DECEMBER 2016
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Small Town
America's
100 Feature Issue GetRuralLeaderMag.com | DECEMBER 2016 1
Contents
5 Developing the Most Powerful Tools of Leadership Publisher and Editor-in-Chief Kuanita E. Murphy, PhD Rural Leader Magazine, LLC is a digital publication that highlights every day people doing extraordinary things nationally and abroad. www.RuralLeaderMag.com www.GetRuralLeaderMag.com
Guest Contributors Wally Bock Executive Coach Ingrid Grzeskowiak Executive Coach Chris Thomas Author and Executive Coach
7 The Apprentice Leader: Making The Most Of Learning On The Job
22 Important Safety Steps to Keep Kids’ Holidays Bright, Happy and Burn-free 24 A Guide to Holiday Traditions Worth Starting in 2016
9 Five Ways to Find Etra Money During the Holidays
25 Five Tips to Protect Your Devices From Cybercrime
11 Modern Desktops: Re-imagining the Workhorses of Personal Computing
27 Creating Confidence: 8 steps to Feeling more Self-Assured
12 Having A Vision Can Speed Up Your Success 15 Creating Desirable Jobs by Getting Back to the Basics 16 Twenty Sixteen Small Town America's 100 Most Influential People Feature
25 Keeping Your Team Motivated 26 How To Meet Opposition 27 How Can One Person Make A Huge Diffeence? 29 Classifieds
Contact Us Rural Leader Magazine, LLC 400 West Peachtree Street Suite #4-529 Atlanta, Georgia 30308 info@ruralleadermagazine.com 1-866-293-1162
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Tell us what you think about our publications, if you have a great idea for a story, or to just share. We may print your comments in Rural Leader Magazine. By sending us your comments, you’re giving permission to call you for an interview. Please be sure to include your name, address, email address, and phone number so we can reach you. Write to us at info@ RuralLeaderMagazine.com—
Editor’s Note Dear Readers, I am pleased to present to you the 2016 Small Town America's 100 Most Influential People Feature Issue. Once more, this year's class consists of amazing people from throughout the United States who really make a difference. The 2016 Honorees represent a wide range of genres, such as education, music, theatre, government, television, business, non-profits, sports, and many more! Check out these awesome individuals on page 16. The Holiday Season is here! So, also inside this issue, there are several articles to help you get the most of this Holiday Season and much more! As always, I hope you enjoy this issue and continue to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Google +, and LinkedIn. Thanks again for your continual support! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Photo Courtesy of TieFotos
Sincerely,
Kuanita E. Murphy, PhD Publisher/Editor-in-Chief
What you do matters. GetRuralLeaderMag.com | DECEMBER 2016 3 @RuralLeaderMag
Reader's Voice Dear Rural Leader Magazine, I was so excited to learn that the magazine will have a new show in the Fall 2017! I can't wait! Keep up the great work. —Ben M. Atlanta, Georgia Dear Rural Leader Magazine, Thank you for the article, What You Don't Know About Breast Cancer (October 2016). It was timely and informative. —Nelly G. Vicksburg, MS Dear Rural Leader Magazine, I just wanted to let you know that the Scholars of Collegiate Distinction (August 2016)is a wonderful idea! Thanks for recognizing such deserving people.—Brandie P. Ashville, NC
Courtesy of Tie Photos
Dear Rural Leader Magazine, Thank you for the informative article entitled, Five Gigs That'll Help you Pay for College (August, 2016). I have two teenagers going off to college next year. —Melanie S. Fairhope, Alabama
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Dear Rural Leader Magazine, I appreciated the article, Lead Your Own Way (October 2016). It was a timely article with several valuable points. Please feature more like this. Shirley C. Jonesborough, TN Dear Rural Leader Magazine, Please do more articles such as the one in the November 2016 issue titled, Farming Program Helps Neighbors in Rural America Fight Hunger. The magazine is a great opportunity to build a platform. —Frederick W. Texas City, TX
What you do matters. @RuralLeaderMag
Developing the Most Powerful Tools of Leadership By Christopher J Thomas
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What makes a good leader? We need to understand the basic of leadership development. This subject is in fact subjective that most of us don't want to write about it. We simply want to resist writing about leadership and development and all the training courses of leadership. Apart from this a number of such questions simply keep on popping our mind and we find tough finding any answers. Most of these questions would be like Are leaders man made or natural? How can we train leaders? Or even can we make leaders out of nothing? So the basic fact is to take a hard glance at the term a good leader. Even if you may be thinking that you certainly are not a good leader, but there may be certain areas in your life where most of other people might have seen you as a leader. Some of the important qualities and skills that a leader must have need to be understood carefully. Training when applied to a leader is certainly a misnomer. So any of the leadership training programs is at least expected to include a passing reference. One needs to understand the concept of leadership. So this is possible by having live debates and discussions about a good leadership. We need to understand what is the definition of leadership and what it actually means. We also need to widen the definition such that it exceeds much beyond the traditional meaning of leadership and mingles with the stereotypes. One also needs to have a very personal understanding of individual qualities. It is also very much important that you understand the real difference between a leadership and a management. You need to understand how most of the successful people
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perceive their perception and turn their dreams into reality. One may even compare this with some of the great leaders of the time like Martin Luther or Mahatma Gandhi or even Dhirubhai Ambani. These were the people who were a true visionary. They dreamt of a dream and had the power to turn it into a reality. You need to make assumptions on the basic fact that how most of us see the world. And then you also need to establish an ownership of you leadership skills. So it is more important to make developments around the trainer other than the trainee. We know that no cookie cutter would ever model here. Anyone can develop their qualities to lead others. Even when someone asks a direction for a certain place we act as leaders. We guide him. We help people in the churches by preaching them. We help our collages in creating more sales reports. We lead the nation by being MLA or a Minister or even president. We lead a project by being scientists or even a programmer who leads the IT firm. There are so many roles that we may imagine where each one of us acts as a leader. So if you are committed enough that you can use these qualities and add it to everything that is there in your life I am sure you can be a good leader. In fact anyone of us can be a great leader.— About the Author Chris Thomas is the author of the Managers Toolbox training material located at Managers Toolbox and runs the very successful Basic Management Course for new leaders and supervisors.
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By Wally Bock
The Apprentice Leader: Making The Most Of Learning On The Job
Leadership is an apprentice trade. You learn some of it in the classroom and from books. You learn most if it on the job. You learn it from others and you learn from experience. Here's how to get the most out of what you learn on the job. Improve your Odds of Getting it Right the First Time Get some training in supervisory skills. Classroom training and reading can give you ideas of how to analyze situations and what practices to try. They can be the basis for your on-the-job experiments in leadership. Identify role models you can use to help you figure out what to do in a leadership situation. Find a mentor who can help you. Discuss leadership situations with other, more experienced leaders. They can give you perspective on what may work best and on pitfalls you may not see. Experiment Forget "trial and error." That sets up you to think of something that doesn't work out the way you expected as a "failure." And it assumes you only learn from failure, which is silly. So, instead of "trial and error," think "experiment." When scientists experiment, there are three steps. First you set up a hypothesis or what you think will happen if you act in a certain way. Next you act in that way and observe what actually happens. Then you compare your hypothesis with reality and decide how you'll do things next time. That's how Thomas Edison worked. When he was asked if he was discouraged because he'd tried filament after filament for his electric light bulb and failed to identify a good one, Edison had a classic reply. "I haven't failed. I've found lots of things that won't work." If you consider your tries as
experiments, you should learn from things that work and from things that don't and you'll avoid that emotionally charged word: "failure." The only experiment that fails is one you don't learn from. Experiments give you feedback.
And feedback is important if you want to get better. Feedback is the Breakfast of Champions In 1988, researchers took worgroups and applied different tactics to see how those tactics affected baseline performance. Feedback was the most powerful of all. Feedback alone increased performance over the baseline by 50 percent. The more feedback you get the faster you learn. Develop the feedback habit. Analyze your experiments. Ask your boss, your
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peers and the people who work for you for feedback on your behavior and performance. Critique your own supervisory performance. All that feedback will help you decide what to work on to get better. Deliberate Practice is How Champions Train My friend Jack and Tiger Woods both play golf. Tiger plays much better. Talent is part of the reason. But Tiger and Jack practice golf very differently. When Jack practices, he heads down to the driving range and hits a couple of buckets of balls. When Tiger practices it's likely to be something much less fun and much more specific. Tiger, and most top athletes use a technique called "deliberate practice." It helps them accelerate their learning. It can do the same for you. Deliberate practice was developed by Professor Anders Ericsson of Florida State University. It involves three things. Work on a specific skill or skill cluster and get a clear target for achievement. Instead of just banging away on the driving range, a top golfer might work on using an eight iron to get the ball within 20 feet of the pin. Observe how you do. That's feedback. And adjust what you do on the next try. Do it over and over until you get the results you're after. You're going to learn most of your leadership trade on the job. You'll learn faster and better if you do four things. Improve the odds of making the right choice the first time. Think of your actions as leadership experiments. Get lots of feedback. And use deliberate practice to develop specific skills.— About the Author Wally Bock coaches individual managers, and is a popular speaker at meetings and conferences in the United States and elsewhere.
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5 Ways to Find Etra Money During the Holidays
The holidays are here again. It’s that time of year when you get together with family and friends, take some time away from work and live out the definition of “it’s better to give than receive.” And, if you’re like many Americans, this is also the season when you give a little too much and find yourself over budget on your holiday spending. Research from MagnifyMoney shows Americans incur $986 in additional debt throughout the holiday season, money they are then forced to pay off during the new year. If you’ve had problems with holiday-induced debt in the past and you’ve tried - and failed to stem your holiday spending, take a different route this year and see if you can generate extra money to cover those increased holiday expenses. You can do it in a short period of time, so here are a few tips to get you started. Clean house. As you’re picking up your house and getting ready for guests to come over, take a good look under the couch cushions for spare change, and don’t forget all those things you’re moving to the basement. Add up that spare change to put toward your holiday budget. And, could you move some of your possessions out the door instead? Craigslist, eBay and Facebook all make selling your old possessions easier than ever. And don’t forgo the traditional garage sale - one successful Saturday could give you the money you need to enjoy the holidays without debt concerns. More money than you think. The money beneath your couch cushions may be worth more than you think. Research from Coinstar shows Americans, on average, believe they have $41 in spare change on hand. However, Coinstar’s own nationwide kiosk data indicates the amount of spare change consumers have on hand is even more than that. Bring your spare coins to a Coinstar kiosk today and trade them for cash or no-fee eGift cards to retailers such as Amazon, Nike and Best Buy. On average, people cash in $68 when they convert their coins to no-fee eGift cards. Whether you keep the cards for yourself or give them as gifts is up to you. Take a seasonal job. If you want a little extra money and a short time commitment, seasonal employment during the holidays is a great idea. Retailers across the country are looking to bolster their staff for the holiday season and you can enter this environment with minimal training and hit the ground running - especially if you have prior retail experience. Choose a product you’re passionate about and it’s a win-win, just make sure you don’t spend all of your earnings before you leave the store. 10 RuralLeaderMag.com | DECEMBER 2016
Cash in those unwanted gift cards. Nearly three in four consumers have unwanted gift cards lying around because they are for stores that are too far away, or places they’ve never shopped before. If you’re one of them, turn those cards into cash you can use. Coinstar Exchange allows you to exchange those unwanted gift cards for cash so you can tackle that holiday shopping list without debt concerns. Cash in your credit card points. When you’re shopping for a new credit card, reward points are a big deal in your consideration. But how often do you use them? Research shows that Americans rake in $48 billion worth of credit card points each year, yet only $32 billion are redeemed. The holidays are the perfect time to redeem those points, so don’t forget to use them and find that extra cash you’ve been missing. The holiday season is a wonderful time of year and it’s more enjoyable if it doesn’t leave you with lingering debt. So start preparing your extra revenue streams today and give yourself the gift of a happy, debt-free holiday. To learn more about how Coinstar can provide you the extra income you need this holiday season, visit www.coinstar.com.—BPT
Modern Desktops: Re-imagining the Workhorses of Personal Computing With the rise of mobile devices, you might wonder what the future holds for desktop computers. While the total number of mobile users surpassed desktop users around 2014, the number of people still using desktops might surprise you. The desktop is alive and well, and a new crop of task-specific desktops are rewriting the look and utility of the original personal computing device. Personal computing workhorses People still find desktops useful for a number of reasons. They provide a level of computing power, flexibility and durability that many portable devices are only beginning to achieve. From a usability perspective, a desktop allows people greater display versatility and visibility. It may be difficult to see the spreadsheet numbers you’re crunching on the smaller screens of tablets or laptops. A smartphone screen just isn’t large or robust enough to give you a visually rich gaming experience. Online shopping on a desktop makes it easy to enlarge catalog images, work out of multiple tabs and comparison shop. In addition, you can speak to Cortana, the personal digital assistant, on your Windows 10 desktop and rely on her for notifications. In fact, one study found that nearly 75 percent of U.S. adults own a desktop or laptop computer. Multiple studies point to the idea that people choose desktops for more complex digital activities, and tend
to spend longer on web pages when they use their desktops versus mobile devices. New look, new tasks While desktops continue to play an important role in people’s digital lives, desktop designers aren’t resting on their laurels. Instead, they’re producing new Windows 10 desktops designed to facilitate specific tasks - and look cool while doing it. Three key areas of focus are gaming, productivity and consumer use. Gaming desktops emphasize high-resolution, realistic and immersive graphics, as well as virtual reality capabilities. For example, the Dell Alienware Area-51 is virtual reality (VR)-ready, making it ideal for gamers. Its support for super-high resolution 4k displays and multi-tasking power also make it a preferred platform for developers and programmers. Running Windows 10 and up to 10-core Intel Core i7 Extreme processor options, the PC’s unique tricorn outer casing is also designed for versatility and utility. The desktop can easily be turned onto any one of its three corners for ease of access to ports when attaching and removing cables. PC manufacturers are challenging conventional desktop designs and coming up with breakthrough devices. New designs take into account that personal tastes and preferences can influence PC selection Continued on page 23 GetRuralLeaderMag.com | DECEMBER 2016 11
Having A Vision Can Speed Up Your Success By Ingrid Grzeskowiak
Success can be understood in so many different ways. The term is used widely by book authors in the field of personal development and a lot in education when passing exams or simply filling out an online application for a merchant account: "Success" informs us about a process which has been positively confirmed. In personal life success is only measurable if we have goals to compare it to. You cannot determine any success without first having set up any goals. Goal setting is one of the basic tasks when operating a homebased business for example. Short term goals or long term goals, idealistic or economic, every goal once it is achieved, is a success. What does a successful person look like? Do you imagine someone with an expensive, fast car with a Rolex watch? Do you think about a sportsperson winning a gold medal? A great contributor to humanity, such as Ghandi? Or do you imagine a person who is merely happy? See the importance of your definition of success? Once somebody has achieved his goals and still has no feeling of fulfillment whatsoever, probably has not defined HIS success in a proper way. Looking at the environment and the multiple possibilities we are influenced by, (parents, teachers, peers, church,advertisements,television, movies)it may be clear that it is no easy job to find out what exactly success means to YOU or in other words: What is it that makes YOU happy? It´s good and helpful to have a vision. Let´s say your vision is that you´re fed up with your 9 to 5 job and you want to start a homebased business 12 RuralLeaderMag.com | DECEMBER 2016
of your own. Of course, you want it to be successful. But what does this success look like for you? Is it extra income so that you can go on an extra holiday every year? Do you want it to bring you a full time income so you can leave your current job? Or do you want to be another Matt Morris of Success University and make millions? Which of these definitions means the most to you? A vision describes the result, the big picture and keeps us moving towards our goals. The vision is the motivation and the goals help us to get things done every single day. While we are aiming for the stars, we also need to look around us and see where we are successful every day. To find your own success definitions, ask yourself the following: What is important to you? Write a list of your important values such as integrity, humour, family or freedom and make sure your goals fit in with these. When did you last feel happy and proud of yourself? What were you doing, or what had you achieved? If you want success in life there are many resources, such as life coaching, or online websites such as Success University. But first you need to define success on your own terms. Once you have done that, you take action to achieve it, and achieve it daily.— About the Author Ingrid Grzeskowiak works as a coach in the personal development field. She recommends Success University as the best personal development program online today.
2017 NOMINATIONS CALENDAR Forty under Forty Recognizes young leaders under 40 from AL, FL, and GA March 1st-April 30th (September issue) Fifty under Fifty Recognizes leaders under fifty nationally for outstanding achievement April 30th-May 31st (July issue) Eagle of Elite Club Magazine Recognizes youth ages 5-13 for outstanding scholastic achievement in leadership, art, music, community service, and sports March 1st-April 30th (June Publication) Twenty under Twenty Recognizes youth under 20 for outstanding academic achievement, leadership, and community service March 30th-April 30th (May issue) Scholars of Collegiate Distinction Magazine Honors individuals of all ages who attain higher education from small communities May 1st-June 30th (August Publication) Best Small Town Restaurant Ongoing Celebrating the Women of Small Town America Recognizes women ages 18 and older for exemplary achievement and service to community April 1-May1st (Virtual Online Only) Small Town America’s 100 Most Influential People A national call to recognize exemplary leaders from small communities July 1-Aug. 31st (December issue) For More Information, visit RuralLeaderMag.com.
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Creating Desirable Jobs by Getting Back to the Basics
When it comes to hiring and retaining employees, companies are always looking at new alternatives to build their staffs. However, new research shows that when it comes to attracting top talent, many professionals prefer a return to the basics, meaning stable employment with competitive base pay with traditional medical and retirement benefits are key. The findings come from a recent survey conducted by the Career Advisory Board, which was established by DeVry University in 2010. The survey asked employees to offer their insight into what is most important for them when looking for the right workplace. Below are some of the most interesting findings. Predictability over perks Employees responded resoundingly that they wanted their work life to be more in line with those of the generations before. Eighty-one percent of survey respondents said they would like to work a single, full-time job as opposed to contract work or several smaller positions. This desire rang especially true with millennials as 91 percent of those surveyed agreed. Respondents also preferred going to the office every day (22 percent) compared to working from remotely full-time (18 percent). Millennials, in particular, were more likely to seek a job where they had to be in the office each day (27 percent). Stable jobs were valued by 84 percent of survey respondents, while only 16 percent said they pre-
ferred a job that may come with riskier employment opportunities. Employers looking to stay the course For employers looking to attract and retain top talent, they should focus on solidifying their existing benefits package. A competitive salary remained the most important benefit employees consider in an employer, but traditional offerings such as medical/ dental coverage, paid time off and retirement plans were heavily favored over newer perks, including onsite food, wellness offerings and day care. Employers also don’t need to look at making dramatic changes to their existing organizational structure to attract employees. Thirty-six percent said they prefer working for a single manager, while 18 percent said they appreciated the opportunity to report to multiple managers. However, no matter how employers establish their hierarchy, they should always be looking for ways to give employees a chance to impact company decisions. Fifty-six percent said they prefer a job with “authority to make decisions that impact the entire organization,” a sign employees care deeply about where they work and want to have a vital role in its growth. Employees seizing what they want For employees looking for new positions, the job market is healthier and those with the right skills and attributes will have their pick of positions. As we move further away from the recession years and Continued on page 23 GetRuralLeaderMag.com | DECEMBER 2016 15
T w e n t y
S i x t e e n
Small Town
America's
100 It is with great pleasure that we present the 2016 Small Town America’s 100 Most Influential People. For the third consecutive year, our anonymous panel of judges received scores of nominations with the daunting task to select 100 individuals. The judges thought it important to convey a broad range of successful and influential people whose level of involvement, commitment, and intense effort to improve their communities sometimes go unnoticed. This year’s class includes influential people from 16 RuralLeaderMag.com | DECEMBER 2016
a variety of sectors including business, art, music, theatre, health, government, law enforcement, education, the faith community, and many more! They are everyday people doing extraordinary things. The full scope of their individual contributions may never be fully realized by those who do not understand the small town dynamic. Collectively, these exemplary individuals represent the heart and soul of small communities. Congratulations to all honorees!—
Jacqueline Sutton Ball Author, Playwright & Producer Lumpkin, Georgia
Lucas Black
Film & Television Actor Decatur, AL
Kevin Brown
Executive Director
Marion Co. Family Connection
Buena Vista, Georgia
Hillary Clinton
67th U.S. Secretary of State Park Ridge, Illinois
Tony Banks
Pastor Life Changing Church Columbus, Georgia
Bob Barker
Former Game Show Host The Price Is Right Darrington, Washington
Eshonda Blue
Jenny Boiling
Innovative Senior Solutions
Webster County Family Connection
Chief Executive Officer
Coordinator
Americus, Georgia
Preston, Georgia
Dr. Linda Buchanan President
Dean Burke
Andrew College Cuthbert, Georgia
Chris Cohilas, Esq. Watson Spence, LLC Albany, Georgia
Senator Georgia District 11 Bainbridge, Georgia
Verda M. Colvin Judge
Superior Court Macon, Georgia
Regina A. Barrow Senator Louisiana District 15 Baton Rouge, LA
Donna Brazile
Charles Bennafield Senior Pastor
Crossroads Christian Community Church (Stone Mountain, GA)
Fort Gaines, Georgia
Corrine Brown
Author, Political Analyisit Kenner, Lousiana
U. S. Representative Florida District 5 Jacksonville, Florida
Justin Cabral
Robert Chester
Lowndes County, GA Valdosta, Georgia
Chester Family Corporation
Solicitor General
Jamie Crozier Council Member City of Blakely Blakely, Georgia
Retired
Blakely, Georgia
Dr. Marvin Crumbs Principal Columbus High School Columbus, Georgia
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David Danzie
CEO Fall Line Contractors Macon, Georgia
Jennifer Fairbanks Chief City of Cuthbert Cuthbert, Georgia
John Hamilton
Morris S. Dees, Jr.
Representative Georgia District 154 Albany, Georgia
Shorter, Alabama
Gregory Fairbanks Chief Cuthbert Fire Dept. Cuthbert, Georgia
Lawrence Fishburne III Actor, Director, Playwright & Producer Augusta, Georgia
Mia Hamm
Mayor City of Bloomington Bloomington, Indiana
U. S. Professional Soccer Player Selma, Alabama
Dr. Jack Hawkins
Dr. Carla Hayden
President Troy State University Mobile, Alabama
Winifred Dukes
Co-Founder Southern Poverty Law Center
Librarian 14th Librarian of Congress Tallahassee, Florida
Ed Harbison
Senator Georgia District 15 Columbus, Georgia
Faith Hill
Actress, Producer, Country Singer, & Songwriter Ridgeland, Mississippi
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Ava DeVurnay
Writer & Movie Producer Lynwood, California
Dr. Barbara Gaines
Minister, Pastor, Prophetess
Camp Ithiel Church Ocoee, Florida
Allison Harvey
Pastor Sander's Gift M.B. Church Dawson, Georgia
Mike Honda
U. S. Representative California District 15 Walnut Grove, California
Eddie Fairbanks Sheriff
Randolph County, GA Shellman, Georgia
Tamron Hall
National News Anchor NBC Luling, TX
Donnell Harvey
Former NBA Athlete & Founder RY Foundation Shellman, Georgia
Dr. Marvin Howard Superintendent Randolph Co. Schools (GA) Montezuma, Georgia
Mike Huckabee
Author, Commentator, & Politician Hope, Arkansas
Kimberly I. Johnson Educator Clay Co. Schools (GA) Fort Gaines, Georgia
John Legend
Singer, Songwriter, and Musician Springvale, Ohio
Doris Matsui
U. S. Representative California District 6 Poston, Arizona
Carolyn Hugley Representative Georgia District 136 Columbus, Georgia
Robert L. Johnson Founder of BET Entrepreneur/Investor Hickory, Mississippi
Eddie Lowe Mayor
City of Phenix City Phenix City, Alabama
Gerri McCord
Executive Director The Ruth Hartley Mosley House Macon, Georgia
Walt Ingram Chief of Police City of Edison Edison, Georgia
Anthony "Vann" Jones Author, Attorney, Commentator, & Political Activist
Jackson, Tennessee
Lester Jackson III Senator Georgia District 2 Savannah, Georgia
Mary Knighton
Bishop Greater Life Ministries Shellman, Georgia
Loretta Lynch
C. Denise Marcelle
Greensboro, North Carolina
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Daniel McFather
Dustin Miller
83rd United States Attorney General
Sports Director/Head Coach
& Assist Principal
Randolph Co. Schools (GA) Cuthbert, Georgia
Representative Louisiana District 61
Representative Louisiana District 40 Opelousas, LA
Kadesha Jenkins
Entrepreneur & Minister Kadesha Jenkins Ministries Columbia, South Carolina
Alfred "Al" Lawson U. S. House of Representatives
Florida District 5 Tallahassee, Florida
Dr. Kenneth B. Martin President Georgia General Baptist Convention
Monroe, Louisiana
Dr. Kuanita E. Murphy Artist, Author, Editor, & Publisher Rural Leader Magazine Cuthbert, Georgia
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Graciela Napolitano U. S. Representative California District 32 Brownville, Texas
David Ralston
Speaker of the House Georgia District 7 Blue Ridge, Georgia
Robin Roberts
Elaine Neely Board Chair
Webster Co. Family Connection
Preston, Georgia
Deborah Rankins Journalist, Publisher & Radio Show Host Thomasville, Alabama
Vernell Ross
Mike Pence
50th Governor of IN & Vice-President Elect U. S. Columbus, Indiana
Teddy Reese, Esq.
Georgia Appleseed Center for Law & Justice Columbus, Georgia
Darrell Sabbs, Jr.
Good Morning America Tuskegee, Alabama
Mayor Pro Tempore City of Havana Havana, Florida
Mentor, Political Consultant
Timothy E. Scott
Bakari Sellers
Terry Sewell
National News Anchor ABC
United States Senator District 1 North Charleston, SC
Politician & CNN Commentator Denmark, South Carolina
Activist, Educator,
Americus, Georgia
Unites States Representative Alabama District 7 Huntsville, Alabama
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Katy Perry
aka Katheryn Elizabeth Hudson
Singer & Song writer Sanabara, California
Condaleezza Rice
Karen Pittman
Author and Historian Cuthbert, GA
Jeremy G. Rich
66th United States Secretary of State Birmingham, Alabama
Pastor First M. B. Church Thomasville, Georgia
Valecia Sales
Bernard Scoggins
Blake Shelton
Frederick W. Smith
Founder VALCO Solutions & B. A. Youth Leadership Americus, Georgia
Country Music Singer, Songwriter, & TV Personality Oda, Oklahoma
M.D., F.A.C.P Albany Area Primary Health Care Albany, Georgia
Founder, Chairman, President & CEO FedEx Marks, Mississippi
E. Tramaine Solomon Senior Pastor/Teacher
Springhill M. Baptist Church
Lineville, Alabama
Dr. Cantana Starks
First African American Woman to Coach All Men's Team at Collegiate Level Mobile, Alabama
Kate Stockett
Author The Help Jackson, Mississippi
Dr. Priscilla S. Thomas
Benny Thompson
Richard Thompson
Edward J. Vance, M.D.
Maxine M. Waters
Dr. Thomas J. Ward, Jr.
Educator Dougherty Co. Schools (GA) Morgan, Georgia
Chief Medical Officer
United States Representative Mississippi District 2 Bolton, Mississippi
Albany Area Primary Health
U. S. Representative California District 43 St. Louis, Missouri
Claudette D. Wilson
John Winchester
Albany, Georgia
Apostle IEF & Global Wealth Management Foley, Alabama
Executive Director Harris Co. Family Connection Hamilton, Georgia
Founder and Chairman 100 Dads Cuthbert, Georgia
Gay Talese
Author Ocean City, New Jersey
Film Director Jackson, Mississippi
Dr. B. Donta Truss
Edwina Turner
Dr. John Watford
Alvin Williams
Author, Educator, & Entrepreneur Talladega, Alabama
Author & Professor Spring Hill College Mobile, Alabama
President South GA Tech College Americus, Georgia
Mirian Worthy
Jessica Wright
Retired Register Nurse Mirian Worthy Women's Health Center Albany, Georgia
Tate Taylor
COO and RN Innovative Senior Solutions Americus, Georgia
Director Stewart Co. Family Connection Weston, Georgia
Educator Calhoun Co. Schools (GA) Edison, Georgia
Dr. Jerry Young President National Baptist Convention Jackson, Mississippi
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Important Safety Steps to Keep Kids’ Holidays Bright, Happy and Burn-free
You bake their favorite treats, search stores for the toys they have begged for all year, stuff stockings and deck the halls to help ensure your children’s holidays are full of warm, happy memories. However, it is also important to ensure the holiday season is safe for kids and the whole family. In December 2015, 415 people died and 1,650 were injured as a result of home fires, according to data from the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA). In fact, home fires increase dramatically between October and November, and do not taper off again until warmer temperatures arrive in spring, USFA statistics show. A recent survey conducted by Shriners Hospitals for Children found that while most Americans are aware of the steps they should take to stay safe during the holidays, they are not putting that knowledge into action. For example, while 70 percent are aware that live Christmas trees should be watered daily, more than half of those surveyed said they do not, even though it is one of the most dangerous fire hazards in homes during this time of the year. “Some of the survey findings are alarming, and each year our hospitals that provide burn care see the results - children who’ve been injured in cooking related accidents or in fires associated with decorations or candles,” says Kenneth Guidera, M.D., chief medical officer at Shriners Hospitals for Children. “These 22 RuralLeaderMag.com | DECEMBER 2016
injuries can result in years of extensive rehabilitation and ongoing treatments to a child’s growing skin.” As part of their Be Burn Aware holiday fire safety campaign, Shriners Hospitals for Children offers some tips for reducing burn and fire risks during the holidays: Decoration safety Holiday decorations build the excitement of the season for children, but they can also be a source of danger. Follow these guidelines for decoration safety: * Place trees at least 3 feet away from heat sources such as fireplaces, radiators, space heaters, candles and heat vents. Keep fresh-cut trees well-watered and promptly dispose of trees after the holidays or when they become dry. * Inspect holiday lights before putting them up. Discard strands that have frayed wires, bare spots or excessive kinking. Replace broken or missing bulbs and always follow manufacturer warnings to limit the number of light strands plugged together. When using an extension cord or power strip, plug the light strands into the cord before plugging the cord into the electrical outlet. * Extinguish candles when you have to leave them unattended. The Shriners Hospitals survey found 25 percent of people admit to leaving lit candles unattended and 27 percent leave them within reach of a child. Make sure lit candles are in stable holders out
of the reach of children and pets and placed where they cannot be easily knocked over. Consider using battery-operated, flameless candles instead. Cooking caution Cooking is the leading cause of all home fires and fire injuries, according to the USFA. During the holidays, be mindful of safe cooking habits, including: * Never leave pans unattended. Be sure to turn pot handles toward the back of the stove so children can’t reach them. The Shriners Hospitals survey found 25 percent of adults fail to position pot handles for safety. * Reduce the risk of clothing catching fire while you cook by wearing short sleeves or rolling up long sleeves. * Keep safety items, like a working fire extinguisher, on hand in your kitchen. Have a lid or cookie sheet nearby to cover a pan and snuff out the flames if the contents catch fire. Year-round precautions You can take some steps to prepare for the holidays that will also help keep your home and family safer throughout the year. * Make sure smoke alarms and fire extinguishers are in place and in working order. The holidays are a great time to change the batteries in all smoke alarms and check fire extinguishers. * Ensure that children know what natural gas smells like and instruct them to leave the house immediately if they detect the odor of a gas leak. * Have a family escape plan and practice it. Shriners Hospitals for Children is changing lives every day through innovative pediatric specialty care, world-class research and outstanding medical education. Their 22 locations in the United States, Canada and Mexico provide advanced care for children with orthopaedic conditions, burns, spinal cord injuries, and cleft lip and palate. Visit shrinershospitalsforchildren.org to learn more. For more fire safety information, Be Burn Aware activity books for kids, tip cards and additional online tools for families, visit beburnaware.org.—BPT
Modern Desktop, continued from page 11 as much as the type of tasks people will perform on their desktops. For example, the new futuristic Samsung ArtPC Pulse marries leading-edge styling with powerful computing capability. Running Windows 10 and equipped with a 6th Generation Intel Core i7 processor, the PC delivers exceptional graphics, smooth visuals, easily expandable storage, and 360-degree Omnidirectional Sound. Finally, if you’re looking for the perfect device for your home office or family use, new desktops like the HP Elite Slice offer big power in compact casings. Small and sleek, this Windows 10 PC is powered through a USB connection to a monitor, minimizing the need for cables on top of your desk. Specialized casings and attachments allow the PC to act as a speaker phone, multi-media player or wireless device charger. While laptops and other PC form factors can be a good choice, the desktop certainly has a special seat at the table. New designs, expanded capabilities and outstanding versatility make today’s desktop computer as powerful, useful and preferred as ever. To learn more about today’s desktop computers and for a list of deals and where to buy, visit your local Microsoft Store or microsoftstore.com.—BPT
Creating Desirable Jobs, continued from page 15 the economy improves, those who can afford to take their time in their job search are most likely to find a position offering the things most important to them. “The survey results show us that businesses today need to be good employers, offering stable employment with competitive base pay and traditional medical and retirement benefits,” says Alexandra Levit, business and workplace consultant and Career Advisory Board member. “The average American worker isn’t necessarily looking for all the bells and whistles.” To learn more about the study, visit www.careeradvisoryboard.org.—BPT GetRuralLeaderMag.com | DECEMBER 2016 23
A Guide to Holiday Traditions Worth Starting in 2016 Every family has their own set of traditions. Some involve going to holiday parties or shows like the Nutcracker, baking batches of cookies or a trip to the Christmas tree farm. But just as our phones, cars and lives have changed over the past 10 years, so have holiday traditions. While ugly sweaters, family, trees and gifts are as much a part of the holiday spirit as ever, new traditions are popping up, adding new memories and new possibilities to the holiday season. New travel destinations There was a time when it seemed like everyone scrambled to make it home for the holidays. And while families are still making plans to get together, an increasing number are shaking things up by traveling to a new state or a new city to celebrate the holidays. And they’re not only traveling to the iconic spots like the ice rink in Rockefeller Center or seeking out palm trees and white sand beaches. One vacation theme that has been rising in popularity involves reliving favorite Christmas movies. The best example of this trend can be seen in Cleveland, Ohio where A Christmas Story House & Museum (www.achristmasstoryhouse.com) is currently celebrating its tenth anniversary. Each year, thousands of people from all over the country make the trip to visit the restored house where the iconic movie was filmed. Inside A Christmas Story House, open year-round, every room and detail matches up to the movie so people who have grown up watching the movie year after year can have the first-hand experience of what it’s like to be one of the Parkers. Only the furnace works a little better, and no one gets his or her mouth washed out with soap. 24 RuralLeaderMag.com | DECEMBER 2016
Changing shopping habits You’ve probably seen a store advertising artisanal, hand crafted, locally produced goods pop up in your neighborhood. It’s a sign that people’s buying habits are changing. This is especially true when it comes to their holiday shopping routines. While there may still be plenty of people lining up outside of the big box stores for Black Friday sales, more and more are searching for that one-of-a-kind gift that can only be found in a local store or after some serious online hunting. Instead of giving each other the gift everyone else wants, people are trying to give each other gifts that are truly unique and thoughtful. Get a workout in It’s tradition to prepare for the numerous snacks, sweets and huge meals of the holiday season by buying a couple of baggy sweaters. But the current health conscious generation is changing that. No, they’re not replacing sugar cookies with kale chips, rather, adding a workout to the Christmas routine. Many cities around the country now host Santa and reindeer-themed runs. But as fun as these are, few are as unique or memorable as A Christmas Story 5K/10K Run. Taking place each year in Cleveland, Ohio, the race involves more than 5,000 people dressed in pink bunny pajamas, the infamous lamp or any character from the iconic movie. Participants run from the former Higbee’s Department Store and finish at A Christmas Story House & Museum, where runners can visit the gift shop to shop for some amazing A Christmas Story-themed presents. Those who are unable to make the trip, can still order their own Leg Lamp at www.redriderleglamps.com!—BPT
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5 Tips to Protect Your Devices From Cybercrime
Your smartphone, your tablet, take precautions with our personal your computer - they are some of security and information.” your most important and most * Don’t store your username, used possessions. They are the password or credit card infordaily tools you use for research, mation with a website. The conto connect with others and make venience makes it tempting, but purchases. You take them everywebsites are a popular target for where and fill them with your cybercriminals because a sucimportant, personal information. cessful hack gives them access to And all of that makes them the hundreds or thousands of files, perfect targets for a cyberattack. including yours. Even storing this The number of cybercrime ininformation on your own computcidents in the United States grows er can expose it in a cyberattack, each year, and as Americans move and if your credit card informainto an increasingly digital society tion is captured, criminals can use - thanks to smart phones, smart it to gather your social security cars and smart in-home technolnumber. That exposes you to idenogies - cybercrime is expected to tify theft. Keep this information grow in frequency again in 2017. off your devices and, instead, creProtecting yourself, your family ate complex passwords and write and the vital information on your down all of your usernames and devices means increasing your passwords on a piece of paper that focus on your own cybersecurity. you keep in a safe place, such as a That starts with these five tips. deposit box. * Recognize you’re not immune. * Use only a credit card, not a Cyberattacks increase in frequen- debit card, when making online cy and severity every year, so don’t purchases. Using your credit card make the mistake of believing it instead of your debit card allows can’t happen to you. “It’s importyou to keep better track of the ant to protect yourself by taking purchases you have made. It also personal responsibility for your limits the effects of any possible data; we can’t expect banks or oth- theft to just the one card instead of er institutions to do it for us,” said several. If you have no choice but Jim Karagiannes, Ph.D., professor to use a debit card for an online in DeVry University’s College of purchase, do not use your pin Engineering & Information Sernumber online. vices. “We lock our doors and take * If it feels like a trick, it probother security measures to protect ably is. Cybercriminals often our home and car. We need to also engage in “social engineering” or 26 RuralLeaderMag.com | DECEMBER 2016
other non-electronic methods to try and trick you into surrendering your data. If you get a phone call about a banking or credit card issue or if your computer tells you to call a number because it just caught a virus, be cautious. Do not divulge any personal history or credit card details. Hang up or ignore the computer-generated notices and call the customer service number of the institution’s website with any questions. * Replace your existing credit cards with chip cards as soon as possible. Chip cards are becoming the new normal these days, and if your current credit card does not have a silver square chip on its front, consider replacing it quickly. Popularized in Europe, chip cards possess the necessary encrypted information to eliminate delays in the transaction process. Doing so closes the window criminals need to steal your personal information, thus protecting you from identity theft. You have no intention of abandoning your devices, of course, so protect them. Following the tips above will help better secure your technology and personal information from the threats of cybercrime so you can enjoy your devices with greater peace of mind.—BPT
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Creating Confidence: 8 steps to Feeling more Self-Assured
Virtually everyone struggles with a lack of self-confidence at some point in their lives and it’s perfectly normal to feel unsure of yourself in certain situations. However, if you find a lack of confidence is holding you back from fully enjoying your personal life, or achieving your professional goals, it may be time to take action. “There are actually steps you can take to rebuild your confidence, even when you’re struggling to feel self-assured,” says Susie Moore, a motivational speaker, best-selling author and life coach. “Confidence is a real-life super power that affects every aspect of your life, from your relationships to your career and social life, but it’s also more attainable than you think.” Moore shares tips on how you can be your most confident self and live a fulfilled, unconditional life: * Tap the power of words and positive thinking by starting every day with an uplifting mantra. Positive self-talk such as “I am loveable. I am worthy. I am enough” can help boost confidence levels. Make a conscious decision to be more kind and gentle with yourself every day. * Practice a strong pose and smile to help enhance your sense of confidence. Confidence is all about attitude. Making these small physical changes can immediately impact how self-assured you feel in any situation. * Make self-care non-negotiable. Take time to listen to your body and give it what it needs to help you feel confident. For example, millions of men and women experience bladder leakage, but products like Depend FIT-FLEX Underwear, which are designed to move with your body while offering trusted protection, can help you think less about leaks. That’s energy you can devote to better things, like reconnecting with the people and parts of your life you’ve
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been missing. * Keep your mind and body active. Being busy leaves you little time to overthink, so fill your life with activities you enjoy. Yoga, visiting friends, reading, cooking, going for walks or even organizing your closet all count! * Speak with intention. The way you talk impacts your mood, your confidence and how other people perceive you. When you use verbiage like “I’ll try” or “I don’t think I can,” you’re really allowing yourself permission to feel unconfident. Instead, build confidence and commitment with statements like “I will” and “I know I can.” * Don’t overcomplicate things or allow yourself to be distracted by unimportant things. Focus on your daily objectives and long-term goals by cultivating a clear and positive vision of how you want your life to be. * Listen to, but don’t heed negative opinions of others. Your positive attitude and vision are more important than anyone else’s negative thoughts. * Be sure to reserve time and energy for your own priorities. Busy lives mean we can get bogged down with commitments to others, and while those things are important, it’s vital to take care of yourself and your own priorities first. Build your schedule around the time you need for your own goals and let everything else fit in around that. “Confidence is an almost-magical quality that can help you lead your best, most fulfilled life and - more importantly - it’s in your grasp!” Moore says. Check out how Depend FIT-FLEX Underwear is helping real people feel confident and request a sample at www.Depend.com.—
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