Georgia Southern University welcomes Dr. Kyle Marrero as its 14th president

Today, Kyle Marrero assumes his position as Georgia Southern University’s 14th president. Marrero brings extensive organizational and academic leadership to the institution and an enthusiasm for the University’s commitment to student success, academic excellence and regional impact. “I have been listening, learning and gathering information over the last few months in preparation for this day,” Marrero said. “I am coming to understand and appreciate the unique and cherished history of each campus, each community, and the value added to this unified Georgia Southern. I look forward to working together with the entire Eagle Nation — our faculty, staff, students, and the community — to embrace a unified vision that is focused on serving a region, developing talent and transforming lives.” In his previous role, Marrero served as president of the University of West Georgia (UWG), a position he held since 2013. Under Marrero’s leadership, UWG achieved institutional records in enrollment, graduation rates, degrees conferred, fundraising and annual economic impact to the region. He also worked to develop new student-centered partnerships within regional education and business communities. With the implementation of the Engage West! initiative, Marrero led a university-wide effort to create a collaborative culture of high performance, evidence-based leadership, and employee engagement. This initiative also established task forces to explore sustainability, diversity and inclusion on campus and resulted in UWG receiving a national award for leadership development and diversity from the American Association of State Colleges and Universities. That same year, Marrero and UWG were honored as President of the Year and Institution of the Year, respectively, at the Chancellor’s Service Excellence Awards. While at UWG, Marrero founded the Carrollton-Carroll County Education Collaborative, bringing together local educators and community leaders to establish a common vision for PreK-16 student success. The program is now a state model. He currently serves as chairman of the steering committee for University System of Georgia’s Comprehensive Administrative Review, assessing administrative support service and functions systemwide. In acknowledgment of his significant contributions as a higher education leader in Georgia, Marrero was named as one of Georgia Trend‘s “100 Most Influential Georgians,” consecutively from 2015 to 2018. Prior to Marrero’s appointment at UWG, he served as vice president for university advancement at the University of West Florida, overseeing the university’s integrated marketing communications efforts, fundraising, development and alumni relations’ activities. Marrero also has an extensive background in the arts, which took him to 10 foreign countries as an artistic ambassador and to 40 states as a singer and stage director. He holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in vocal performance from Bowling Green State University and a doctorate in musical arts from the University of Michigan. His wife of 24 years, Dr. Jane Marrero, is a nationally known opera singer and they have a 9-year-old daughter, Lily. Georgia Southern University, a public Carnegie Doctoral/R2 institution founded in 1906, offers 141 degree programs serving nearly 26,500 students through nine colleges on three campuses in Statesboro, Savannah, Hinesville and online instruction. A leader in higher education in southeast Georgia, the University provides a diverse student population with expert faculty, world-class scholarship and hands-on learning opportunities. Georgia Southern creates lifelong learners who serve as responsible scholars, leaders and stewards in their communities. Visit GeorgiaSouthern.edu.