It’s been four months since I moved to Atlanta to lead Junior Achievement of Georgia. During that time, I’ve had nearly 300 meetings during which I had the pleasure to talk with many of the people involved with advancing our organization in significant ways. As such, one of my biggest takeaways so far is simple: it really is all about the people.

• The 175,000-plus students we will impact this school year.

• The thousands of partners, educators and volunteers that are instrumental in that impact.

• The JA staff and world-class Board of Directors that drive our strategy and operations, and

• The Atlanta business and civic community that seems so committed to enhancing the outlook and opportunities of our next generation.

It really is the combination of all these people that has energized me in my role as President and CEO. When I think about my goals for JA of Georgia, I begin with the foundation that has been established over the last ten years under the leadership of my longtime friend Jack Harris. The incredible organizational platform now in place here, combined with my 23 years within the JA network (the past 18 years as President of JA of Oregon based in Portland) gives me clear sight on the way JA fits in to our communities, and the larger educational landscape. As we look towards the next five years our vision is aimed at:

• Building additional JA Discovery Centers toward a long-term goal of reaching 90% of middle school students across the state annually with our JA BizTown and JA Finance Park programs.

• Expanding our 3DE Schools from the current six to 26.  

• Continued innovation and impact in our high school programs aimed at fostering financial capability and increasing economic mobility.

The collective passion and engagement of our people provides inspiration to keep driving our mission to empower our students with the confidence, skills and motivation to thrive; to build a better future for themselves and this region. My time in the Peach State is off to a great start and I look forward to the opportunities ahead for us to bring this vision to life, together!

-John Hancock