Board of Regents Chairman Neil Pruitt has announced the formation of the two committees required by regents’ policy to conduct a national search for the next president of Georgia Southern University. In July, former Georgia Southern President Brooks Keel was appointed president of Georgia Regents University.

“I want to thank our Georgia Southern University stakeholders for their commitment to the institution, the University System and the State of Georgia by serving on the presidential search committee,” said Pruitt. “Led by Regent Lori Durden, who lives in Statesboro, there is comprehensive representation of faculty, staff, alumni, students, the foundation, the Statesboro community and the Board of Regents, and their roles in this search are critical to the future of Georgia Southern University.”

The Special Regents’ Search Committee will be chaired by Regent Lori Durden and include Regents Ben Tarbutton III, Kessel Stelling, Scott Smith, Don Waters, Larry Walker and Neil Pruitt.

The search and screening of candidates is the responsibility of an 18-member Presidential Search and Screen Committee, whose members also are appointed by Pruitt. Members of the committee are as follows:

• Dr. Stephen P. Vives, department chair and professor of biology, Georgia Southern University

• Dr. Danny Bauer, department chair and professor of writing and linguistics, Georgia Southern University

• Dr. Kelley G. Chester, MPH, principal, C3 Informatics, LLC

• Dr. S. Todd Deal, executive director, Leadership and Community Engagement, Georgia Southern University

• Dr. Melissa Garno, associate professor, School of Nursing, Georgia Southern University

• Dr. Anthony Barilla, associate professor, Department of Finance and Economics, Georgia Southern University

• Darron Burnette, president, Sea Island Bank

• Julian I. Deal, CPA

• Dr. Mark Edwards, Fuller E. Callaway professor, Department of Physics, Georgia Southern University

• Charles Glover, president, Student Government Association, Georgia Southern University

• Dr. Barbara Christmas Golden, chair, Georgia Southern University Foundation

• Dr. Patricia Humphrey, chair, Senate Executive Committee and Faculty Senate moderator, Georgia Southern University

• Dr. Lissa M. Leege, professor, Department of Biology and director, Center for Sustainability, Georgia Southern University

• Michele Martin, M.S., ACSM H/FS, chair, Staff Council and program director, University Wellness, Georgia Southern University

• Dr. Beverly Graham, associate professor, Department of Communication Arts, Georgia Southern University

• Patrice Jackson, dean of students, Georgia Southern University

• Teresa MacCartney, CFO and director, Governor’s Office of Planning and Budget

• Honorable Jan Moore, mayor, City of Statesboro

The campus-based committee will be charged with its responsibilities in a meeting scheduled for Wednesday, Sept. 30, at the University. These duties include the development of a position description, the placement of announcements and conducting on-campus interviews. The search firm of Parker Executive Search of 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 Chancellor Hank Huckaby, who will make a recommendation to the full Board of Regents.