The YWCA of Northwest Georgia’s Y’s Guys and Verizon hosted the Seventh Annual Community Breakfast on Tuesday, October 25, 2016, at InfoMart in Marietta.

This year’s breakfast, entitled “Sexual Assault in Sports and on College Campuses,” included a panel discussion with local business leaders and law enforcement.  The discussion was moderated by Nathan McCreary, a voice of KSU Athletics.  The panelists included the following: Sarah Clegg, Equity Specialist/Title IX Investigator, Sterling Brown, Director of Character Development at Kennesaw State University, Shameka Wilson, Director of Kennesaw State University’s Women’s Resource and Interpersonal Violence Prevention Center (WRIVPC), Vic Reynolds, Cobb County District Attorney and Langston Walker, Director of Prevention at the Georgia Network to End Sexual Assault (GNESA), The panelists discussed the prevalence of sexual assault on college campuses and what is being done and what can be done to reduce the number of assaults.

The Y’s Guys presented the Verizon Leadership Award to Jim Kellogg in appreciation for setting the standard for leadership in the YWCA of Northwest Georgia’s efforts to achieve the goal of a community free of domestic violence and sexual assault.  “I am very honored, humbled, and proud to receive the second annual Verizon Leadership Award for combating domestic violence,” Jim Kellogg said. “I accept it on behalf of the Y’s Guys, a group of community leaders who support the mission of the YWCA of NW Ga., in speaking out against domestic violence and sexual assault. I consider it an honor to stand with them.”

Lieutenant Everett Cebula, Y’s Guys committee chair adds, “The Y’s Guys Committee was proud to award its founder, Jim Kellogg the Verizon Leadership Award.  Jim is a true leader in the fight against domestic violence and increasing domestic violence awareness in our community.  His years of working with the YWCA of Northwest Georgia cannot be overlooked and are to be commended.”

Each year, the Y’s Guys will solicit nominations for men and/or organizations in the Cobb County community who exemplify this standard of leadership.  Nominees for the Verizon Leadership Award must also consistently demonstrate qualities of compassion and service to the YWCA of Northwest Georgia and its mission of a community free of domestic violence and sexual assault.  “Verizon is proud to support the YWCA of Northwest Georgia as they work to end domestic violence and sexual assault,” said Julie Smith, External and Government Affairs with Verizon.  “We’re especially pleased to help honor Jim Kellogg for his leadership as the first male board chairman of the YWCA and we express our sincere gratitude for all of his work over the years to specifically engage men in the prevention of domestic violence.”