The Leadership Character Awards recognize outstanding leaders of character across Georgia in the business, nonprofit and education sectors.
The Leadership Character Awards were established in 2003 by Bob and Lyn Turknett to recognize and celebrate outstanding Georgia leaders, and over the years we have received over 500+ nominations.
Top recipients in six categories will be presented awards at the event to be held October 27, 2021. Over the past 16 years there have been more than 60 diverse award recipients. You can view all past award winners here, including Ralph de la Vega, former Vice Chairman of AT&T; Milton Little, President of United Way of Greater Atlanta; Dr. Beverly Tatum, former President of Spelman; Shan Cooper, currently Chief Transformation Officer of WestRock, Kessell Stelling, Chairman and CEO of Synovus, Letty Ashworth, Director of Global Diversity for Delta Airlines, Dr. Yolanda Watson Spiva, Executive Director of ProjectGRAD Atlanta, Larry Gellerstedt, Chairman and CEO of Cousins Properties, and Valencia Adams, former Chief Diversity Officer of BellSouth.
Resources for award applications and additional information about Leadership Character:
- How to Recognize Leadership Character
- Brief Description of Leadership and Organization Character
- Learn more about the Turknett Leadership Character Model
Examples of Winning Nominations | Individual
- Philip Tomlinson – CEO/President/Partner
- Luella Brown – Executive/Manager
- Dr. Beverly Daniel Tatum – Education
- Ralph de la Vega – CEO/President/Partner
- Dean Eisner – CEO/President/Partner
- Jim Huling – CEO/President/Partner
- Valencia I. Adams – VP/Manager
- Ken Uhlig – VP/Manager
Leadership Character Awards Video
- 2020 Lifetime Achievement Award for Leadership Character Awards Video
- 2014 Awards Video
- 2012 Awards Video
- 2004 Awards Video
Press Releases
- Ambassador Andrew Young to Receive Leadership Character Lifetime Achievement Award – Download PDF
- Atlanta’s Best Named at 10th Annual Turknett Leadership Character Awards – Atlanta Daybook
- Atlanta’s Best Named at 10th Annual Turknett Leadership Character Awards – PRWeb
- Atlanta’s Best Named at 10th Annual Turknett Leadership Character Awards – Download PDF
- Exceptional Leaders Nominated for 10th Annual Turknett Leadership Character Awards – Atlanta Daybook
- Exceptional Leaders Nominated for 10th Annual Turknett Leadership Character Awards – PRWeb
- Exceptional Leaders Nominated for 10th Annual Turknett Leadership Character Awards – Download PDF
- Turknett Leadership Group announces introduction of Ann Cramer as Leadership Character Award Advisory Board Member – Atlanta Daybook
- Turknett Leadership Group announces introduction of Ann Cramer as Leadership Character Award Advisory Board Member – PRWeb
- Turknett Leadership Group announces introduction of Ann Cramer as Leadership Character Award Advisory Board Member – Download PDF
- Turknett Leadership Group Announces 2013 Lifetime Acheivement Award Recipient – Atlanta Daybook
- Turknett Leadership Group Announces 2013 Lifetime Acheivement Award Recipient – PRWeb
- Turknett Leadership Group Announces 2013 Lifetime Acheivement Award Recipient – ABC, Saporta Report
- Retired Bellsouth Executive Frank Skinner Honored at Turknett Leadership Awards Luncheon
- Atlanta’s Best Named at 9th Annual Leadership Character Awards – PRWeb
- Atlanta’s Best Named at 9th Annual Leadership Character Awards – Atlanta Daybook
- Exceptional Leaders Nominated for 9th Annual Turknett Leadership Character Awards
- Frank Skinner to be honored with inaugural Lifetime Achievement Award
- Nominations open for the 2012 Leadership Character Awards
- 2011 Leadership Character Award Winners Announced – Download PDF
- Jim Huling to Speak at the 2011 Leadership Character Awards – Download PDF
- 2011 Leadership Character Nominees – Download PDF
- Nominations open for the 2011 Leadership Character Awards – Download PDF
- 2010 7th Annual Leadership Character Awards Press Release – Download PDF
- 2009 Atlanta Daybook/Turknett Press Release
Nominee Highlight Archives
May 2014
- Cathy Cox – President, Young Harris College
- Kenzie Biggins – Founder and President, Uniquely Defined
April 2014
- Lisa Williams – Founder and Director, Living Waters for Girls
- Neil Shorthouse – President and Co-Founder, Communities in Schools
March 2014
- John Berry – Executive Director, St. Vincent DePaul Society of Georgia
- Virginia Hepner – President and CEO, Woodruff Arts Center
February 2014
- Jodi Weintraub – Atlanta Market Lead, TrueBridge Resources
- Tom Andrews – President, Saint Joseph’s Mercy Care Services/CEO, Saint Joseph’s Health System
January 2014
- Greg Charleston – Senior Managing Director & Leader, Atlanta Regional Office, Conway MacKenzie Inc.
- Kim Eaton – SVP & GM,NCR Hospitality, NCR Corporation
December 2013
- Mary Brown Richards – President, Brown Richards & Associates
- Darnell Lattal – President & CEO Aubrey Daniels International
November 2013
- Angela Dotson – Partner, Habif, Arogeti & Wynne, LLP
- Leigh Hamby, M.D. – Chief Medical Officer, EVP & Chief Quality Officer, Piedmont Healthcare
October 2013
- Kelvin Cochran – Fire Chief, Atlanta Fire Rescue
- Dan Reardon – President and CEO, North Highland Company
March 2013
- Esther Dabney – VP Learning & Leadership Development, Autotrader.com
- Terry Trout – VP Customer Experience, Cbeyond
- Cheryl Briscoe – Application Development Manager, FIS
- Sharon James Jordan Sr. – VP, Operations & Systems, Chartis Aerospace Insurance Services, Inc.
February 2013
- Matt Pieper – Executive Director, Open Hand Atlanta
- Neil Shorthouse – President and Founder, Communities in Schools
January 2013
- Lorraine Chilvers – CEO, Delaney Consulting, LLC.
- Matt McConnell – CEO Knowlagent
November 2012
- Susan Bell – Atlanta Office Managing Partner, Ernst & Young
- Ann-Marie Campbell – President, Southern Division, The Home Depot