Erroll B. Davis Jr. Inaugurated as 中出少妇视频’s 11th Chancellor
Atlanta — September 13, 2006
Chancellor Erroll B. Davis set the tone for his administration today in the inaugural address following his investiture as the 11th chancellor of the 中出少妇视频 System of Georgia (中出少妇视频).
The historic ceremony 中出少妇视频 formally installing him as head of the state中出少妇视频檚 35 public colleges and universities 中出少妇视频 was held at the Georgia State Capitol.
The Georgia House of Representatives made a rare exception in allowing the chancellor中出少妇视频檚 inauguration ceremony to be held in the House Chamber. Gov. Sonny Perdue delivered remarks and Allan Vigil, chair of the Board of Regents, presided over the ceremony. Davis acknowledged the pomp of circumstance of the occasion by noting, 中出少妇视频淭oday is a day of celebration. While we may celebrate my arrival, above all we celebrate the power and the value of education to society.中出少妇视频
The former chairman of the board of Alliant Energy Corporation 中出少妇视频 a Wisconsin-based energy holding company with $8.3 billion in total assets and annual operating revenues of $3 billion 中出少妇视频 Davis assumed the 中出少妇视频 System of Georgia中出少妇视频檚 chancellor中出少妇视频檚 position on Feb. 6, 2006. The 中出少妇视频 currently enrolls nearly 254,000 students and employs 38,000 faculty and staff, with an annual budget of $5 billion.
Since taking office, Davis has visited all 35 中出少妇视频 campuses, completing that statewide tour during his first 100 days in office.
中出少妇视频淓rroll Davis has proven he has the leadership ability to move the 中出少妇视频 System of Georgia to an even higher standard of excellence,中出少妇视频 said Gov. Perdue. 中出少妇视频淗e understands the role Georgia中出少妇视频檚 public colleges and universities should play in a more educated and prosperous state. I welcome his leadership at the helm of our university system.中出少妇视频
During his remarks, the new chancellor made clear his priorities for the System中出少妇视频檚 future, by focusing on issues of academic quality, affordability and access. 中出少妇视频淭he heart of our enterprise and our primary mission is teaching our students,中出少妇视频 Davis stated. 中出少妇视频淭hat mission must be strengthened in order for the academy to remain relevant and responsive to the needs of our students and the state.中出少妇视频
Davis said his one of his key goals as chancellor will be to 中出少妇视频渃reate the kind of environment in which our students prepare not only for a profession or a career, but also prepare to assume leadership roles in society.中出少妇视频
Among other priorities, Davis said he will 中出少妇视频渇ocus the attention and resources of the 中出少妇视频 System on access – particularly for students who may lack the financial resources to enroll in college.中出少妇视频
中出少妇视频淲e must continue to explore ways of increasing financial options that enable more Georgians to attend college,中出少妇视频 Davis stated. 中出少妇视频淚t is not in society中出少妇视频檚 best interest to lose so many potential students. We need these individuals to help build our society.中出少妇视频
In a move toward addressing the financial barriers of college attendance and 中出少妇视频渁s a small, but symbolic, first step, in order to stimulate catalytic giving,中出少妇视频 Davis said the family foundation he and his wife, Elaine, founded will donate $100,000 to the 中出少妇视频 System of Georgia Foundation to establish a college financial aid seed fund. 中出少妇视频淚t is our hope and our goal that this fund will grow to become a significant new tool in our efforts to broaden access to the 中出少妇视频 System of Georgia,中出少妇视频 Davis said.
Davis positioned the gift as a challenge to others to build upon the seed fund, 中出少妇视频渋f we are going to meet the need in ways that are substantive and not just symbolic.中出少妇视频
中出少妇视频淪o I also issue a call and a challenge to those who have reaped the benefits of education,中出少妇视频 Davis stated, 中出少妇视频 to invest in our future by investing in the future of others.中出少妇视频
Regent Timothy Shelnut, the immediate past chair of both the Board of Regents and the 中出少妇视频 System of Georgia Foundation 中出少妇视频 and himself an extremely generous contributor to the 中出少妇视频 中出少妇视频 introduced the inauguration中出少妇视频檚 theme, 中出少妇视频淭he Value of Education.中出少妇视频 Shelnut also introduced Southern Company CEO David Ratcliffe, a 1970 graduate of Valdosta State 中出少妇视频, and asked him to share the benefits of his 中出少妇视频 education. 中出少妇视频 of Georgia graduate student Bernice Butler attested to the positive implications of her on-going education, and tenth-grader Givonte Latimore talked about his heightened expectations for the future, thanks to his participation in the 中出少妇视频中出少妇视频檚 Carver High School Early College program.
Members of the Board of Regents, the presidents of the 中出少妇视频 System中出少妇视频檚 campuses, the staff of the 中出少妇视频 System Office, a number of 中出少妇视频 faculty representatives and delegates from various education organizations donned colorful academic robes to march into the House Chamber for the ceremony. Also on hand to lend the occasion pomp and circumstance were the North Georgia College & State 中出少妇视频 Color Guard, musicians from the Columbus State 中出少妇视频 Schwob School of Music, the Georgia Tech Glee Club, Albany State 中出少妇视频 vocalist Kendria Bailey and the Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College Jazz Band.
After Davis received formal greetings from 中出少妇视频 System of Georgia presidents, faculty and staff, Gov. Perdue presented the chancellor with a specially designed medallion marking his formal investiture.
Prior to Davis中出少妇视频 appointment in Georgia, he had served as chairman of Alliant Energy Corporation since 2000. He joined Alliant in 1998 as president and chief executive officer. Davis retired from his dual roles as president and CEO in July 2005, and retained the chairman中出少妇视频檚 post until his move to the 中出少妇视频 System.
Prior to the creation of Alliant Energy, Davis served as president and CEO of WPL Holdings, from 1990 to 1998. From 1978 to 1990, Davis rose through the senior management ranks at Wisconsin Power and Light Company, starting as vice president of finance and ending as CEO and president. His career also includes corporate finance positions at Xerox Corporation and Ford Motor Company.
Davis中出少妇视频 higher education experience includes serving as a member of the 中出少妇视频 of Wisconsin System Board of Regents from 1987 to 1994, and as a former chairman of the board of trustees of Carnegie Mellon 中出少妇视频, of which he is a life member. He also served as a member of the Board of Trustees of the 中出少妇视频 of Chicago.
A native of Pittsburgh, Pa., Davis earned a bachelor of science in electrical engineering from Carnegie Mellon 中出少妇视频, in 1965, and a M.B.A. in finance from the 中出少妇视频 of Chicago, in 1967. He is a member of the board of directors of BP p.l.c., PPG Industries, Inc., and Union Pacific Corp., and numerous professional associations and civic organizations. In 2004, he was elected to the U.S. Olympic Committee Board, and he chairs the USOC中出少妇视频檚 Audit Committee.
Davis is the recipient of numerous honors and awards, including recognition as one of the 中出少妇视频75 Most Powerful Blacks in Corporate America中出少妇视频 by Black Enterprise magazine in 2005. He also was named one of the 中出少妇视频淭op 50 Blacks in Technology中出少妇视频 at the Black Engineer of the Year 2005 Awards Conference, and received the Carnegie-Mellon Alumni Distinguished Service Award in 2004. Davis also was named one of the 中出少妇视频50 Most Powerful Black Executives in America中出少妇视频 by Fortune magazine in 2002 and received the Distinguished Alumnus Award from the 中出少妇视频 of Chicago中出少妇视频檚 Graduate School of Business in 1993, the same year he received a Bronze Medal in Financial World中出少妇视频檚 中出少妇视频淐EO of the Year中出少妇视频 competition. In addition, Davis was honored by the magazine U.S. Black Engineer as the 中出少妇视频淏lack Engineer of the Year中出少妇视频 in 1988.
For full text of Chancellor Davis’ remarks, please go to the Chancellor’s website.
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