By Nugget Staff & UNG Reports ----------- The search for the University of North Georgia’s next president has officially begun.
Recently, the University System of Georgia’s Board of Regents selected a search committee to find the successor for UNG’s current President, Dr. Bonita Jacobs, who plans to resign following the end of the Spring 2023 semester after 12 years on the job.
It’s a decision Jacobs made back in August.
“I am announcing my plans now to ensure the Board of Regents has ample time to select UNG's next president and to provide for a stable transition over this next year as we celebrate North Georgia's sesquicentennial — our 150th anniversary,” she said, anticipating the Board of Regents’ extensive search process, which is currently getting underway.
The committee includes a wide range of members from a state senator to the student government association president to the executive director of Chick-Fil-A.
Included in this committee are also three members of the Board of Regents: Jim Syfan, Harold Reynolds, and Tim Evans.
Syfan has officially been named the committee chair.
“I know the committee is eager to get to work and find great candidates who can move UNG and our students, faculty, staff and community forward,” Syfan said. “...I’m grateful for this opportunity to join with the committee and make a positive impact on UNG’s future.”
Additionally, 12 other people have been selected to the search committee, composed of some of UNG’s most high-profile alumni, faculty, staff, and students.
The first stage of this national search will begin on January 13, where members will be officially given their roles in the committee. By the end of their search, the committee will send a small handful of candidates to the Board of Regents for consideration.
With Dr. Jacobs’ resignation becoming official in June, the committee has five months to select from the best candidates in the country.
The UNG Presidential Search Committee consists of:
• Regent Jim Syfan, committee chair
• Regent and Board Chairman Harold Reynolds
• Regent Tim Evans
• Wayne Baird, executive director, Chick-Fil-A; alumnus
• Dr. Charles Burrage, professor, Kinesiology
• Mike Higley, executive in residence, Mike Cottrell College of Business; retired vice president, FedEx Express; alumnus
• Kristie Kiser, student success coordinator; chair, UNG Staff Council
• Teresa MacCartney, USG Chief Operating Officer
• Nick Massengill, chairman, UNG Foundation Board of Trustees; alumnus
• Sen. Butch Miller, Georgia Senate President Pro Tem; alumnus
• Anna Møller, president, Student Government Association; student
• Dr. Caroline Muñoz, professor, Marketing
• Chuck Robertson, professor, Psychological Science; chair, UNG Faculty Senate
• Lt. Gen. James Terry, U.S. Army (Retired); alumnus
• Cadet Col. Warren Walker, Brigade Commander; student
Meanwhile, USG Chancellor Sonny Perdue had nothing but praise for the out-going president. "President Jacobs has been a trailblazer who made a significant impact on UNG's growth and momentum,” he said in a recent release. “and I look forward to the committee's work in finding someone who will continue to increase the university's educational opportunities and student success."