Dr. Kerry J. Palmer Named President of Georgia Southwestern State University

The Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia (USG) today named Dr. Kerry J. Palmer president of Georgia Southwestern State University (GSW), effective Aug. 1, 2026.

Palmer, a seasoned leader with almost 30 years of experience across higher education, independent school leadership and K-12 education, currently serves as the senior vice chancellor for academic affairs and provost at Troy University in Alabama.

Palmer’s selection follows a May 22 announcement by GSW President Michelle Johnston that she has accepted a new role as president of the University of Montevallo in Alabama. Johnston’s last day will be June 30, and GSW will be led in the interim by Provost Rachel Abbott until Palmer begins his tenure.

“I want to thank Dr. Michelle Johnston for her leadership and dedication to GSW’s students, faculty and staff, and we wish her the best,” USG Chancellor Sonny Perdue said. “As we look to the future, Kerry Palmer is a results-driven leader who understands the role regional universities play in the community and the workforce. At Troy University, he focused on the fundamentals by aligning programs with workforce demands, securing critical funding and driving institutional growth. The board and I are confident his energy and strategic vision will serve GSW well.”

In his role as Troy’s chief academic officer, Palmer oversees an $80 million budget and five academic colleges for a regional comprehensive institution serving 13,000 students. He brings a proven track record of institutional advancement, strategic planning and cultivating regional partnerships to his new leadership role at GSW.

“Stepping into the presidency at Georgia Southwestern State University is an incredible honor, and I’m thrilled to join the Hurricane family,” Palmer said. “Higher education can no longer rely on business as usual, and that is exactly what makes GSW a true destination. It’s a university that is proving how to be nimble, creative and deeply relevant to the students and communities it serves. I’m eager to build on Dr. Johnston’s work and bring a renewed focus on academic innovation, student retention and workforce success to Americus. Together with the campus community, we’ll strengthen GSW’s position as the primary economic and cultural engine for southwestern Georgia.”

About Dr. Kerry J. Palmer

Since June 2023, Palmer has served as senior vice chancellor for academic affairs and provost at Troy University, where he functions as the chief academic officer and the Chancellor’s representative to the Board of Trustees Academic Affairs Committee.

During his tenure as provost, Palmer successfully guided Troy’s reclassification as a doctoral institution and established the university’s first engineering program, securing $1.2 million in startup funding and an annual $700,000 state appropriation. He also spearheaded the creation of the College of Science and Engineering to align STEM initiatives with regional workforce needs, helped launch a doctorate of chiropractic medicine program and established the Honors Global Scholars program.

Before his current role, Palmer served as dean of Troy’s College of Education from 2020 to 2023, managing a $20 million annual portfolio of grants and contracts, expanding specialized program accreditations, and generating more than $1.9 million in private philanthropic gifts and pledges. He also served as the college’s associate dean from 2019 to 2020.

Before entering public higher education leadership, Palmer spent six years as the head of school at Trinity Presbyterian School in Montgomery, Alabama, from 2013 to 2019. There, he established the school’s first institutional advancement office, increased annual giving by 233% in two years and increased average ACT score from 21 to 26 while maintaining 100% college placement and 98% college retention rates.

His early administrative experience includes serving as the founding middle school principal at Trinity Presbyterian School and as a middle school vice principal and director of bands at Montgomery Catholic Preparatory School. He began his career in education as a high school and junior high school band director, teaching across multiple schools in Alabama and Georgia from 1995 to 2004.

An active participant in community and professional service, Palmer has served as president of the Troy Rotary Club, president of the Montgomery Lions Club and chair of the Alabama Educational Leadership Hall of Fame.

Palmer holds a Bachelor of Music Education from Troy University, a Master of Education in Educational Leadership from Auburn University at Montgomery and a Doctor of Philosophy in Adult Education from Auburn University, where his dissertation focused on the persistence of college sophomores.

About Georgia Southwestern State University

GSW, located in historic Americus, Ga., is a public state university within USG. Founded in 1906, the university serves 4,000 students through a targeted selection of undergraduate and graduate degree programs across various disciplines, including the arts, humanities, sciences, business and education.

Notably, GSW is the only public university in Georgia to offer a specialized glassblowing program, and its academic offerings are consistently recognized for both quality and value. In the U.S. News & World Report 2026 Best Colleges rankings, GSW earned national recognition by placing No. 48 among the Top Public Universities in the South. It also ranked No. 62 for Top Performers on Social Mobility and in the top 100 of Best Regional Universities in the South. 

Distinguished by its close-knit campus community, GSW is frequently ranked among Georgia’s most affordable public universities and fields 10 intercollegiate sports teams competing in the NCAA Division II Peach Belt Conference. As a vital economic and cultural engine for southwestern Georgia, the university generates an annual economic impact of $115.4 million. It actively partners with regional business, healthcare and educational leaders to build highly skilled talent pipelines that drive long-term regional prosperity.