Georgia Trend’s Publisher Emeritus Neely Young received the 10th Annual Blanchard Award for Outstanding Stewardship and Ethics in Business Monday night at the Jim Blanchard Leadership Forum, hosted by the Leadership Institute at Columbus State University.

The Blanchard Award recipient is selected annually by a committee led by William R. “Billy” Blanchard, director, JBA Capital, LLC, and presented during the Jim Blanchard Leadership Forum.

“It is my honor to present the 2018 Blanchard Award for Outstanding Stewardship and Ethics in Business to Georgia Trend’s Publisher Emeritus, Neely Young,” said Billy Blanchard.

Neely Young joined his family owned newspaper, The Valdosta Daily Times, in 1968. After working in various positions for newspapers throughout Georgia, he became CEO of Morris Newspaper Corporation in 1986, overseeing 40 newspapers in six states. In 1989, he formed Southern Publishing Co. with Tom Cousins, building a chain of 13 Georgia newspapers. Ten years later, he and Cousins purchased Georgia Trend Magazine, a business and political magazine circulated in all 159 Georgia counties. He is an award winning columnist and has served on several boards.

Established in 2009, The Blanchard Award for Outstanding Stewardship and Ethics in Business recognizes outstanding stewards of business ethics and corporate responsibility for success in these areas. The award’s symbol—and Georgia state tree—the live oak, is a perennial and universal symbol of rectitude.

Past recipients include:

·      James H. Blanchard, 2009

·      B. Franklin Skinner, 2010

·      Ray C. Anderson, 2011

·      William B. Turner, 2012

·      Robert S. Jepson Jr., 2013

·      Thomas G. Cousins, 2014

·      Daniel P. Amos, 2015

·      Henry “Hank” M. Huckaby, 2016

·      Dan Cathy, 2017