Atlanta — October 15, 2020

The Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia has named the two committees to conduct a national search for the next president of Savannah State University.

“Savannah State plays an important role as the oldest public HBCU in Georgia,” said USG Chancellor Steve Wrigley. “It has a rich 130-year history in higher education, and the person selected as its next president must continue that legacy while meeting the needs of students in the 21st century.”

The search and screening of candidates is the responsibility of the 15-member, campus-based Presidential Search and Screen Committee and will guide the first stage of the search. Members are as follows:

• Kisha Aites, Ph.D., search committee chair; vice chair, Faculty Senate; associate professor of Engineering Technology Education, College of Education
• Destinee Clark, Miss Savannah State University
• Shed Dawson Jr., director, Career Services & Leadership Development
• LtGen Walter E. Gaskin, United States Marine Corps (retired); chief executive officer, La Porte Defense Technologies Corp.
• Khayree Hasan, president, SSU Student Government Association
• Dionne Hoskins-Brown, Ph.D., fishery biologist, NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service; director, NOAA-Sponsored Programs, College of Sciences and Technology
• Teah Jones, retention specialist/advisor, Center for Student Success and Retention
• Ruel Joyner, owner and chief executive officer, 24e Design Company
• Jonathan Lambright, Ph.D., professor of Engineering Technology, College of Sciences and Technology
• Shalonda Mullgrav, Ph.D., interim dean, College of Business Administration, associate professor of Marketing
• Clyde Newton, national president, Savannah State University National Alumni Association
• Albert J. Scott, chairman, Chatham County Commission
• Darryl H. Thompson-Norton, MFA, MA, associate professor of Speech and Theatre,College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences
• Teresa-Michelle Walker, Ph.D., assistant dean, College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences
• Clemontine F. Washington, Ed.D., retired public school administrator, mayor pro-tem, City of Midway

The duties of the Presidential Search and Screen Committee include the development of a position description, recruiting candidates and conducting interviews. The search firm of Isaacson, Miller 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 Special Committee for consideration.

The Regents Special Committee will be chaired by Regent Don L. Waters and the members will include Board of Regents Chairman Sachin Shailendra, Regent Bárbara Rivera Holmes, Regent C. Everett Kennedy III, Regent Sarah-Elizabeth Langford Reed and Regent Jose Perez. The Special Committee will then recommend a candidate to the full Board for approval.

“This is a strong search committee, and I know my fellow regents and I will receive an outstanding recommendation from their work,” Waters said. “Savannah is my home, and I know firsthand how important this search is for the city of Savannah and the state of Georgia.”

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