Atlanta — February 10, 2015

Board of Regents Chairman Neil L. Pruitt Jr. has announced today the appointment of the Georgia Regents University (GRU) Presidential Search Committee. A national search will be conducted to replace GRU President Ricardo Azziz, who will step down June 30, 2015.

“We have formed a search committee with comprehensive representation from our Georgia Regents University stakeholders and the Augusta community,” said Pruitt. “I want to thank Regent Hull, a life-long Augusta resident, for leading the search process and helping bring together representatives of faculty, staff, alumni, students, the foundation, the Augusta community and the Board of Regents. Our goal is to name the next president of Georgia Regents University this summer.”

Members of the Presidential Search Committee are as follows:

• Regent James M. Hull, committee chair
• Regent C. Thomas Hopkins Jr., MD
• Regent Donald M. Leebern Jr.
• Regent Neil L. Pruitt Jr.
• Regent Kessel Stelling Jr.
• Regent Benjamin J. Tarbutton III
• Regent Don L. Waters
• Michael Banks, president of the Student Government Association
• Braye Boardman, Augusta community representative and owner, Beacon Blue
• Jim Davis, Augusta community representative and CEO of University Health System
• Michael P. Diamond, MD, professor and chair of Obstetrics and Gynecology
• Sandra Freedman, MCG alumnus and chair of the MCG foundation board
• Don Grantham, Augusta community representative and president and CEO of Forest Sales Corporation
• Joseph “Andy” Hauger, Ph.D., Fuller E. Callaway Professor of Physics, Department of Chemistry and Physics
• Elizabeth Hogan, MD, assistant professor in Psychiatry and chair-elect of faculty senate
• Edgar Johnson, Ph.D., professor communications
• Lester Pretlow, Ph.D., associate dean allied health sciences
• Ashlyn Reese, vice chair of employee advisory council
• Michael Shaffer, vice president for government relations
• Catherine Slade, Ph.D., associate professor, Hull College of Business
• Phil Wahl, foundation board and president, First Community Bank

The duties of the Presidential Search Committee include the development of a position description, recruiting and conducting interviews. The search firm of Parker Executive Search of Atlanta has been engaged to assist the search committee.

“Georgia Regents University plays a critical role in the community and in the economy of Augusta and the entire state,” said Hull. “We appreciate the responsibility we have been charged with in the search for the best candidate to help fulfill the full potential of Georgia Regents University.”

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.

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