University System of Georgia appoints new chancellor
It’s official. Longtime business executive Thomas A. Fanning will be the next chancellor of the University System of Georgia.
The USG Board of Regents voted to appoint Fanning in a Thursday morning teleconference meeting. It will be the former Southern Co. CEO’s first time serving a full-time role in higher education, as he’ll oversee Georgia’s 25 public schools and one of the most centralized university systems in the nation.
When he starts the role Jan. 1, he’ll be the 15th chancellor in the system’s history, succeeding Sonny Perdue. The former two-term Georgia governor, who has served as chancellor since 2022, will retire at the end of this year.
A Georgia Tech graduate, Fanning has served on advisory boards at his alma mater. The school named its student-athlete performance center in his honor. But he is best known for his time at the Southern Co., the Atlanta-based utility giant he began working at in 1980. He started as a financial analyst before becoming CEO in 2010. Fanning retired at the end of 2023.
“USG is stronger than ever, and Tom Fanning is the right person to lead us forward,” board chair David B. Dove said in a news release. “Maintaining our competitive edge during a changing time in higher education takes a leader who knows how to guide big organizations, keep college affordable and position our graduates for career success.”
Fanning has support from USG Faculty Council members, but others are concerned about his lack of higher education experience. The United Campus Workers of Georgia, a union representing public university employees, plans to protest his appointment Tuesday in Athens.
In a news release, the group said the board had ignored faculty and staff’s repeated requests for a chancellor with an education background. It also argued Fanning has a “record of wasting public resources,” citing cost overruns during his time at Southern Co., as well as a 2018 whistleblower lawsuit where the company was accused of defrauding the federal government. That case was dismissed in January 2026.
“I resent the sham public participation process in choosing a Chancellor,” Brandon Ward, a lecturer at Georgia State University-Perimeter College said in the release. “The choice clearly shows the voice of workers and students did not matter.”
Fanning has not spoken publicly since he was named sole finalist for the job in September. In the USG release, he applauded Perdue for a career of public service.
“As a proud USG graduate, I know firsthand the transformative power of this system,” he said. “Alongside our regents, presidents, faculty and staff, my priorities are simple: ensure college stays within reach, support groundbreaking innovation on our campuses and graduate the high-caliber talent — from engineers and teachers to healthcare leaders and entrepreneurs — who drive Georgia’s economy forward.”