Georgia Southern University should take a note from the Office of Leadership and Student Engagement and bring a variety of speakers to lecture on important topics.

At the eighth annual Southern Collegiate Leadership conference, the office brought in speakers from the public and private sectors, including three GSU employees that are in leadership positions. The leadership advice given by the University President Brooks Keel, Ph.D., Dean of Students Patrice Jackson and Director of Student Leadership Todd Deal, Ph.D., will be relevant for students who are or wish to be student leaders here at GSU.

Darron Burnette is the CEO and president of Sea Island Bank, and offers great insight into the leadership in the private sector. By working his way up the ladder at the bank, he gained experience that is hard to find anywhere else, making him a valuable speaker.

Rep. John Barrow and Judge Faye Sanders Martin show how leadership is done within the public sector, especially leadership through adversity. Barrow is the last white Democrat in the South and Martin was the first female Chief Superior Court judge in Georgia.

GSU often hosts speakers and lectures that only appeal to one group of people, be it a particular college at GSU or a social group of students. Bringing in a variety of speakers from different backgrounds to talk about a topic is a great way to keep a lecture engaging and relevant for many different people.  GSU should find ways to emulate this format for future programs.