For the first time, a Georgia Board of Regents Chair has been elected for a second consecutive term. During Tuesday’s meeting, the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia (USG) elected Regent Sachin Shailendra to a second one-year term as the Board’s chair. Regent Cade Joiner was elected to serve as vice chair.
Sachin Shailendra
“I’m excited to serve for another year as Board of Regents chair,” said Shailendra, the founder and president of SG Contracting, Inc. and representative for the 13th District on the B OR. “We have made a lot of progress in this past year, but we still have much work to do. I believe higher education is a game-changer, and I work every day to ensure that. I’m honored, and thankful to my fellow regents for their trust in me. I am also grateful for all Chancellor Wrigley, his staff and especially our campuses have done to serve our students, families and the citizens of Georgia.”
Shailendra has served on the Board since 2014. One of his priorities is a Post Tenure Policy Review for the USG. And during Tuesday’s meeting, Chancellor Steve Wrigley reiterated his commitment to this initiative. During a report to the Board, Wrigley spoke on the formation of the working group that will evaluate the system’s existing post-tenure policy and make recommendations for updates as needed. It’s been nearly 25 years since the USG adopted its post-tenure review policy. And during that quarter-century, the policy has remained largely unaltered.
In an interview with InsiderAdvantage last week, Shailandra spoke about the initiative, saying, “If you are going to have the greatest system in the United States, you need to be at the forefront of doing things on the leading edge. That’s why we are looking at every process and policy.”
The working group is being chaired by Dr. Kathy Schwaig, Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs at Kennesaw State University. It will include faculty leaders from all USG sectors, USG staff, and Board of Regents members Erin Hames and Harold Reynolds. Their first meeting is scheduled for Friday.
Shailandra is a product of education in Georgia. After graduating from Woodward Academy in College Park, Shailendra attended Georgia Tech where he earned his degree in Civil Engineering. Today, his company has an extensive portfolio of new construction and renovation projects in which he works with property owners, subcontractors, architects and designers.
“I am humbled and honored to continue serving in support of the state’s public colleges and universities and the important work they do to help more students graduate and make Georgia economically competitive,” Shailendra said. “The system’s most important role is to do all it can to support them in that success, no matter the circumstances.”
Joiner will serve as the Board’s vice chair from Jan. 1, 2021 to Dec. 31, 2021. He is a 2001 marketing graduate from the University of Georgia and the founder of Shred-X Secure Document Destruction, one of the largest independent shredding companies in the Southeast. He has served on the Board since earlier this year.
