Global Leadership Conference: A week as #OneJA

Do you ever find yourself caught up in the day-to-day, seemingly small tasks that somehow all come together to make up your job description? Same. Sometimes when you’re doing great, big things, that big vision gets lost in the small, sometimes annoying, albeit important, tiny things.

Want to know what can snap you out of the in-the-weeds mindset, and remind you that your work goes far beyond the little things? Spending a week with more than 300 of your colleagues from around the world who have stories to share that go far beyond what you could’ve ever imagined.

JA Worldwide, the organization that connects JA USA local offices to the rest of the globe, has offices in more than 100 countries, and when combined with JA USA, served more than 10,000,000 students last year.

A snippet of this group were the colleagues that made up this year’s Global Leadership Conference, hosted by yours truly, JA of Georgia. For a week, we heard from industry leaders, local staff members, and our own leadership teams. We shared stories of success, and best practices for everyone to bring back to their corner of the globe. We came together as #OneJA, with one mission in mind:

To empower youth to believe that they are the builders of their futures.

After three days of insightful workshops and networking, we had the culminating Awards Night to honor distinguished leaders throughout our network. Below are the winners of these prestigious awards.

The Lifetime Achievement Award is a recognition of a chief executive of a member country who has contributed significantly to the growth and impact of JA programs at national level.

Nina Kuznetsova, Executive Director of JA Russia

The Soraya Salti Award was created in memory of the visionary leader who started INJAZ Al-Arab in the Middle East, which now reaches students across the region in 14 countries. It recognizes innovative JA visionaries who move JA forward in a positive way, bringing systematic change to a country or a region. 

Caroline Jenner, CEO of JA Europe. Not pictured: Co-winner Majid Khalid Al-shammiri, CEO of INJAZ Yemen

The JA Collaboration Award recognizes member countries, U.S. Areas and Regional Operating Centers that champion collaborative projects between and among themselves to encourage worldwide cooperation that promotes efforts around fundraising, operational efficiency and program reach.

JA Bulgaria, JA Greece, JA Latvia, JA Norway, & JA Romania

The JA Alumni Engagement Award recognizes member countries, U.S. Areas and Regional Operating Centers that have developed robust alumni strategies including tracking, communication and engagement projects.

Co-winners: JA Nigeria and INJAZ Al-Arab

The Karl Flemke Award recognizes the accomplishments of a JA Area President for their outstanding achievements, all while being in the position for four years or less.

Megan Sturges, JA of Greater Kansas City

The Charles R. Hook Award  is given annually to the JA Area President whose professionalism and performance best represents the core values and ideals of Junior Achievement. 

Jack Harris, JA of Georgia

What a phenomenal week, topped off with Jack taking home a top honor (more on that next week).

To all our colleagues around the nation and world: thank you for joining us in our hometown for a week of collaborative efforts (and some fun), that will no doubt lead to improved practices and inspired thinking from all.

Sixty seconds with Hunter Pierce

How does your role fit into the organization as a whole?

I am honored to serve JA of Georiga by giving students the opportunity to learn from volunteers at the JA Discovery Centers.  These individuals represent grown-ups from all walks of life who are willing to share their stories and experience with students as they participate at the JA Discovery Centers. My role is to steward these individuals, help them see their value, and help them gain the personal and professional development skills that comes from philanthropic giving of time and treasure. So, basically, my role is to invite great people to the JA Discovery Centers to help inspire our future leaders! 

What’s the most challenging part of your job?

My inspiration has been fueled by the stories I hear and the students whose lives have been changed by the simulations. The passion that lives in my heart undoubtedly comes out when I am doing recruitment events, or speaking one-on-one with a volunteer. So my biggest challenge is really more of an opportunity: to work with volunteer champions (what we call the point of contacts from an organization) to help them convey that same passion to their colleagues and our students. 

What do you like most about your role?

My two favorite times of the day are the morning and the afternoon of a volunteer day.  In the morning, most volunteers are a combination of excited and unsure about what will come of their day. We like to make them laugh and help set their minds at ease. We are given the unique opportunity to help people build new personal and professional relationships while volunteering.  I enjoy watching people make friends and make connections throughout the Gwinnett community during the morning arrival time.  I also love seeing a show of hands of how many return volunteers we have! In the afternoon, the volunteers share their stories about the day.  The stories are funny, heart war,, life changing, and inspiring.  Every volunteer debrief is a reminder of why we are here! Who says volunteers can’t have those “ah-ha moments” too?! 

What motivates you?

Service! Sharing those one-on-one conversations with volunteers after their day or reading an email that says “thank you for having me…truly changed my life” keeps me going. So many adults walk the earth thinking that they have nothing to give.  Serving others through our talent or treasure can help us find our worth and I am happy when someone finds their individual value in Service.

Advice for the next generation?

If you find a role or a field that you are truly passionate about, you will watch yourself excel professionally and personally.  It’s never too late to begin listening to your heart and becoming a more compassionate and hardworking person…just never forget why you are here and that you can make a difference.

JA of Georgia names Juan A. McGruder SVP & Chief Development Officer

Experienced leader joins at a time of significant expansion

Atlanta, GA —  Junior Achievement (JA) of Georgia announces Juan A. McGruder as Senior Vice President & Chief Development Officer, a new position.  McGruder comes to JA from Georgia Tech, where he has served most recently as Director of Development for the Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts.

“Juan’s experience as a highly effective leader and his reputation for relationship-building made him an ideal candidate to lead JA’s development efforts across Georgia,” noted Jack Harris, President and CEO of JA of Georgia.  “We have experienced significant expansion in recent years, and we are confident Juan’s innovative approach to development will help us continue on this trajectory and deepen our engagement with current partners.”

Empowering students nationally since 1919 and locally since 1949, JA of Georgia creates more effective pipelines to economic opportunity through the development and integration of public-private partnership models that bring innovation to public education. Today, JA of Georgia is widely known for its capstone learning models, JA BizTown®, JA Finance Park® and JA Academy™, all of which enrich the student experience to make it more relevant, experiential and authentically connected to life beyond the classroom walls.    

“I am beyond thrilled,” said McGruder.  “This is a pivotal time for Junior Achievement and the thousands of students it serves, and I feel blessed to have been asked to help expand JA’s influence and impact in its quest to empower today’s students.”

“Georgia Tech provided me unparalleled opportunities for over a dozen years,” continued McGruder, “and I loved being part of a top tier university during the most successful and transformative fundraising campaign in its history.  Junior Achievement’s commitment to ‘Preparing today’s students for tomorrow’s economy’ is a natural and very exciting extension of that work.”

In announcing Juan’s departure from Georgia Tech, Ivan Allen College Dean Jacqueline Royster noted his considerable accomplishments, adding “[Juan’s] leadership in civic and professional organizations such as the Association of Fundraising Professionals, the Georgia Center for Nonprofits, Midtown Atlanta Rotary Club, and even as a recent faculty member at LaGrange College’s Master’s program in Philanthropy and Development has simply attracted attention beyond our campus borders.  He has made a difference here, and he will be missed.”

In discussing the appointment, Harris cited the new SVP’s strengths in resource development and outreach.  “Juan McGruder’s background stretches across every major funding stream:  corporate strategic partnerships, major gifts/individuals, comprehensive capital campaigns, annual funds, foundations, and events.  He understands the art and the science of development, and he will bring sophistication, strategy and planning into our organization from day one.”

A Texas native, Juan received his BA in Political Science/Pre Law and his MA in Counseling & Human Development from Clark College/Clark Atlanta University.  He subsequently earned his Master of Education (Ed.M.) in Administration, Planning, & Social Policy from Harvard University, and a Ph.D. in Education and Human Development from Vanderbilt University.  He is also a Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE).  Among many professional involvements, Juan is president of the Greater Atlanta chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals and president-designate of Rotary Club of Midtown Atlanta.  He and his wife Henraya McGruder, an epidemiologist at the CDC, reside in Smyrna with their two children, Alex and Hailey.

Juan McGruder’s LinkedIn profile can be accessed here.  For further information on JA of Georgia, visit georgia.ja.org.

JA of Georgia was advised throughout the search process by BoardWalk Consulting, an Atlanta-based firm committed to “finding leaders that matter for missions that matter.”®