Georgia District Governor
Brent Leslie

Club: Jones County

​I am honored to have earned the privilege to serve as Governor of the great Georgia District of Kiwanis International for the 2023-2024 Kiwanis year. Our other officers this year, Governor-Elect David Simmons, Vice-Governor Barry Gardner, and Immediate Past Governor Darryl Gumz are looking forward to a great year. Our Executive Director, Alexia Lieber, is always here and ready to help any member, club, or division with questions or problems. We have a tremendous group of Lt. Governors ready to help each of you this year. They have spent countless hours preparing to serve each club in their respective divisions as well as the Georgia District as a whole.

I am extremely proud of our theme this year, as we all work to be a FORCE for Kiwanis. FORCE stands for Focusing on Reality, Community, and Excellence. I hope that each facet of this theme will be a constant reminder to each of you throughout the year to strive every day to make your clubs and communities better. In the end, that is why Kiwanis exists, to brighten the lives of children and others throughout our great district.

Growth must again take center stage for all our clubs this year. Please contact your Lt. Governor if you find your club is struggling with adding new members or retaining current members. They have the resources and information you need. Do not let the fear of growth impede your club’s ability to serve the community.

Inside the District Directory you will find the contact information for both the board and the chairs that have been assembled this year. I hope you will bring our club chairs into your clubs for programs. Please ensure your club continues to meet the requirements for Youth Protection. These include but are not limited to your annual training requirement, and ensuring your sponsored club SLP advisors maintain a clear criminal background check with Kiwanis International.
I look forward to seeing each of you at our division rallies, Midwinter Training, International Convention, and our District Convention. Let us make this a fantastic year!

Brent's Bio

Kiwanis has been part of our Governor’s life since 1995 when he started the Jones County High Key Club. He served for 2 years a club secretary. After enrolling in college, he charted the Circle K Club at Valdosta State University while pursuing his degree in Chemistry. Furthering his career as a Circle K member he became an Outstanding Club President for Georgia Circle K.

Upon graduation he continued his Kiwanis career, forming the first internet club in Georgia Kiwanis. His work was recognized and celebrated as a Distinguished Club President by Kiwanis International and it transitioned into the role as Distinguished Lt. Governor for Division 1 under Past Governor Dewy Smith. As his career progressed, he transferred back to Jones County Kiwanis where he severed in several roles including Director, Vice-President and President. Once again being named Distinguished President by Kiwanis International.

In addition to his service at a club level he had the greatest privilege of being the Circle K Administrator for the Georgia District. During his 12 years as admin, he worked with some of the brightest student leaders that Georgia Key Club and Circle K has produced. The international achievement of the Georgia Circle K district is a model for many districts to follow. Many of those students have gone on to serve other districts in various capacities including governors, administrators, and members of the international board. He has been recognized many times for his role as Administrator by both the Georgia District and Circle K International having achieved the highest honor possible the Circle of Service award in the year 2020. He served for 6 years as the head of the Logistics and Site selection committee modernizing the convention and other district events.
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Outside of Kiwanis, he is the head chemist at A.R.I. His wife Kim is a nondestructive Tester Supervisor for the Air Force Civil Service. Kim herself has served two years as Lt. Governor and been named Distinguished by Kiwanis International. They have a 4-year-old daughter named Daisy.