Effective May 20, 2023, the University System of Georgia (USG) Chancellor Sonny Perdue named Dr. Donald J. Green interim president of Gordon State College. Green, who most recently served as president of Point Park University in Pittsburgh, Pa., has 33 years of leadership experience in education, seven of them with the University System of Georgia.
Prior to his service as President in 2021 at Point Park University, he led as president of the university system’s Georgia Highlands College (GHC). USG’s Board of Regents named Green as the fourth president of GHC in September 2014. Prior to his work at GHC, he served as the Vice President for Extended and International Operations and Dean of the College of Professional and Technological Studies at Ferris State University in Big Rapids, Michigan. He was also the Academic Dean for Davenport University, and had his own firm advising corporations, governmental organizations, and educational institutions on training and education.
During his tenure at GHC, Green oversaw success coach initiatives and concentrated strategic planning in the areas of recruitment, retention, and increased marketing, which led to higher retention rates and significant enrollment growth. Green also expanded GHC’s degree offerings with multiple new associate and bachelor’s degrees created to meet the need for many local rapidly growing career fields.
Green’s leadership helped increase GHC’s economic impact to over $181 million. In addition to significant increases to the college’s foundation and student scholarship opportunities, he also oversaw the addition of a 52,000-square foot academic building focused on STEAM-based (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, Math) areas of study.
Green holds a bachelor’s degree in public administration from Michigan State University, a master’s in labor and human resource management from Ohio State University and a Doctor of Educational Leadership degree from Western Michigan University. He and his wife, Cathy, have two sons and a daughter who are all busy with their own careers. The Greens plan to live in Barnesville with their dog, Remi.