Nominations are now being accepted for the 7^th annual Leadership Character Awards. The awards are hosted by Turknett Leadership Group in partnership with the Siegel Institute of Leadership, Ethics & Character at Kennesaw State University and sponsored by Crawford & Company and KPMG.

Honor a leader you know who has exceptional integrity and character. You may nominate online at www.leadershipcharacter.com. For more information call Susan Hitchcock at 770-270-1723.

Every qualified nominee will be honored at the luncheon, where top awards in several categories will be announced. Categories are:

1. Business or Public Sector:
   • CEO/President/Partner – The senior executive or officer of the enterprise
   • Executive/Manager – A leader or manager at any level in the organization who has direct reports
2. Non-profit – This category is for any level of individual who is on staff at a nonprofit. Volunteers are not eligible in this category. You must have proof of your 501(c)(3) status.
3. Education – Faculty members and administrators of any public or private not-for-profit educational institution.
4. "Inspiritor" – exceptionally inspiring people who choose leadership regardless of their title or position, e.g., volunteers, individual contributors, administrative assistants, programmers, technicians, sales or customer service representatives, etc.

The deadline for nominations is December 15^th, 2009.

Leadership Character Award winners are chosen by a distinguished advisory board:

Kent C. (Oz) Nelson Chairman/CEO-Retired of UPS; Dr. Betty Siegel, President Emeritus and Endowed Chair of the Siegel Institute of Leadership, Ethics & Character; Conchita Robinson, President & CEO of C. Robinson Associates, Inc.; and Tom Smith, Founder and Managing Partner of Total Technology Ventures.

Last year’s Leadership Character Award winners were: Philip W. Tomlinson, CEO TSYS; Luz Borrero, Deputy Chief Operating Officer, City of Atlanta; Jack Shipkoski, CEO, American Cancer Society – South Atlantic Division; Martha Nesbitt, Ph.D., President of Gainesville State College; Nellie Duke, President and CEO, Georgia Women’s Institute and Michael Petrik, Partner, Alston & Bird, LLP.

Comments from last year’s attendees confirm the high regard for this event among participants, attendees and the community. Here is a sampling of comments:

"This is a great service to our community. Thank you for the opportunity to participate."

"Of all the many honors I have received, it is among the most treasured. It is beautiful, yes, but what it stands for is so meaningful and appreciated."

"It is uplifting to have such a wonderful opportunity to honor and celebrate the true leaders who contribute so much but are cherished by too few. I include not only those nominated this year, but a great number of those in attendance. I feel privileged to know so many of them: some past recipients; some future recipients, no doubt; and others unsung heroes."

"Congratulations on another excellent and high-class event."

"I was amazed to see people being recognized for being great leaders! In an era where “the bottom line” is all that matters to many companies, it was refreshing to see that there are people out there who know how to treat people right and be great leaders."

"It was a pleasure to be there and so inspiring to focus on what's going right for one day. It was beautifully organized down to every detail, which puts people at ease."

"Everyone was hungry to hear such life-affirming leadership stories."

"Wow! The awards luncheon today was terrific. A real A-list crowd."

"… It has become one of “the things” to go to and to nominate for and that’s a GREAT thing … the “right” reason to give an award. Congratulations."

Find more details, nomination forms and make reservations for the awards luncheon at the Georgia Aquarium on February 23^rd, 2010 at: http://www.leadershipcharacter.com

December 15^th, 2009 is the deadline for nominations.

Turknett Leadership Group is a management consulting firm based in Atlanta that specializes in succession planning, CEO consulting, executive coaching, talent management and organization effectiveness. Turknett has assessed and developed high level leaders and their organizations throughout the U.S. for more than 20 years. The Turknett professional staff combines psychological expertise in the behavioral sciences and practical business and executive management experience. They serve small, mid-sized and large organizations such as AGL Resources, American Cancer Society, AT&T, Bennett International Group, Georgia-Pacific Corp., and Hewlett-Packard. For more information go to www.turknett.com or call 770-270-1723.