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Dr. David Schecter Named President of East Georgia State College

Announcement from the University System of Georgia

The Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia today named Dr. David Schecter president of East Georgia State College (EGSC), effective Jan. 3, 2022.

“Dr. David Schecter’s strong academic background and experience in public higher education administration will help EGSC maintain its focus on supporting students as they attain their degrees and join Georgia’s workforce,” USG Acting Chancellor Teresa MacCartney said. “I’m thrilled for the institution, and grateful to the campus search committee for their time and good work. We look forward to welcoming Dr. Schecter to Georgia.”

Schecter has been serving as provost and senior vice chancellor for Academic Affairs at the University of South Carolina Upstate in Spartanburg, S.C., where he managed a budget of $38 million, administered a department of 686 employees and supervised deans of the schools and colleges and the library.

“East Georgia State College is a beautiful campus, filled with wonderful faculty, staff and students,” Schecter said. “It’s an honor to help lead this campus and work with this great group. I am excited for the possibilities and all that we can do together to focus on student success and community engagement. I’m ready to ‘Go East’ – the sky is truly the limit for EGSC!”

Prior to serving at USC Upstate, Schecter served as associate vice president for faculty affairs and then vice provost at California State University, Bakersfield. He provided oversight for the university’s Office of Research and Grants as well as the Kegley Institute of Ethics. Before joining the administration at CSU Bakersfield, Schecter was chair of the Department of Political Science at California State University, Fresno where he was granted tenure as a full professor and earned the prestigious Provost’s Award for Faculty Service. He also previously taught at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

A Florida native, Schecter holds a Ph.D. in political science from the University of Florida and both a master’s degree in political science and a bachelor’s degree in interdisciplinary studies and history from Florida State University. He also holds an MBA from Fresno State.

Dr. Dawn Cartee has been serving as EGSC’s interim president since Dec. 1, 2020, when President Bob Boehmer retired. Cartee’s 30-year career in higher education has also included serving as director of the University of Georgia Center for Continuing Education and Hotel, and as president of Ogeechee Technical College in Statesboro.

“Dr. Cartee has done an outstanding job as interim president at EGSC, and we’re grateful for her service to our students and the university system,” MacCartney said.