Inaugural City Of Cumming Youth Council Launches

CUMMING, GA — The members of the City of Cumming's inaugural Youth Council were recently inducted and will serve a one-year term throughout the 2019-20 school year.

The Youth Council consists of nine high school students - seven from Forsyth Central and two from the Alliance Academy for Innovation (the two high schools located within the Cumming City Limits). These nine students were selected from a pool of about 30 applicants between the two schools by a committee.

During a "meet and greet" gathering at City Hall on May 23, the students voted on four leadership roles: Mayor, Mayor Protem, City Administrator, and Clerk. The Youth Council will function much like the City of Cumming's Mayor and City Council, with meetings held monthly. The purpose of the Youth Council is to provide insight and ideas for ways to better connect with today's young people, and to improve the community as a whole, to Cumming's Mayor and City Council.

2019-2020 Youth Council officers are: Mayor Jake Gant (rising FCHS senior); Mayor Protem Caleb McWhorter (rising Alliance sophomore); City Administrator Alana Murray (rising Alliance junior); and Clerk Grace Gant (rising FCHS senior). Other Youth Council members (all from FCHS) are: Jake Dutton (rising junior), Mary Beth Lowe (rising sophomore), Eva Sell (rising senior), Riley Brumbalow (rising sophomore) and Zach Furbush (rising sophomore). Several City of Cumming staff members will work in partnership throughout the year with Principal Brandi Cannizzaro and educator Hector Jimenez from Alliance Academy, and Assistant Principal Dr. Josh Lowe and educator Jim Blandford from FCHS, to guide and advise the Youth Council.