Effective Aug. 1, 2026, the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia (USG) named Dr. Russell Crutchfield president of Gordon State College. Crutchfield most recently served as chief operating officer in the Office of Gov. Brian P. Kemp and brings nearly two decades of leadership experience in state government and higher education.
Prior to joining Gordon State, Crutchfield served as chief operating officer for Gov. Kemp beginning in January 2024, managing day-to-day operations for the state. His appointment as president marks a return to USG, where he spent much of his higher education career as a member of the University of West Georgia’s executive leadership team, including serving as chief of staff and associate vice president.
During his tenure at UWG, Crutchfield managed operations for the university’s Newnan campus, directed government and external relations, oversaw the Office of Public Service and guided regional economic development strategy. He began his career at UWG as the government and external relations special assistant to the president. During his time with the university, UWG was named a best college in the Southeast by The Princeton Review and ranked second in Georgia for social mobility by U.S. News & World Report.
Crutchfield also held several administrative and policy leadership positions within Georgia state government. At the Georgia Department of Public Health, he served as director of strategic priorities, deputy chief of staff and principal policy advisor to the commissioner. As the department’s first government relations director in 2011, he helped launch health informatics, healthy aging and telehealth programs while contributing to the modernization of the Office of Vital Records. He previously served as chief of staff for the Georgia Department of Labor and director of legislative and external affairs at the Georgia Department of Community Health. His public service career began as a legislative aide in the Georgia Senate and Georgia House of Representatives.
His involvement in Georgia’s business and healthcare communities includes service on the Georgia Department of Community Health Board of Directors from 2016 to 2024, where he held roles as vice chairman and secretary. He also served on the Georgia Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors from 2019 to 2024.
Crutchfield earned a Bachelor of Science in political science and a master’s degree in public administration from the University of West Georgia. In 2021, he earned a doctorate in leadership and learning in organizations from Vanderbilt University. He and his wife, Susan, director of the Newnan Carnegie Library, live in Newnan, Georgia.