DAHLONEGA, Ga. (AP) — University of North Georgia President Bonita Jacobs, the school’s first woman to hold the position, said she plans to retire in June.
In a news release Monday, Jacobs said she announced her plans to “ensure the Board of Regents has ample time to select UNG’s next president and to provide for a stable transition over this next year as we celebrate North Georgia’s sesquicentennial — our 150th anniversary.”
Jacobs was appointed president of then-North Georgia College & State University in July 2011. When the school consolidated with Gainesville State College to become the University of North Georgia in 2013, she took over as leader of the multi-campus university, becoming the second woman to lead one of the country’s six senior military colleges.
UNG has campuses in Blue Ridge, Cumming, Dahlonega, Gainesville and Oconee County, serving about 19,000 students and employing more than 2,100 faculty and staff.
University System of Georgia Chancellor Sonny Perdue described Jacobs as a trailblazer.
“Over the past decade, she has been a critical factor to the university’s growth and how it has helped students find success and prosperity,” Perdue said. “From consolidation with Gainesville State College to campus expansion in Blue Ridge, and with all the new ways
UNG has been able to serve communities and offer new academic opportunities from associate degrees to graduate-level programs, President Jacobs has been a great leader for its campuses and the university system. I’m grateful for her leadership and service.”
