At its November meeting, the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia (USG) elected Harold Reynolds, an industrial and systems engineering alumnus from Georgia Tech, to serve as its chair for the coming year.

“Chairing a university system that serves 340,000 students and drives research, innovation and economic development across the state is a major responsibility, and I am delighted to see another distinguished Georgia Tech alumnus elected for the task,” said Georgia Tech President Ángel Cabrera. “I very much look forward to working with Regent Reynolds in support of public higher education throughout the state.”

With members appointed by the governor, the Board of Regents serves as the governing and management authority for 26 public higher education institutions: four research universities, four comprehensive universities, nine state universities, and nine state colleges.

“I’m honored to serve as the next chair of the Board of Regents. Throughout my tenure, I’ve focused on improving student achievement throughout the state,” Reynolds said. “Earning my degree at Georgia Tech, a USG institution, taught me how valuable a quality education can be. I look forward the road ahead and remain committed to putting students and their families first.”

Reynolds is the Chief Executive Officer of privately held BankSouth Holding Company headquartered in Greene County, Georgia. The company owns and operates BankSouth, BankSouth Mortgage headquartered in Atlanta, Coldwell Banker Lake Oconee Realty, and other subsidiaries.

Governor Zell Miller appointed Reynolds to the State Board of Technical and Adult Education, now known as the Technical College System of Georgia. He served for ten years as the chairperson of the capital outlays committee and a two-year term as board chairman during the thirteen years that he was a board member. Reynolds and his wife, Lesley, reside on Lake Oconee. They have daughter who is a recent college graduate living in New York City and a son attending Southern Methodist University. The family is a member of Lakeside Church.