Board of Regents Names Georgia Highlands President

A new face has been tapped to lead Georgia Highlands College.

Dr. Donald J. Green, vice president for Extended and International Operations at Ferris State University, Big Rapids, Michigan, has been named as the next president of the Rome-based institution by the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia.

Green will assume his new post on Sept. 8, according to Board of Regents Chair Philip Wilheit, Sr.

“Georgia Highlands serves an important area of Georgia with multiple campuses and Dr. Green’s experience in Michigan made him the ideal choice for this presidency,” Wilheit said. “We are excited about his coming to Georgia.”

Dr. Green was one of three finalists announced last week by the Board of Regents.

University System of Georgia (USG) Chancellor Hank Huckaby added he was impressed by Dr. Green's "track record in providing leadership across a region and many campuses and his focus on student success, recruitment, diversity and economic development."

Green has served as both vice chancellor and vice president at Ferris State, leading a number of administrative units. Ferris State is comprised of its Big Rapids main campus and 19 satellite locations throughout Michigan. 

In his current position, Green has more than doubled the number of community college-based campus locations, from 9 to 19 over the past five years and achieved an annual enrollment growth rate average of more than eight percent per year over the last four years.

He developed an outreach campaign to the Hispanic community and enrollment of this growing population has increased from 14 to 18 percent for his division.

His higher education career also includes administrative and teaching posts at Grand Rapids Community College, Grand Rapids, Mich., and Davenport University, Grand Rapids, Mich. Green also operated a consulting firm, D. Green and Associates.

Green holds a bachelor's degree from Michigan State University, East Lansing, Mich., a master’s degree in labor and human resource management from Ohio State University, Columbus and an Ed.D. in educational leadership from Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, Mich.

He serves on the Prima Civitas Foundation Board of Trustees, a group that promotes Michigan as a competitive and innovation state and on the board of the World Literacy Foundation as chairman of the organization’s North America branch. 

He also serves as a board member of the West Michigan Hispanic Center.