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Former Gov. Sonny Perdue to retire as University System of Georgia chancellor

By
Dan Raby
Senior Digital Producer, CBS News Atlanta
Dan Raby, the senior digital producer for CBS News Atlanta, has been covering everything happening around Georgia for more than a decade.
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Dan Raby

/ CBS Atlanta

After more than four decades in public service, Sonny Perdue announced that he will be retiring from his position as chancellor of the University System of Georgia.

Perdue, who in 2003 became the first Republican to win the governor's seat in Georgia since Reconstruction, announced his plans to retire on Tuesday.

"Serving as chancellor has been one of the most impactful roles of my life, and stepping away is not a decision I make lightly," Perdue said. "From Houston County to the governor's office to Washington and back home again, my career has been guided by a simple belief: public service is a calling, and we're meant to lift others and leave things better than we found them. I also want to thank my wife, Mary, whose love and support have steadied me through every chapter of this journey. Our children and grandchildren remind me every day why this work matters and why an affordable, high‑quality public education can open the door to prosperity for every Georgian."

Georgia University Closure
Chancellor of the University System of Georgia Sonny Perdue smiles during the first half of an NCAA college football game on Oct. 21, 2023, in Atlanta. Mike Stewart / AP

Perdue's political career started in the 1980s on the Houston County Planning and Zoning Board before he was elected to the Georgia Senate as a Democrat in 1991. There, he chaired the Senate Higher Education Committee and served as Senate President Pro Tem.

After leaving the governor's mansion after two terms, Perdue went into private business until he was nominated and eventually approved to be the United States Secretary of Agriculture for the first Trump administration.

While some advocates called Perdue unqualified to lead the University System of Georgia, which consists of the state's 25 public colleges and universities, because he never worked in academia, the regents approved his appointment.

In a statement, Gov. Brian Kemp celebrated Perdue's decades of service and time as chancellor, saying that he "has solidified a legacy of impact that will continue for generations to come."

"Under his leadership, the system has seen record enrollment, modernized campuses and advanced medical education, including the launch of UGA's new School of Medicine," Kemp said. "Marty, the girls and I want to thank him for his years of history-making service and leadership, and on behalf of grateful Georgians everywhere, we wish him and Ms. Mary all the best in the years to come spent with loved ones."

The Board of Regents' Executive and Compensation Committee plans a national search to find Perdue's successor. He will remain in the role until that person is named.

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