Published by permission of The Brunswick News.
By Lauren McDonald
The University System of Georgia Board of Regents announced Tuesday that Michelle Johnston will serve as the next president of College of Coastal Georgia.
Johnston was named May 16 as the sole finalist in the search for CCGA’s president.
“The entire campus is excited by the USG’s selection of Dr. Michelle Johnston as the next president of the College of Coastal Georgia,” said Tanya Cofer, chair of the College of Coastal Georgia’s presidential search and screen committee. “We look forward to welcoming her to the Mariner family.”
Johnston will begin this summer, and a start date has yet to be confirmed.
“Dr. Johnston will be a strong advocate for the College of Coastal Georgia and build on its partnership with the community and coastal region,” said University System of Georgia Chancellor Steve Wrigley, in a press release Tuesday. “We are excited about the future of the College of Coastal Georgia and the momentum Dr. Johnston will bring for the benefit of students.”
Johnston currently serves as the 22nd president of the University of Rio Grande and Rio Grande Community College in Ohio. She has held that position since 2014.
“The College of Coastal Georgia is a special place with a clear focus on student success,” Johnston said. “I am eager to join the faculty, staff and students and to further the commitment to academic excellence, student development and our partnership with the community.”
Johnston’s career includes 10 years of service as a faculty member and more than 20 years in administration, with positions at University of Montevallo, University of Louisiana-Monroe, Mississippi State University and Wood College.
Johnston holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Alabama, a master’s degree from Louisiana State University, a Ph.D. in educational leadership from Mississippi State University and a post-doctorate in marketing and management from the University of Florida.
She has two daughters in college.