirements and the priorities of various governmental and agency boards. Each class day featured unique networking opportunities for class members to build relationships with each other and with business and community leaders.

The Political Leadership Institute is an initiative of the Albany Area Chamber’s #ImpactABY2023 strategy and implemented through its Government Affairs Division, chaired by Bridges Sinyard, vice president of Adams Exterminators. Applications for the 2023-24 class of the Political Leadership Institute will open early summer.