Governor Perdue Appoints New Members to Board of Regents

Atlanta - Governor Sonny Perdue today made two appointments to the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia (Board) - W. Mansfield Jennings, Jr. of Hawkinsville and Patrick S. Pittard of Lakemont. Jennings will represent the First Congressional District and Pittard will represent the Ninth Congressional District.

"I want to thank these two distinguished individuals for their willingness to serve the students enrolled in Georgia's public universities and colleges," said Governor Perdue. "The Board of Regents is a unified and devoted organization that has contributed to the momentum of higher education in this state. I am confident that Mansfield Jennings and Pat Pittard will bring valuable insight, ideas and dedication to this board."

Due to redistricting, two Board members, former Governor Joe Frank Harris and James Yancey, were placed in the Eleventh Congressional District. As a result, Governor Perdue has selected former Governor Harris to continue representing this district.

"Redistricting has put several qualified appointees in this unfortunate position. I appreciate the service James Yancey provided to the Board of Regents and the state of Georgia. I wish him the very best in his future endeavors," said Governor Perdue.

The Governor appoints members to the Board, who each serve seven years. The Board is comprised of 18 members; one from each of the state's congressional districts and five appointed at large. The Board oversees 34 educational institutions: four research universities, two regional universities, 13 state universities, two state colleges, and 13 two-year colleges.

Brief biographies of the newly appointed members are provided below:

W. Mansfield Jennings, Jr., Hawkinsville, GA, First Congressional District - Jennings, a native of Hawkinsville, GA, is Chairman and CEO of ComSouth Corporation, President and CEO of ComSouth Telecommunications, Inc., and Chairman of SunMark Community Bank. He is past Chairman of ComSouth Telecable, Inc. and Taylor Regional Hospital. His professional associations include Past President and Director of the Georgia Telephone Association and member of the United States Telephone Association. Jennings is also very active in his community having served as Past President and Charter Director of the Hawkinsville-Pulaski County Chamber of Commerce and Past President of the Hawkinsville Rotary Club. He received his Bachelor of Science in Industrial Management from Georgia Tech and a Masters of Business Administration from Emory University. He and his wife Gennelle attend St. Luke's Church in Hawkinsville. They have two children.

Patrick S. "Pat" Pittard, Lakemont, GA, Ninth Congressional District - Pittard currently is a Distinguished Executive-in-Residence at the Terry School of Business at The University of Georgia (UGA) - a voluntary position working with the Dean and faculty on numerous projects as well as teaching. He is also the retired Chairman of the Board of Heidrick and Struggles International, Inc, the world's premier provider of executive-level search and leadership consulting services. He graduated from UGA and has been honored by the Terry School of Business as its Distinguished Alumnus. Considered an expert in executive level human capital matters (recruitment, retention, compensation, and succession), Pittard has been quoted in such publications as The Wall Street Journal, Fortune, and Business Week. He is listed among The Global 200 Executive Recruiters. He and his wife, Dana, have three children.