Josh Bagby
Agency Principal, Providence Insurance & Founder of Cherokee Connect
Growing up here, I watched nonprofits, church families, local businesses, and complete strangers step in to help one another for the common good. When I started thinking through Cherokee Connect, I knew how special this place was. One of the goals was to bring that spirit together at scale. Our community is full of people who genuinely want to help, but many times they just don't know when, where, or how to plug in. Cherokee Connect created a place where people could see needs, meet needs, and support their neighbors. Cherokee County has been pouring into me for over 30 years. Nothing my family or our team at Providence has built would be possible without decades of people showing up for us as kids and continuing to invest in us as adults. I'm a big "leave the dugout better than you found it" guy. This community has always been special. We're just trying to do our part to make it even better for the next generation that gets the opportunity to build on what was handed to us. Gratitude. I'm indebted to this community.
One of our core values at Providence is simple: always do what's right for our clients, our community, and one another. That value was modeled for my wife, Katie, and me early by our parents and grandparents, and it's ultimately rooted in our faith. Staying close to the Lord helps you hear that still, small voice that guides your decisions and keeps your priorities in order. Doing what's right isn't always easy, but our communities need people willing to stand for it, even when it's inconvenient. I'm still striving every day to be one of those people.
Sports taught me so much about life: how to lead, how to follow, how to handle pressure and adversity, how to work in a team, and how to compete the right way. One of the most impactful coaches I had was Mark Richt, with whom I worked as a walk-on at the University of Georgia. He was operating at the highest level of college football under immense pressure, yet he consistently led with integrity. Watching that showed me it could be done anywhere. When you're wrong, own it, correct it, and let the Lord guide you forward.
Jacky Cheng
Creative Digital Content Specialist, City of Canton & Explore Canton, GA
Growing up in Asian culture, I was raised to serve others before myself. As a kid, pouring tea around the table before filling my own cup seemed like a small act of kindness. I didn't realize then how deeply that mindset would shape the way I lead. When I learned my mom traveled at sea for 14 days as a child, fleeing war to reach a refugee camp, everything came into focus. My parents sacrificed everything for my brother and me and never complained. They just kept pouring the tea. That's the standard I carry. To the young men coming up in Cherokee County, respect your elders and learn to listen before you speak. The older generations around you have lived through things you haven't even imagined yet. Soak up every story they're willing to share. That's where integrity starts.
Dale Alexander
Author, Speaker
At age 28, I heard leadership defined as "influence," that like elevators, we could take people up or down. I knew then I wanted to be a hope-lifter for others. Hope is the greatest antidote to almost every problem people face. That caused me to pursue purpose over goals and changed the course of everything in my life. True purpose is found in the passionate pursuit of our dominant gift in service to others. God put within us a need to serve others; going against that inherent need steals God's purpose for our gifts and talents. Each day, find some way to bless others. It will be returned a million times. To the young men coming up: be a person of honesty and integrity, because trust is the most important personal quality we can hold. Also, remember that character leaves a wake. As a boat leaves a wake in its path, so does our character. Will you live a life that makes people think the best when they hear your name and your family's name? It's easy. But that is why it is also hard. Then...Go be great!
Andrew Rozyskie
Co-Founder and Managing Partner, Rozmith LLC
My sense of purpose was shaped early, watching the people around me work hard, keep their word, and treat others with respect, regardless of title. That left a mark. When I stepped into leadership, I thought it was about having the answers. Time taught me it's really about asking better questions, listening longer, and creating space for other people to do their best work. The calling has grown quieter and steadier over the years. Early on, I wanted to prove something. Now I want to build something, a culture, a legacy that outlasts me. Leadership is stewardship. You're handed something, you make it stronger, and you pass it on better than you found it. Cherokee County isn't just where we operate. It's home, and home asks something of you. I show up because I've been on the receiving end of this community's generosity, and I know what it means. Investing here through mentorship, local partnerships, and the next generation of leaders isn't an obligation. It's a privilege. We're all building something together.
John Blend
Founder of Goshen Valley Homes and Boys' Ranch
When Connie and I purchased farmland in Cherokee County, we had no blueprint. We simply saw a sanctuary where others saw an empty field. What I learned early is that you don't build a mission alone. You show up faithfully, and the right people find their way to you. Neighbors became allies. Churches rallied. Leaders shared the vision without being asked twice. Every decision about Goshen was a response to something I felt God asking of me, and I just tried to stay obedient to that still, small voice. If I could offer anything to the men coming behind me, it would be this: don't chase the legacy. Chase the need in front of you. Since 1999, over 1,500 children and families have been impacted, and more than 2,500 volunteers pour in every year. None of that was the goal. Serving one child was the goal. This county is extraordinary. From churches and schools to government and business, people rally together in a way that still humbles me. The safe pasture we once imagined is now a living legacy, and it belongs to every person who ever showed up to pour into it.
Paul Agnelli
Owner, Agnellis Meat Market
After years in fine dining, steakhouses, and high-end golf courses, I developed a deep respect for quality and a passion for the details that make a meal truly memorable. Whether I was curating a twelve-course tasting menu with a perfectly paired wine selection or serving a single, perfectly prepared prime steak, I wanted every experience to leave a lasting impression. Opening Agnelli's Meat Market was about bringing that same standard of excellence from sourcing to the final cut directly to the people of Cherokee County. Canton has given my family so much over the last twenty-five years, and the shop is my way of giving something meaningful back to this community I love. To any young man here wanting to leave his mark, I'd say this: be curious, seek mentorship, work harder when no one's watching, and build mutual respect with those around you. Above all else, do what you love.
Ramon Benitez
Owner, Dos Margaritas & La Cantina on Main
I have spent decades building more than restaurants. I have been building gathering places where family, flavor, and community sit together at the same table across North Georgia.
When I think about the legacy I hope to leave behind, I go back to something simple. Food is how my culture says I love you. Everything we have built, from Dos Margaritas in Hickory Flat and Crabapple to La Cantina on Main in downtown Canton, has been about sharing that with our neighbors. My son Freddy is part of this now, and that means everything to me. I want people to look back and say the Benitez family helped make this place feel like home. We celebrate the families in our towns and look forward to being part of their growth and community for decades to come.
When I think about the young men coming up who want to lead with purpose, my advice is simple and steady. Take pride in your work and let your name mean something. Respect the people around you, show up every day, and build something worth passing down. In this community, people remember who showed up for them. Be that person.