FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Contact:  Robert Preston, Jr.,
              912.260.4276
              robert.preston@sgc.edu

Newly appointed Regent visits SGC

South Georgia College hosted newly appointed Regent for the 1st District, Rutledge “Rusty” Griffin, Jr. from Valdosta, on Wednesday, Feb. 2. Regent Griffin replaces former Regent for the 1st District Jim Bishop, whose term on the Board of Regents expired on Dec. 31, 2010. Regent Griffin and his wife, Barbara, spent several hours on the SGC campus Wednesday. The visit was an excellent opportunity for SGC to share its recent successes, current initiatives and future goals.

“We were honored to have Regent Griffin visit our campus last week. South Georgia College always looks forward to showing members of the Board of Regents our beautiful campus and telling them the SGC story. We feel as though we have a friend in Regent Griffin and we look forward to working closely with him in the future,” says Dr. Virginia Carson, SGC President.

During his visit, Regent Griffin met with the senior administration team, toured the campus and had lunch with several business and community leaders. On the campus tour, Regent Griffin spent a few minutes at Tiger Village II, the dining hall renovation site and the Engram Union.

Appointed by former Gov. Sonny Perdue in January, Regent Griffin is the former Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Griffin L.L.C. of Valdosta, a manufacturer of crop protection and specialty chemicals founded in 1935. After the death of his father, Griffin became President and CEO (at age 26) of the family owned business. Griffin Corporation partnered in joint venture with Dupont in 1998 eventually selling its interest in the joint venture to Dupont in 2003. Griffin serves as a co-chair on the capital campaign for the Boys and Girls Club of Valdosta and has served on the Georgia Ports Authority, Emeritus Trustee of the University of Georgia, and is past chairman of the South Georgia Fellowship of Christian Athletes. Born and raised in Valdosta, Griffin attended Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College in Tifton, and received a B.S. degree from the University of Georgia with a major in Agriculture and a minor in Business in 1966. He and Barbara have three children and eight grandchildren.

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About South Georgia College

South Georgia College (www.sgc.edu) was founded in 1906 and is an accredited two-year institution in the University System of Georgia. Located in Douglas, Ga., the college's environment gives students exceptional opportunities for interdisciplinary study and close collaboration with faculty. With over 20 majors and transfer opportunities, South Georgia College provides the finest education possible to the citizens of its service area.