A Change in Leadership at Savannah State University in Georgia

Kimberly Ballard-Washington has resigned as president of Savannah State University in Georgia. In an email to the campus community. President Ballard-Washington stated “that it has been my goal to ensure we are preparing well-rounded citizens to send into the world, while also creating a good work-life balance for our employees. Recently, I have found it more challenging to reach the goals due to personal issues I have been experiencing.”

Ballard Washington was named interim president of the university in 2019 and was made permanent president in 2021. She is a native of Montezuma, Georgia. She earned a bachelor’s degree at the University of Georgia and a law degree at Texas Southern University in Houston.

The University System of Georgia named Cynthia Robinson Alexander as interim president of Savannah State University. She has been serving as associate vice chancellor for finance at the University System of Georgia. She joined the university system in 2009.

“Savannah State has a long and distinguished history of academic achievements and student success, and faculty, staff, and alumni have put a lot of time and effort into making sure that proud tradition is secured well into the future,” Alexander said. “I am honored to help lead the university to even greater success. I look forward to joining the Savannah State University team and building on the work of President Ballard-Washington to recruit and retain future graduates of the oldest institution of higher learning in the city.”

Alexander holds a bachelor’s degree in urban studies from Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island. She earned a master’s degree in city and regional planning with a concentration in real estate development and finance from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University and a juris doctorate from Boston University.