Phil Sutton, senior advisor to the president of Kubota Manufacturing of America Corporation, will serve as the speaker at the inaugural Leadership Foundry Speaker Series event Jan. 30. The event is set for noon in room 3110 of the Martha T. Nesbitt Academic Building at the University of North Georgia's (UNG) Gainesville Campus. Sutton's talk will also be available by broadcast at the four other campuses (locations below).

UNG launched its Leadership Foundry during the fall 2024 semester, a direct result of the strategic big bet to design and build a leadership foundry. This speaker series aims to bring local leaders to campus for students to learn from. The series also aims to bring speakers who will encourage civic engagement and spark constructive conversations.

"We are launching this speaker series to help students unlock their leadership potential," UNG President Michael Shannon said. "They will be able to learn so much from Phil Sutton's insights as both a veteran and an innovative business leader. I am grateful for his willingness to join us and look forward to the way he will impact our students with his message."

Students, faculty, staff, and community members can view Sutton's talk at four broadcast locations:

• Blue Ridge Campus, Lobby
• Cumming Campus, Room 246
• Dahlonega Campus, Hoag Student Center ABC rooms
• Oconee, Student Resource Center Room 530

Sutton has been with Kubota for 15 years. As of January, he took on his new role. He previously served as vice president of Kubota Manufacturing of America Corporation and Kubota Industrial Equipment Corporation. In that capacity, he was responsible for accounting, general affairs, human resources, and information technology. He also headed up the legal department, government and community relations and the foreign trade zone. In 2016, Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal appointed Sutton to the Board of Directors for the Technical College System of Georgia, and recently the governor also appointed him to serve on the Workforce Development Board for the state of Georgia.

He is a retired veteran of the United States Air Force, where he served in various capacities in his 20-year career, including law enforcement operations and training, criminal investigations, antiterrorism, and public affairs.   

Sutton has a Bachelor of Science degree in occupational education from Wayland Baptist University and a Master of Science in public administration Troy University.  He is also a graduate of the 187th Session of the FBI National Academy in Quantico, Virginia.