The University System of Georgia Board of Regents voted today to approve Thomas A. Fanning as the next chancellor of the University System of Georgia.
A Triple Jacket, Fanning earned bachelor's and master's degrees in industrial management from Georgia Tech and was awarded an honorary doctorate in 2013. He spent 13 years as president, chairman, and CEO of Southern Company before retiring in 2023 and has held leadership roles on the Georgia Tech Foundation Board of Trustees, the Georgia Tech Advisory Board, and the Scheller College of Business Advisory Board.
Fanning will succeed Chancellor Sonny Perdue, who announced his retirement in April after four decades of public service, and will lead one of the nation’s top public university systems with 25 public colleges and universities, more than 50,000 faculty and staff members and more than 382,000 students statewide.
“I am grateful for the extraordinary leadership of Chancellor Perdue,” said Ángel Cabrera, president of Georgia Tech. “During his tenure, Georgia Tech has thrived and emerged as one of the fastest-growing and best value universities in the nation. I am proud to see an exemplary Georgia Tech alumnus and accomplished business leader such as Tom Fanning follow him in this crucial position for our state, and I’m excited to see what Georgia Tech and our other public universities will achieve under his leadership.”
In November 2023, the Board of Regents approved naming Georgia Tech’s new Student-Athlete Performance Center in Fanning's honor, recognizing his longtime philanthropic support and service to his alma mater. The facility opened earlier this year.