FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 17, 2024
Media Contact:  Caroline Holden
Abshire Public Relations
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Elevate Savannah to Host 2nd Annual Leadership Awards Dinner Honoring Cliff and Jamie McCurry
Thursday, October 17, 2024
Kehoe Iron Works at Trustees Garden

SAVANNAH, Ga. – Elevate Savannah, a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering local communities and fostering educational excellence in the Chatham County Public School System, is excited to announce their 2nd Annual Elevate Savannah Leadership Awards Dinner will be held October 17, 2024, at Kehoe Iron Works at Trustees Garden.

The 2024 Elevate Savannah Leadership Awards recipients are Cliff McCurry, Director of Community Development for Sterling Seacrest Pritchard, and his son, Jamie McCurry, Chief Administrative Officer at Georgia Ports Authority. Last year’s inaugural event, which honored Christian Demere, President & CEO of Colonial Group, Inc., was a tremendous success, raising over $150K to support Elevate Savannah’s mission of empowering and inspiring future leaders.

The Leadership Awards Dinner is a testament to Elevate Savannah’s commitment to recognizing and celebrating individuals who have elevated and positively impacted our community. This year’s event will focus on the transformative power of mentorship, highlighting the importance of Elevate Savannah’s unique teacher-mentor program approach and the impact it has on the lives of students. Through individualized mentorship, peer leadership, academic support, and career training, Elevate’s teacher-mentor’s empower students to thrive and contribute to their community, cultivating confidence and hope long beyond graduation. Attendees will have the opportunity to engage with current and past Elevate students, teacher-mentors, staff and board members to learn more about the program’s successes, hear personal stories of growth and achievement, and understand the crucial role mentorship plays in shaping the future of our community’s youth.

“We are thrilled to honor Cliff and Jamie McCurry at this year’s Leadership Awards Dinner,” said George Oelschig, Chairman of the Board of Directors for Elevate Savannah. “Cliff has served on Elevate Savannah’s Advisory Board since 2019. His dedication to our mission has inspired us all, and we take great pride in recognizing his impactful contributions that have profoundly influenced Elevate Savannah’s path to success. And when you see what an inspiring leader Jamie McCurry is currently in our community, I can’t think of a better example of multi-generational servant leadership than this father and son.”

For more information on tickets and sponsorship opportunities for the Elevate Savannah Leadership Awards Dinner, please contact Elevate Savannah at 912-257-3918. To learn more about Elevate Savannah, please visit www.elevatesavannah.org.

Cliff McCurry – Cliff McCurry, the Director of Community Development at Sterling Seacrest Pritchard, is not only a business leader, but also a leader in the community, focused on giving back to worthy causes that make it strong. With more than 50 years of commercial insurance brokerage and risk management experience, Cliff has held executive management positions with Seacrest Partners, Willis HRH, HRH, and Jones Hill & Mercer. As an active supporter of his community, Cliff has volunteered his time and talent with numerous organizations, including the University of Georgia Foundation, St. Joseph’s/Candler Health System Foundation, United Community Bank, Communities in Schools/Savannah, Savannah Area Chamber of Commerce, Savannah Economic Development Authority, and the Nick Mamalakis Emerging Leader Program at Armstrong State University. Cliff has also served as Chairman of the Board for the Bethesda Academy for Boys, a board member of the Georgia Southern Athletics Foundation and is a Junior Achievement of Savannah Business Hall of Fame laureate.

James C. McCurry, Jr. (Jamie) – As Chief Administrative Officer for the Georgia Ports Authority, Jamie oversees Contracts, Properties & Planning; Purchasing; Grants Administration; Risk Management & Sustainability; Navigation Programs; Community & Governmental Affairs, and legal matters for the Authority. He is also the GPA’s staff liaison for the Jasper Ocean Terminal Joint Venture with South Carolina. Jamie has a distinguished history of leadership and service within various community organizations. He has served as the past chairman and board member of the National Waterways Conference, Junior Achievement of Coastal Georgia, and the Savannah Christian Alumni Association. Currently, he is a board member of Savannah Christian Preparatory School, the Savannah Community Foundation, the Savannah Area Chamber of Commerce, Camp Sunshine, and the Reach Georgia Foundation. His past board memberships include Second Harvest of Coastal Georgia, St. Thomas’ Episcopal Church Vestry, the Rotary Club of Savannah-where he held roles as secretary, treasurer, and sergeant at arms-and the Historic Savannah Foundation. He is a graduate and trustee of Leadership Georgia, where he now serves as President, as well as a graduate of Leadership Savannah. His career is marked by numerous other contributions and achievements that underscore his dedication to the community. Notably, Jamie was the GPA staff lead for the Savannah Harbor Expansion Project, a significant initiative in the region. Jamie holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Administration from Furman University and a Master of Science degree in Transportation Management from the University of Denver. Jamie and his wife, Kendall, live in Savannah with their three children.

About Elevate Savannah:
Since its launch in 2019 at A.E. Beach High School, Elevate Savannah’s mission has been to build meaningful relationships with urban youth, equipping them to thrive and contribute to their community. Now, the rapidly growing student mentor program now has representation in all levels of the Savannah-Chatham County Schools. Currently, over 400 students from A.E. Beach High School, DeRenne Middle School, and Hodge Elementary School are involved with Elevate Savannah. With its first elementary, middle, and high school pipeline complete, Elevate Savannah’s next goal will be to expand the program to other Savannah-Chatham County Title I schools in order to support as many local students as possible. For more information, please visit www.elevatesavannah.org.