The Georgia legislative session begins Monday, meaning the laws that will shape the future of the state will be made by the men and women elected from all around Georgia.

That big task is not something to be taken lightly, and Friday morning many from around Newton County gathered to try and bring a positive start to 2016 and the upcoming legislative season.

The Kiwanis and Rotary clubs of Covington held their annual legislative Prayer Breakfast at the Tuner Lake Complex, bringing leaders from around the county to pray for our state legislators. In attendance were state Representatives Pam Dickerson and Dave Belton and state Senator JaNice Van Ness.

The breakfast was highlighted by a speech on leadership from Newton County’s own John Addison. Addison is a retired CEO of Primerica, head of Addison Leadership Group and a 1977 graduate of Emory of Oxford, 1975 graduate of Newton County High School and an alumni of Oxford Middle School, Ficquett Elementary School and Jack and Jill Kindergarten.

Addison told the group that through all the business battles he has been through, and all the decisions he has made throughout the year, he learned what the No. 1 underlying current should be in making up a good leader — being a good person.

“The No. 1 job as a leader is to be a uniter not a divider,” Addison said. “Great leaders are lighthouses not weather vanes.”