Communications

External Affairs Division

Chancellor Davis Fine-Tunes Senior Staff Structure

Atlanta — January 19, 2007

University System of Georgia Chancellor Erroll B. Davis Jr. announced today several staff changes and appointments involving senior-level and key strategic positions in the University System Office. The staffing changes announced today include:

  • The position of chief of staff, currently held by Rob Watts, will be merged into the position of chief operating officer, which has been held on an interim basis since August 2006 by Thomas E. Daniel. Watts will assume the chief operating officer position effective Mon., Jan. 22, 2007, and will be responsible for two-year and state colleges, and the offices of the board, legal affairs, facilities, business and fiscal affairs, health and life plans and the public libraries.

  • Daniel will resume his primary responsibilities as senior vice chancellor for external affairs, with a focus on external activities and the offices of economic development and media and publications.

  • Beheruz Sethna will continue in his current role as interim chief academic officer and executive vice chancellor with responsibilities for the comprehensive university sector and the office of academic affairs.

Daniel, Sethna and Watts all will report directly to Davis.

  • John Millsaps has been named associate vice chancellor for media and publications. Millsaps had been serving in an interim role in this position since Aug. 23, 2006. Millsaps reports to Daniel.

In announcing the changes, Davis noted that the staff changes are based upon the changing internal needs and external circumstances for the University System office. “Our structure will never be fixed or static,” he said in the announcement to office staff. “At this time, some fine-tuning of the organization is appropriate.”

Davis said that Daniel had done “an excellent job” in the interim chief operating officer capacity, but with the General Assembly in session and with expanded plans on the federal level, the chancellor concluded that the University System would be best served by having Daniel focus all his attention on key government and private sector partners.

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