Twenty Georgia Department of Labor (GDOL) employees recently graduated from the GDOL’s Executive Commitment to Excellence in Leadership (EXCEL) class of 2014. EXCEL, a partnership between the GDOL and the University of Georgia’s Carl Vinson Institute of Government in Athens, is designed to develop future leaders for the department. Classes explore the major political, social and economic issues facing the state and nation.

The graduates of the EXCEL Class of 2014 and others as pictured:

First Row (left to right) Christy Bowens, assistant manager, Adjudication Section, Atlanta; Sabrina Peterson, accountant professional II, Fund Control-Finance, Atlanta; Kim Marion, administrative operations assistant, Commissioner’s Office, Atlanta; Aundrea Simmons, Region 6 coordinator, Macon;Sharon Warren, unit supervisor, Albany Career Center, and Yvonne Wilder, magnetic media/RPS supervisor, Atlanta.

Middle Row (left to right) Kimberly Coleman-Jones, manager, Bainbridge Career Center; Cheryl Britt, assistant manager, Employer Accounts, Atlanta;Mack Clark, manager, Newnan Career Center; John Irvine, manager, Columbus Career Center; David Key, management development associate, Carl Vinson Institute of Government, Athens; Jim Stephenson, PMO/IT project coordinator, Atlanta; Juanita Gillis, IT programmer/analyst III, Atlanta; Madean Fields, unit supervisor, Douglas Career Center, and Ashley Howard, director, GDOL Staff Development, Atlanta.

Back Row (left to right) Brandon Plocki, DOL services specialist, Douglas Career Center; Sharon Spurling, manager, Blue Ridge Career Center; Carolyn Hughes, assistant manager, Savannah Career Center; Genia Burnsed, supervisor, UI Policy and Procedures, Atlanta; Kevin Hankinson, unit supervisor, Gainesville Career Center; Sharon Holliday, manager, Cartersville Career Center; Eboni Johnson, WOTC employment service specialist, Atlanta, and Tim Evans, GDOL deputy commissioner, Atlanta.