Young Leadership Program Member of the Year Award

AGC Georgia honors YLP members for exceptional contributions in one or more areas of the program’s three key objectives; Charitable Works, Leadership Development and Networking. The YLP Member of the Year Award is presented each June at AGC Georgia's Annual Convention during the Annual Business Meeting.




2023 YLP Member of the Year

Mahsa Poorak, COO and general counsel, Southern Electric Company, Inc. 
Excerpt from President Lyndy Jones' comments during presentation: 
Mahsa served as the new member coordinator for the YLP this year. She has done an excellent job communicating with our new members. Not only does she welcome new members, she is active in the program's events. She attends all roundtables, fundraising and volunteer events, as well as the fun social outings. During the group’s council meetings, she is involved and always looks for ways to get the program more involved in the community.

Mahsa is passionate about workforce development and training of our next generation workforce. Another way she’s given back is working with a program called “This Girl Can," which aims to introduce young women to career paths that they may not see many women working in. Mahsa is a leader who leads by example. 

2022 YLP Member of the Year

Kyle Wood, senior project manager, JE Dunn Construction
Excerpt from President Dave Moody's comments during presentation: 
When the YLP was presented with taking on the largest charity project in the group’s history, Kyle was eager to help. The project required a complete interior buildout for the Community Assistance Center in Sandy Springs. This group provides emergency assistance along with food, clothing, and career connections to families who have fallen on tough times. Estimates showed the project would cost over $400,000 and require an experienced lead project manager.

Kyle was an excellent ambassador for the YLP, the AGC organization, and our industry, all while he had a full-time day job with plenty of project challenges to manage. He did an amazing job keeping the project on schedule. . . until the neighbor’s water leak put an inch of water into the building a couple days before the CO was planned! After about a two-week set back, the building was turned over. A grand opening was held in late April 2022. Even when we add stress to Kyle’s world with volunteer construction projects, he still makes time for other YLP activities.

He’s committed to attending networking events, professional development programs, and he’s one of top fundraisers for our annual Golf Classic. This past year, as he was serving as Vice Chair of YLP, he was also a member of the AGC Georgia Board of Directors. He will now begin a one-year term as chair of the YLP.

2021 YLP Member of the Year

Brian Cunningham, estimator, Collins and Arnold Construction Co.
Excerpt from President Dave Moody's comments during presentation: Brian has made exceptional contributions and helped overcome unprecedented challenges to continue the important work of the YLP during the 2020-2021 board term. He took the helm as chair of YLP in June 2020 and worked with the Council to make sure members continued to have opportunities to learn, network, and give back to the community.

He organized and led many of the program’s virtual events, including several focusing on AGC of America’s diversity and inclusion program called Culture of CARE. Under Brian’s leadership, YLP created a Culture of CARE task force to ensure a successful implementation. YLP also held events discussing diversity and inclusion within the construction industry, inherent biases, the opioid crisis and suicide prevention.

After postponing YLP’s 2020 Annual Golf Classic last May, Brian became the first YLP Chair to oversee two successful golf tournaments during his term. The first tournament was moved from May 2020 to September 2020 and raised over $73,000.

During the May 2021 tournament, history was made when the group raised over $125,000 with 360 golfers! As many of you know, YLP expanded this year’s golf tournament to raise additional funds to support a charitable works project for the Community Assistance Center in Sandy Springs. Under Brian’s leadership, the YLP has signed on to help this center with an interior build-out of a new food pantry. This will allow the non-profit to expand their reach in Atlanta. Brian has been instrumental in getting this project off the ground, including meeting with the non-profit’s leadership team, architects, and other key players who will contribute to the success of the $400,000 build-out.

Another way he’s given back is working with a program called Toolbox. During a normal school year, Toolbox volunteers lead after school construction clubs for 4th and 5th graders in Fulton County schools. The Toolbox team teaches the basics of how to work with tools, measuring, and understanding plumb and square. They couldn’t meet during this past school year, so they took their teachings virtual. Brian and other YLP members volunteered to spend a Saturday at various schools so they could meet with students and their parents and give out a construction packet complete with project tools and materials.


2020 YLP Member of the Year

Laura Young, business development, Young Contracting/SE, Inc.
Laura has been a loyal member of YLP since 2013, and during her time on the governing Council, she helped lead the group's professional development programming efforts. In 2019-2020, she was instrumental in the planning of the Young Leadership Program/Chick-Fil-A professional development series. This three part series, led by David Millican, Randy Gravitt, Mark Miller, and Christina Kisley, dove into what it means to be a leader people want to follow. In addition to her efforts for professional development programming, Laura has continuously been a top fundraiser for our annual YLP Golf Classic. She also serves on the Diversity and Inclusion task force for the YLP. Laura is the Business Development/Marketing Director at Young Contracting/SE, Inc. She is currently enrolled at Louisiana State University pursing a Post Bachelorette Certificate in Construction Management. Laura is also an active member of CREW Atlanta, NAIOP, and SMPS.  


2019 YLP Member of the Year

Adam Bateman, partner, Moore Colson CPAs and Advisors
Adam (r) is pictured receiving his award with 2018-2019 AGC Georgia President Kevin Kuntz.

Excerpt from Award Ceremony presentation: "It’s easy to sit on the board for an organization and approve or deny expenditures, projects, and take part in other topics of conversation from a boardroom. However, it takes a true leader to step up and personally commit and be involved to ensure the successful delivery of those projects. For the first time in the YLP’s history, the group teamed with Make-A-Wish Georgia to fulfill the wish of a teenager diagnosed with cancer. This young man has a love for construction and was using a makeshift workshop. Given AGC Georgia’s focus on workforce development, the opportunity to fulfill a wish that would also be an investment toward the construction industry was one that could not be passed up. The young man followed a YouTuber and requested to have a work bench and shop area just like the one he saw in the videos built in his family’s basement. When YLP’s 2019 member of the year, Adam Bateman heard about the project he jumped in.

Adam personally built the custom workbench and helped to coordinate contractors and volunteers to complete the project while working directly with Make-A-Wish. The project required installation of more electrical circuits to accommodate all the tools that were donated and ensure the connections were safe for the home. While many people came together to make it happen, this project was extremely successful due to Adam taking a lead and making it happen! Thanks to Adam’s daytime accounting career, the project came in well under budget and allowed YLP to team up with Make-A-Wish to fulfill another wish. In addition to the Make-A-Wish project, Adam serves on the YLP Council, volunteers with the YLP to provide lunch to the homeless at MUST Ministries and is a constant presence at AGC and YLP events throughout the state. Adam is also very involved with Samford University’s Accounting Advisory Board and his is vice chair of his alma mater’s Atlanta Alumni Chapter. He and his beautiful family are also active members of the Alpharetta First United Methodist Church.

2018 YLP Member of the Year

Tyler Isgett
Tyler(l) is pictured receiving his award plaque with 2017-2018 AGC Georgia President Scott Clark.

For multiple years running there have been large charitable projects executed by our YLP that required intensive management. The most recent project was an extensive renovation to a building on the campus of Hillside. Since 1888 this facility has provided residential and outpatient behavioral health support for youth, adolescents, and their families. The driving force behind the organization of this project—and the person most responsible for its success—is this year’s AGC Georgia Young Leadership Program Member of the Year: Tyler Isgett. Tyler is a senior pre-construction manager with New South Construction Company. Tyler worked relentlessly to secure in-kind services, coordinate logistics for execution of the work as well as manage and maintain a tight project budget.

This past year Tyler also has continued his service to AGC Georgia by serving on the AGC Georgia Board of Directors and will continue that term of service through next year while also serving as the Young Leadership Program’s Chair.

Tyler remains involved at his alma mater, Kennesaw State University (formerly Southern Polytechnic State University), where he currently serves on the Construction Industry Advisory Board as well as the Alumni Association Board of Directors as past President.

2017 YLP Member of the Year

Matt Lee, Project Manager, Young Contracting
Matt(l) is pictured receiving his award plaque with 2016-2017 AGC Georgia President Randy Hall.

In late 2015, our Young Leadership Program submitted an ambitious application to host AGC of America’s national conference for emerging leaders in our industry. Our chapter was selected, and the conference was held in Atlanta October 2016. The event was a tremendous success, setting a record for attendance by young leaders across the country and solidifying the conference’s reputation as a premier professional development opportunity.

The driving force behind the organization of that three-day meeting—and the person most responsible for its success—was Matt Lee. He worked relentlessly to secure and to arrange logistics for jobsite tours of both the Mercedes-Benz Stadium and SunTrust Park. Matt also coordinated content with the professional development speakers, secured sponsorships to defray the chapter’s costs, and stepped up at the last minute to fill a gap in the program by volunteering to moderate a panel of other young leaders himself.

In addition to his work on the National Leadership Development Conference, Matt has also spearheaded the YLP’s charitable project for the Baker family. One-year-old Bo Baker has been diagnosed with a rare and incurable genetic disease known as AGS. Matt saw a family in need of help, brought it to the attention of the YLP, and is administering the YLP’s donation of in-kind services and $20,000 to retrofit the family’s home to meet Bo’s special needs.

During the 2016-2017 YLP year, Matt also continued his service on the AGC Georgia Political Action Committee Board of Trustees and became a member of the AGC of America Business Development Forum Steering Committee. Matt is involved at his alma mater, Georgia Southern University, and recently served on the Alumni Association Board of Directors, the Alumni Association Scholarship Committee, and the Civil Engineering and Construction Management Industry Advisory Board. He has been recognized among Georgia Southern alumni as one of the “40 Under 40” demonstrating excellence and leadership in the community.
2016 YLP Member of the Year

Jacob Patton, CEO, All-State Electric
Jacob (l) is pictured receiving his award plaque with 2015-2016 AGC Georgia president Trey Anderson.

Jacob Patton's dedication to multiple projects and activities has been instrumental in the YLP efforts throughout the 2015-2016 program year. From the first mention of working with the Cox family in Forsyth, Georgia to rebuild their home after a devastating fire, Jacob took the lead. This project was not only the largest the YLP had taken on, but the most complex due to special needs of the couple’s young daughter. This project was a mammoth undertaking and was a success thanks to Jacob’s efforts.

He is also very involved in our effort to increase YLP services to members in Central Georgia. While serving as CEO of his own firm, he has been involved in planning, coordinating and recruiting attendees for networking events and leadership development sessions hosted in the area. 

In addition, Jacob supports YLP fundraising and recruited the most sponsorship dollars for the group's first annual sporting clays fundraiser in November 2015.