Inaugural class of UGA Board of Visitors includes elected officials, business and community leaders; six Georgia Law alumni

Writer: Sam Fahmy, 706/542-5361, sfahmy@uga.edu Contact: Tom Landrum, 706/542-2002, tlandrum@uga.edu Athens, Ga. - More than 30 community leaders from across the state have accepted an invitation from University of Georgia President Michael F. Adams to join the inaugural class of the university\u27s Board of Visitors. The UGA Board of Visitors aims to build relationships between the state\u27s largest and most comprehensive research university and its elected officials, business leaders and community organizations. Members serve a two-year term in which they will have the opportunity to hear from some of the university\u27s most celebrated faculty members, its top researchers and most promising students. The University of Georgia has a great story to tell, and I\u27m delighted that so many of our state\u27s leaders have accepted this opportunity to hear it first-hand, Adams said. Board of Visitors events are funded by the Arch Foundation for the University of Georgia, which supports the university through volunteer leadership and assistance in development and fundraising activities. Arch Foundation Trustee Abby Irby of Atlanta said she hopes that Board of Visitors members will gain a fuller understanding of how the university\u27s teaching, research and service is helping to create a more prosperous future for Georgia. By bringing some of the state\u27s most distinguished citizens and leaders together with the stars of the university, the Board of Visitors will help UGA build and reinforce partnerships with the state it serves, said Irby, who chairs the foundation\u27s Board of Visitors subcommittee. The university has programs in fields ranging from the arts to public health, and board members come from equally diverse fields. The members of the 2010-2012 class of the UGA Board of Visitors, in alphabetical order by last name, are: • Rev. Dr. Joanna Adams, retired senior pastor, Morningside Presbyterian Church • Ed Baker, publisher, Atlanta Business Chronicle • William Barwick, partner, Duane Morris, LLP • Donna Barwick, senior fiduciary officer, Wilmington Trust Co. • Dameron Black III, senior vice president, SunTrust Bank • Dameron Black IV • Bill Britt, senior minister, Peachtree Road United Methodist Church • Rear Adm. Walter E. Carter, U.S. Navy • Chris Clark, incoming president, Georgia Chamber of Commerce • Bobbi Cleveland, executive director, The Tull Charitable Foundation • Deke Copenhaver, mayor, City of Augusta • Richard Courts IV, vice president, Carter Real Estate • Ann Cramer, director of government relations, IBM • Alex Crumbley, attorney, Crumbley and Harper• Mike Garrett, president and CEO, Georgia Power Co. • John Hardman, president and CEO, The Carter Center • Larry Hooks, attorney at law • Phil Jacobs, former CEO, BellSouth-Georgia • Jeff Kelley, director, bankruptcy ­division, Troutman Sanders LLC • Barry McCarty, senior pastor, Peachtree Christian Church• David Ralston, speaker, Georgia House of Representatives • David Ratcliffe, chair, president and CEO, Southern Co. • Kasim Reed, mayor, City of Atlanta• Michael Shapiro, director, High Museum of Art • Clarence Smith, CEO, Haverty\u27s Inc. • Derek Smith, former CEO, Choicepoint • Bolling (Bo) Spalding, principal, Jackson Spalding Inc. • Kessel Stelling Jr., president and CEO, Synovus • Mark Taylor, CEO, The Fred Taylor Co. • Wayne Vason, senior counsel, Troutman Sanders, LLC • Ellen Wilkins, homemaker • Frank Wilson III, attorney, Wilson, Brock and Irby • Dee Yancey, CEO, State Mutual Insurance • Andrew Young, co-chairman, GoodWorks International • Neely Young, publisher and editor in chief, Georgia Trend magazine #