In their final item of business late Wednesday afternoon, the University System of Georgia’s Board of Regents announced Sonny Perdue’s likely successor.
Thomas A. Fanning, a Georgia Tech graduate and the retired CEO of the Atlanta-based utility giant Southern Company, was named the sole finalist for the role. His appointment will be finalized at an Oct. 1 board meeting, said chairman David B. Dove.
The search for a new chancellor — one of the most powerful positions in state government — began after Perdue’s surprise retirement announcement in April. At the time, Perdue said he’d stay in the role until Jan. 1.
Fanning, who led Southern Company for 13 years before his retirement in December 2023, would head a university system that includes 25 public colleges and universities, more than 50,000 faculty and staff and about 382,000 students.
“Our university system’s strong reputation brought us exceptional candidates from across the country, but Tom Fanning stood out immediately,” Dove said in a USG media release. “With four decades of experience running one of the largest energy companies in the nation, Tom knows how to manage complex operations, solve big problems and lead people. He cares deeply about Georgia, understands the power of higher education and has the proven leadership to guide USG forward.”
Fanning has a bachelor’s and master’s degree from Georgia Tech and previously held leaderships roles on the Georgia Tech Foundation’s board of trustees as well as two advisory boards at the Midtown Atlanta school. The school’s student-athlete performance center was named in his honor roughly three years ago.
He worked at Southern for more than 43 years, first joining in 1980 as a financial analyst.
Credit: Ken Sugiura
Credit: Ken Sugiura
Credit: Ken Sugiura
Credit: Ken Sugiura
In this new role, Fanning would join a system that has found significant success during Perdue’s tenure, setting records for overall enrollment and degrees conferred.
“The University System of Georgia is second to none when it comes to keeping a top-tier college education affordable and connecting students directly to great careers,” Fanning said in the release. “Having earned my degrees here and worked alongside these campuses throughout my career, I know how much this system means to Georgia families. I’m honored to be named the sole finalist, and I look forward to working with the Board of Regents, campus leaders, faculty and staff to build on our momentum, support our students and prepare them to lead Georgia’s future workforce.”
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