The Georgia 2Gen Academy, a partnership between the University of Georgia Carl Vinson Institute of Government and the Georgia Children’s Cabinet, honored its newest graduates at a June ceremony in Atlanta.
The 27 honorees, representing 14 agencies and organizations, make up the academy’s fourth cohort. Since its start in 2022, more than 100 leaders across Georgia state agencies and nonprofit organizations have completed the academy, created and facilitated by the UGA Institute of Government as the nation’s first cross-agency 2Gen leadership academy.
2Gen—short for “two-generation”—is a set of approaches applied in policy and service provision that intentionally and simultaneously work with children and caregivers to build a family’s well-being. The initiative aims to improve outcomes for Georgia’s children and families through incorporating 2Gen principles and fostering interagency collaboration.
At left, Danyell Buford, United Way of Greater Atlanta Strong Learnings Program manager, and Mia Obiwo, Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning Workforce Policy and Process administrator, celebrate with a high five. Photo by Casey Sykes.
Participants embraced the opportunity to build connections outside their own agencies and organizations, said Nelsondria Brown, a Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities nurse manager.
“The academy taught us that lasting change doesn’t happen all at once. It happens with one relationship, one partnership, one innovation and one family at a time,” she said. “When we listen to families and collaborate across our systems and agencies, we don’t just improve programs; we create opportunities, hope and pathways for families to thrive.”
Georgia Children’s Cabinet member agencies and organizations nominate staff to attend the academy. Led by nationally recognized experts, the academy’s curriculum covers elements of the 2Gen Framework including systems thinking and redesign, family outcome measurement, human-centered design, family-centered coaching and effective communications. Over the course of the academy, participants also work on cross-agency capstone projects.
Nelsondria Brown, a Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities nurse manager, recently graduated from the Georgia 2Gen Academy. Photo by Casey Sykes.
The fourth cohort’s projects centered on four key ideas:
- Career navigation for justice-involved youth and young adults aging out of foster care
- Family engagement to ease children’s transition to middle school
- A peer support network for families with young children who have behavioral health needs
- Support for two groups of at-risk youth—those with autism or who have witnessed domestic violence—through the Georgia Children in Need of Services (CHINS) program
The Georgia Children’s Cabinet will host the Georgia 2Gen Summit Sept. 15-16 in Stone
Mountain. To learn about the summit, visit https://georgia2gen.org/events.
Recent graduates of the Georgia 2Gen Leadership Academy pose with Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning Commissioner Amy Jacobs (left) and UGA Institute of Government representatives Melinda Moore, David Tanner, Malisia Taylor, Elizabeth Bocz and Veronica Lopez-Delgado following the program's graduation ceremony. Photo by Casey Sykes.
2026 Georgia 2Gen Academy Graduates
- Columbus Alderman, Fort Valley State University
- Bryttney Bailey, Governor’s Office of Student Achievement
- Jessica Bergeron, Georgia Department of Education
- Collette Bolds, Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning
- Nelsondria Brown, Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities
- Danyelle Buford, United Way of Greater Atlanta
- Mandrell Carter, Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities
- Tracy Cassell, Georgia Department of Juvenile Justice
- Lorissa Coast, Georgia Department of Juvenile Justice
- Gbemi Famule, Georgia Early Education Alliance for Ready Students
- Shayna Funke, Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning
- Robert Gwaltney, Easterseals North Georgia
- Todd Jones, Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities
- Melinda Knowles, Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning
- Kristen Lee, Criminal Justice Coordinating Council
- Jackson Lilly, Technical College System of Georgia
- Torrey Love, Georgia Department of Human Services
- Anthony Moss, Georgia Department of Community Health
- Danielle Mummaw, Criminal Justice Coordinating Council
- Mia Obiwo, Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning
- Jeff Randa, Easterseals North Georgia
- Eben Risper, Southern Crescent Technical College
- Caitlyn Sanders, Georgia Early Education Alliance for Ready Students
- Brittany Solomon, Georgia Department of Human Services
- Jessica Walker, Georgia Department of Juvenile Justice
- Kimberly Williams, Georgia Department of Education
- Jovon Woods, Georgia Department of Community Health