Georgia’s university system announces new campus presidents

By Ty Tagami
Bureau Chief
Capitol Beat News Service

 

ATLANTA — Thousands of students at Georgia’s public colleges will have new leadership when they return this fall after the University System of Georgia named new campus leaders.

On Monday, the system named three new presidents: Greg Tanner at South Georgia State College, Russell Crutchfield at Gordon State College and Kerry J. Palmer at Georgia Southwestern State University.

Tanner is not entirely new to the role: he has served as interim president at South Georgia State since February 2023.

Chancellor Sonny Perdue said Tanner “hasn’t missed a beat over the past three years” there, helping to increase enrollment as the campus recovered from Hurricane Helene.

Crutchfield moves from Gov. Brian Kemp’s office, where he has been chief operating officer, to lead Gordon State effective Aug. 1.

Perdue praised Crutchfield’s roots in the university system and his work for Kemp, saying Crutchfield knows how to develop a skilled workforce for Georgia’s economy.

Crutchfield has been with Kemp since January 2024. Previously he served in executive leadership at the University of West Georgia as chief of staff and associate vice president. He also held leadership roles at several state agencies.

Palmer will become president of Georgia Southwestern on Aug. 1 after nearly three decades in education at the university and K-12 levels. As chief academic officer at Troy University in Alabama, he oversaw an $80 million budget. Perdue called him a results-driven leader who understands the role universities play in communities and in the workforce.

Palmer succeeds President Michelle Johnston, who is departing to lead the University of Montevallo in Alabama. Crutchfield follows Donald J. Green, who was tapped last month to lead Valdosta State University.