Who are Vital Leaders?
At Vital Leaders, we believe leadership is a living force: a current that runs through every community, every school, and every person who dares to make things better.
Born from GLISI’s 25-year legacy of uplifting leaders, transforming mindsets, creating vibrant cultures of innovation, and building excellent and equitable schools, our refreshed mission and vision call on us to elevate leadership in schools and within the communities that schools exist to serve. Our work builds trust, cultivates shared goals and purpose, and helps people and organizations move together toward thriving futures.
Our staff is a dynamic group of school and district leadership experts, researchers, and nonprofit management professionals who apply their diverse talents to advance our mission. The belief that leaders are called to draw out the highest possible good in young people, educators, and their communities they serve fuels our curiosity, creativity, and innovation to design experiences that inspire new ways of teaching, connecting, and learning.
Our Mission
We design transformational leadership experiences for successful schools and thriving communities.
Our Vision
A future where leaders work together and communities flourish.
A history of transforming communities
We were founded in 2001 by a coalition of education, business, and government leaders who shared a passion for improving public education in Georgia and who saw leadership development as a critical lever for systemic change.
Originally known as the Georgia Leadership Institute for School Improvement (GLISI), we became an independent nonprofit in 2012. Since then, we’ve served more than 65,000 educators and leaders in the state of Georgia, transforming leadership, school culture, and student outcomes statewide.
In 2026, we rebranded to Vital Leaders to ensure our name signals our core belief that leadership is a living force that, when harnessed with intention, drives meaningful transformation in schools and communities.
At Vital Leaders, our partnerships guide individuals, teams, organizations, and communities through learning experiences that unlock resilience; cultivate emotional intelligence, adaptability, and more curiosity; and empower more meaningful learning and action.
OUR IMPACT BY THE NUMBERS
Meet our team
We bring decades of experience in education, business, and community development. These are the leaders who design your experiences, coach your teams, and ensure every partnership creates lasting impact.