The College of Coastal Georgia has a new president. On Tuesday, the Board of Regents named Johnny L. Evans Jr. to the permanent role, a position he had held in an interim capacity since June.
It was the final action taken by the board in its first public meeting of the year, where it also approved a multimillion-dollar renovation of a University of Georgia residence hall and renamed a building at Fort Valley State University after a longtime state lawmaker.
Coastal Georgia found itself with the vacancy last May, when former President Michelle R. Johnston was named president of Georgia Southwestern State University. Evans assumed the interim role a month later and now finds himself leading an institution he first joined in 2019. That time spent as the provost and vice president for academic affairs of the southeast Georgia school appears to have helped his candidacy for the new job.
“With now six years at Coastal Georgia and over 12 years within USG, Dr. Evans is uniquely prepared to lead the college as it continues to transform students’ lives through engaged learning,” University System of Georgia Chancellor Sonny Perdue said in a news release. “Dr. Evans knows the campus well and will be able to build on that work while expanding community partnerships and investing in the region.”
Credit: University System of Georgia
Credit: University System of Georgia
Evans, who got his bachelor’s degree from Georgia College & State University, began his USG career in 2013. That’s when he joined Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College, serving as the dean of math and science and then as the dean of arts and sciences.
“This fall, we broke our record for dual enrollment and increased overall enrollment by 8.6% over last year,” Evans said in a statement. “I’m honored to have this opportunity to lead Coastal Georgia with a broader perspective on the needs of our students and the career opportunities in our community.”
Earlier in Tuesday’s meeting, the board approved a $115.7 million renovation of UGA’s Creswell Hall. Built in 1963, the nine-story residence hall contains roughly 958 beds for first-year students.
Following the project’s completion, targeted for the fall semester of 2028, the renovated building will hold approximately 924 beds. The shared, double-room format will include, “natural light, built-in open closets, adjustable loft beds, flexible furniture configurations, and individual temperature controls,” according to the meeting agenda.
Credit: Julian Alexander
Credit: Julian Alexander
The renovations would be more cost-effective than “a full replacement of Creswell,” USG officials said in the board’s agenda.
Shortly after approving those renovations, the board voted to honor the longest-serving member of the Georgia Legislature. Rep. Calvin Smyre, who retired from the General Assembly in 2022, will now have a building in his name at his alma mater of Fort Valley State University.
Located in downtown Fort Valley and previously known as the Kell Building, the facility constructed in the early 20th century will be named the Calvin Smyre Building. “A planned renovation of the building will house the Center for Agriculture Innovation and Entrepreneurship at FVSU, which will focus on promoting agribusiness in Middle Georgia,” reads the agenda.
Credit: arvin.temkar@ajc.com
Credit: arvin.temkar@ajc.com
Born in Columbus, Smyre was elected to the Georgia Legislature at 26 years old. He went on to serve on multiple committees, authored legislation that made the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday a state holiday and put a statue of King on the grounds of the Capitol building. He has been a strong advocate of Georgia’s historically Black colleges and in 1990 established the Fountain City Classic, an annual football game between Fort Valley and Albany State University.
“The naming of the Kell Building for the Honorable Calvin Smyre would be a fitting honor to his legacy and his dedication to students, the community, and FVSU,” reads the board’s agenda.
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