Leadership DeKalb, a nonprofit that connects public, private and nonprofit leaders, has named an alumna of the program to serve as its next executive director.
Shara Sanders, part of group’s Class of 2017, has served as interim executive director since July 2022. Now, the board of directors has named her to the post permanently.
“We are excited to work with Shara as our Executive Director and remove ‘interim’ from her title,” Board Chairman Mike Jacobs said in a statement. “She has helped Leadership DeKalb move forward from the difficult times the pandemic brought us. We look forward to all the great things she will do to connect leaders with one another and deepen their understanding of our vibrant and dynamic community.”
Leadership DeKalb selects a cohort of influential people annually to participate in a year-long program designed to build connections with other leaders, learn about the county and partner with nonprofits.
Sanders was selected for the Class of 2017 while serving as president-elect of the Junior League of DeKalb County. She served on Leadership DeKalb’s board from 2019 to 2022.
She moved to Decatur in 1996 to attend Emory School of Law and practiced labor and employment and general litigation law for 10 years before taking time off to be with family. She returned to practicing law in 2018.
Leadership DeKalb picked 50 people for its Class of 2024, including Gyimah Whitaker, the Decatur schools superintenendent, and Ana Maria Martinez, a judge on the DeKalb County State Court.
An earlier version of this story misspelled Shara Sanders’ name. It has been corrected.
About the Author
