Atlanta — January 8, 2014

University System of Georgia officials have announced the formation of the two committees required by regents’ policy to conduct a national search for the permanent president of Georgia Highlands College.

Currently, Renva Watterson fills this role in an interim capacity.

The Special Regents’ Search Committee will be chaired by Regent Scott Smith and includes Regents Dean Alford, Dink NeSmith, Neil Pruitt, T. Rogers Wade, and Philip Wilheit.

The search and screening of candidates is the responsibility of a 13-member Presidential Search and Screen Committee. Members of the Presidential Search and Screen Committee are as follows:

• Teresa Hutchins, associate professor of Political Science and committee chair.
• Dr. Jed Gillespie, associate professor of accounting and business.
• Blanca Gonzalez, associate professor of mathematics.
• Rebecca Maddox, MN, RN, associate professor of nursing and director of nursing.
• Dr. Harvey Moody, professor of chemistry.
• Travice Obas, associate professor of communications.
• Ken Reaves, dean of the Marietta campus of GHC.
• Christopher Wheelus, enrollment management specialist.
• Amy Wise, veterans’ affairs coordinator.
• Tatiana Smithson, GHC student and chair of the student government association.
• John Strain II, chair of the GHC Alumni Association.
• David Caswell, president and chief operating officer of Century Bank of Georgia.
• Lynn Dempsey, with Dempsey Auction Company.

The campus-based committee will be charged with its responsibilities in a meeting to be scheduled. The executive search firm of Parker Executive Search, in Atlanta, has been engaged to assist the search committee.

At the conclusion of its work, the campus committee will forward the credentials of three to five unranked candidates to the Regents’ Search Committee. The Regents’ Search Committee is responsible for recommending finalists to Huckaby, who will make a recommendation to the full Board of Regents.

« News Releases