Tarbutton Named Chair of the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia
Atlanta — November 10, 2011
Benjamin J. Tarbutton III
The Board of Regents, the 18-member governing body for the University System of Georgia, elected Regent Benjamin “Ben” J. Tarbutton III to a one-year term as the Board’s Chair at their November 9 meeting.
Tarbutton currently serves as chair, following his election in June to a six-month term. This shorter term came as a result of the regents’ approval of a bylaws change to shift the terms of the chair and vice chair to follow the calendar year instead of the state’s fiscal year. The new format will take effect January 1, 2012.
“I am honored to have the opportunity to lead this Board for a full year,” says Tarbutton. “I am looking forward to continued work with Chancellor Huckaby as he focuses on performance, partnerships, and advocacy for the true value of higher education.”
Tarbutton is Assistant Vice President of the Sandersville Railroad Company, where he oversees daily operations, including maintaining the infrastructure, train transportation and customer service. He serves on the boards of directors for Oconee Fall Line Technical College, the Georgia Chamber of Commerce and on the Board of Trustees for Leadership Georgia. Regent Tarbutton is a past chairman of the Washington County Chamber of Commerce, past president of the Sandersville Rotary Club and a past member of the Georgia Rural Development Council.
Tarbutton is a 2004 graduate of Leadership Georgia and a graduate of Leadership Washington County. He earned a bachelor’s degree in management from the Georgia Institute of Technology.
Regent Thomas Hopkins, Jr. chaired the committee that developed nominations for board officers for the coming year. Committee members were Regents Doreen Poitevint and Robert Hatcher.
The Board of Regents is a constitutional body that governs and manages the University System of Georgia, comprised of 35 public colleges and universities, Skidaway Institute of Oceanography and the Georgia Public Library Service; more than 311,000 students, and approximately 40,000 faculty and staff.
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