A lifelong Liberty County resident, Leah is the current Chief Executive Officer of the Liberty County Chamber of Commerce and Liberty County Convention & Visitors Bureau. In this position for 11 years the membership of the Chamber has grown from 150 to almost 500 members strong and there has been an increase in hotel/motel tax revenue of approximately $31 million. She brings over 17 years of experience in community engagement and communications/marketing to the organizations. Leah attended both Brenau University and the former Armstrong Atlantic State University. She was a recipient of the prestigious 40 Under 40 Award from Georgia Trend Magazine in 2018, and she is the 2016 recipient of the Governor’s Tourism Leadership Award selected by Governor Nathan Deal. She serves on the Public Policy Committee for the Georgia Association of Convention & Visitors Bureaus, as well as on the Board for the Georgia Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives. She has also recently been selected as one of 50 of the brightest young minds in the state by Georgia Forward’s Young Gamechangers, which is a unique and proven leadership action program that uses those selected to develop creative and viable solutions for local community and economic development issues. She is the current Chairman of the Hinesville Area Arts Council, as well as the Secretary for the Hinesville Rotary Club. She also volunteers for Carpathia Paws, the United Way/Backpack Buddy Program, and numerous other organizations throughout our community such as the Liberty College and Career Academy, Keep Liberty Beautiful and the Regional Indian Cooperative. Leah lives on Isle of Wight with her son, Gabe, a sophomore at Bradwell, alongside several rescue dogs. In her spare time, she likes to read, cook and be on the water as much as possible. In one of the letters provided in support of Leah’s nomination for this honor the author said, “Leah’s personality, character, integrity, and many accomplishments are obvious to all who know her. Her professional and personal efforts have led to a positive impact on this community economically, culturally, and often on a personal basis. Many places erect monuments or other structures to spotlight a person’s arrival in that community, sometimes referred to as a gateway. Leah Poole is our gateway.”