Recap: Women Leading Forum on Leadership, Local Government & Legacy

What an incredible Saturday! 💐

I am filled with gratitude for everyone who made Women Leading: A Forum on Leadership, Local Government & Legacy such a meaningful and powerful event.

To our phenomenal speakers, Madam CEO Lorraine Cochran-Johnson of DeKalb County and Madam Chair Carlotta Harrell of Henry County, thank you for sharing your wisdom, your strength, and your leadership with us.

To our inspiring moderator, Elizabeth Wilson, Executive Director of the Georgia Micro Enterprise Network (GMEN), thank you for guiding the conversation with such grace and purpose.

To Renasant Bank, our breakfast sponsor, your support helped make this event possible. We truly appreciate your partnership.

To Mayor Beverly Burks, who leads the most diverse community in the country, thank you for taking time before your own event to show up and support. Also, to Commissioner Neat Robinson, thank you for being present with us, even with a full day of commitments.

To the candidates who joined us, thank you for taking time out of your campaigns to be part of this important conversation. Your presence shows that when women support one another, communities grow stronger. Only two percent of people run for office and even fewer are women. Thank you for stepping up and answering the call.

To the women who filled that room on a Saturday morning, you proved that powerful women want to be engaged in politics. The turnout showed that we have women ready to serve, women already serving, and women eager to support one another in leadership.

Thank you to our County Manager, Chief of Staff, and the amazing team who handled logistics, setup, and safety with excellence. To everyone who worked tirelessly behind the scenes to make this forum possible, you are the heartbeat of what community truly means.

Although I didn’t put my face on the flyer, my team and I organized this event because it’s something I care deeply about and this is just the beginning.

I’ve been leading workshops for women and small businesses for over a decade, reaching more than 30,000 students through my online courses, teaching at a localTechnical College, and coaching entrepreneurs through the CREATE-X Entrepreneurship Program at Georgia Tech each summer.

While others can speak about what they’ve done in office, I’m proud to share what I’ve done without being in office — by showing up, staying engaged, and doing the work. I’m active here in our community, at the Georgia State Capitol, in Washington, D.C., and wherever advocacy for small businesses and constituents is needed.

Together, we’re building something powerful and we’re just getting started.

Let’s build a better McDonough, together. 🌺

Montina Young Fraiser
Candidate McDonough City Council At-Large