Robert G. Haley, who has guided Georgia Tech's diversity programs since 1992, will now lead another organization focused on minority education and mentoring.

Haley will be sworn in as president of 100 Black Men of Atlanta Inc., a group of influential Atlantans that mentors Atlanta children and puts particular emphasis on education.

Haley, who serves as special assistant to the president and director of special projects at Georgia Tech, will be inducted at 100 Black Men of Atlanta's President's Dinner April 22. Haley's term as president will end in 2006.

"It is truly an honor to be president of 100 Black Men of Atlanta and to follow such a long line of distinguished gentlemen who have led this organization," he said.

Haley said one of his first priorities as president will be exploring the possibility of creating an all male, charter elementary school within the Atlanta Public School system.

100 Black Men of Atlanta, which was founded in 1986, also plans to expand its signature program, Project Success, to adopt a larger number of students into the program, Haley said.

"I am going to honor our deepest commitment -- education. It is ground in our history and our strategic mission," he said.

Before coming to Georgia Tech, Haley served in the U.S. Army, was honorably discharged as a first lieutenant and had a successful 25-year career at IBM.

Haley joined Georgia Tech in 1992 to help coordinate diversity programs in engineering. Since then, he has overseen FOCUS, Tech's minority recruitment program held each year during Martin Luther King Jr. weekend. The program attracts over 300 African-American undergraduate students from across the country to learn about graduate degree programs.

And FOCUS has been a success. Georgia Tech is now ranked first in the number of master's and doctoral degrees in engineering granted to African-Americans, according to Black Issues in Higher Education.

But Haley said he couldn't have done it alone.

"I attribute my success at Georgia Tech and the Focus program to the support that I have received from our president, Dr. Wayne Clough, and our provost, Dr. Jean-Lou Chameau," he said.