FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
21st Century Leaders Appoints New Chair of its Board of Directors
(October 7, 2019) Atlanta, GA – 21st Century Leaders announces the appointment of Matt Johnson as chair of its board of directors. Johnson succeeds Kevin Sessions, who has been serving as chair of the board since October 2013. The appointment was effective October 1, 2019, as the start of the organization’s fiscal year. Sessions will remain engaged in a leadership role with 21st Century Leaders (21CL) as a member of its Advisory Council.
Sessions said, “It’s been an honor to serve as board chair over the last six years, and I’m confident in our future and in Matt’s leadership as we continue to grow and develop our young leaders across the state and continue to deliver high-impact leadership training. I have no doubt that Matt’s long-standing commitment to 21st Century Leaders, coupled with his passion and recognized leadership in his industry, will help realize 21st Century Leaders’ full potential as it moves into its fourth decade.”
Johnson joined the board in 2014, but has served as a volunteer with 21st Century Leaders for over a decade. He first got connected with 21st Century Leaders through its partnership with Atlanta Business Chronicle’s 40 Under 40 honorees. He currently serves as a partner at KPMG, one of the world’s leading professional services firms, as the US Technology Assurance Leader. Matt lives in Cobb County with his wife, Becky, and their two daughters (14 and 2) and two sons (12 and 9). He enjoys spending time with his family and travelling. He is a private pilot and in addition to flying, other interests include caring for a variety of farm animals on their property, cooking and college football. He was born in India and has also lived in southeast Asia as well as traveled to more than 50 countries.
“Investing in people, and particularly young people, is one of the most worthwhile endeavors in life! We have an amazing board and fantastic staff, and I’m tremendously excited to help continue the mission of 21CL as the board chair,” Johnson said. “I thank Kevin for his leadership, example, and stewardship that has positioned the organization to have an impact like never before. I’m grateful for the opportunity to serve, and be inspired by students, our donors and partners, and our team, as we continue to build tomorrow’s leaders, today!”
“Kevin has been instrumental to our success the past six years, particularly as we established the organization’s endowment under his leadership, and transitioned the retirement of our founding executive director. On behalf of the board, staff, and every student we serve, I want to thank Kevin for his dedication and contributions,” said 21CL’s Executive Director Kate Hewitt. “As we look to the future and expand our programs, we are fortunate to have Matt’s leadership as we accelerate our work to be the premier leadership organization in Georgia.”
21st Century Leaders is a youth leadership and talent development organization for Georgia high school students. 21CL provides year-round programming by collaborating with over 50 corporate and community partners. 21CL’s leadership training includes residential summer leadership institutes, school-year training, school-based clubs, and an online learning platform.
About 21st Century Leaders
Since inception in 1989, 21st Century Leaders has served more than 14,000 diverse high school students from over 250 Georgia high schools. 21st Century Leaders is a non-profit organization that connects, transforms, and inspires high school students across Georgia to leverage diversity, explore career opportunities, and become leaders in their school, community, and ultimately the workforce. For more information about 21st Century Leaders, visit www.21stcenturyleaders.org.
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For media inquiries and image requests, please contact:
Kate Hewitt
Executive Director
404.373.7441