Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp named Everett Kennedy,
a Bulloch County resident, to the Georgia Board of Regents Friday. Kemp also
appointed three other men and a woman to the 19-member group that oversees
operations at the state’s largest public colleges and universities.
Kennedy is chief executive officer and broker at Berkshire Hathaway Kennedy
Realty in Statesboro.
“I want to say I am humbled by Gov. Kemp’s appointment to the University System of Georgia’s Board of Regents,” Kennedy told the Statesboro Herald Friday. “The economic prosperity and livelihood of our state depends on the education of our workforce to meet the jobs of today and tomorrow.”
The Board of Regents holds a great responsibility in making decisions for the state’s colleges and universities, he said, adding that he is honored by Kemp’s appointment.
Kemp also named the following to the board: Lowery May, a University of Georgia graduate who serves on the Georgia Student Finance Commission; Cade Joiner, a Brookhaven resident who founded a document shredding company and is chairman of the National Federation of Independent Businesses of Georgia; T. Dallas Smith, a real estate executive who runs his own firm and chairs the real estate committee at Georgia State University, his alma mater; and Harold Reynolds, a Lake Oconee resident who is chief executive officer of BankSouth Holding Co., located in Greene County.
According to Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports, some of the new members have close ties to Kemp. Joiner co-chaired a task force aimed to cut business regulations. Reynolds served as chairman of Kemp's campaign team, and Smith was a key member of a coalition Kemp launched in 2018 aimed at attracting more diverse voters.
"For many years, I have worked closely with each of these individuals and found them to be honest, hardworking, and committed to our state's long-term success,” Kemp said in a statement, according to AJC reports. “I am truly honored to name them to the Board of Regents to serve our top-notch university system with integrity and lead by example.”
Herald reporter Holli Deal Saxon may be reached at (912) 489-9414.