Atlanta — June 13, 2024

The Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia (USG) today named members of the Savannah State University (SSU) Presidential Search Committee. The committee will conduct a national search for a permanent president to lead the historic university. 

President Cynthia Robinson Alexander has held the interim role since July 1, 2023, following the departure of the previous president, Kimberly Ballard-Washington. Established in 1890, Savannah State University is the first and oldest public historically Black college or university in Georgia and was the first institution of higher learning in the city of Savannah.

“Savannah State holds a distinct and critical role in educating Georgia’s students and helping the city and region thrive,” USG Chancellor Sonny Perdue said. “This national search is about finding a leader who can build on that work, as SSU focuses on being a premier HBCU that prepares graduates for success and prosperity in the 21st century workforce.”

Members of the Presidential Search Committee are as follows:

• Regent Patrick Jones, committee chair
• Regent Everett Kennedy
• Regent and Board Chairman Harold Reynolds
• Regent Dallas Smith
• Bert Brantley, president, Savannah Chamber of Commerce
• Katelyn Green, president, SSU Student Government Association
• State Rep. Edna Jackson, member, SSU Foundation; alumna
• Otis Johnson, Ph.D.; former mayor, Savannah; professor emeritus; retired dean, SSU’s College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences
• Philip Omunga, Ph.D.; president, SSU Faculty Senate; associate professor, SSU’s College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences
• Harold Washington, president, SSU National Alumni Association
• M. Ann Levett, Ph.D.; retired superintendent, Savannah-Chatham County Public School System
• Ashley May, vice chancellor of external affairs and chief of staff, USG

“For more than 130 years, Savannah State has played a central role in this city’s higher education community, and the person selected as its next president must continue that legacy while upholding its community and industry connections,” Regent Jones said. “I am honored to chair this committee and look forward to working with the other members to find candidates who understand SSU’s historic role while making sure it leads the system in academic engagement and student success.”

The Presidential Search Committee will guide the first stage of the search. AGB Search has been retained to provide executive search consulting services. At the conclusion of its work, the committee will forward the credentials of three to five unranked candidates to the Board of Regents for consideration.

The initial meeting of the Presidential Search Committee will be July 18, at which time the members will be formally charged with their roles and responsibilities in conducting the search.

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