Two members of the Brenau community were recently recognized on the inaugural Georgia Trend Georgia 500 list.
President Anne Skleder was recognized in the category of education for her efforts with student retention and recruitment through strategic international partnerships. The listing highlighted the Lynn J. Darby School for Psychology and Adolescent Counseling and its new home on the second floor of the Gainesville Renaissance, and the Doctorate in Psychology program coming in 2023. The Georgia Trend profile also highlighted the nearly $2 million renovations to the Brenau Downtown Center, which houses the physician’s assistant studies and physical therapy programs, is the home of the Walters Theatre and is used by the community.
Trustee Kit Dunlap, president and CEO of the Greater Hall Chamber of Commerce, was recognized in the category of economic development for her work spearheading several multi-million dollar private business programs. She has been with the chamber since 1998 and received the Georgia Association of Chamber of Commerce Executive’s Legacy Award in 2018. Dunlap is a longtime Brenau trustee and is a graduate of The Women’s College.
The Georgia 500 is a list of leaders who are driving a successful economy. Leaders are categorized, including but not limited to education, economic development, agribusiness, manufacturing, and hospitality and tourism.
Georgia Trend publisher Ben Young said while each January the magazine choses the 100 Most Influential Georgians, the Georgia 500 focuses on economic impact and local investment and excludes current elected officials.
“There are some familiar faces we’ve featured before, but we made an effort to dig deep into sectors and industries less often covered in the pages of Georgia Trend,” Young said. “It’s inspiring to see how so many leaders are working to make Georgia the great state it is, and we found many lessons that will extend into our ongoing editorial coverage.”
