ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) -- The University System of Georgia (USG) will begin searching for a new chancellor following Wednesday's announcement that former Gov. Sonny Perdue is retiring from the position.
The Board of Regents will launch a national search for the system's next chancellor, and Perdue will continue to serve until a successor is named, they said.
"Serving as chancellor has been one of the most impactful roles of my life, and stepping away is not a decision I make lightly," Perdue said. "From Houston County to the governor's office to Washington and back home again, my career has been guided by a simple belief: public service is a calling, and we're meant to lift others and leave things better than we found them.
"As I prepare to retire, I'm grateful for our presidents, faculty and staff, our students and the many communities that make up this remarkable system," Perdue said. "USG is a family, and I know it will continue to thrive, grow and serve Georgia."
Earlier this week, the USG Board of Regents voted to raise tuition rates for the 2026-2027 academic year. Under the new rules, tuition for in-state undergraduate students will increase by 1%. For out-of-state and out-of-country students, the rate increase is 3%.
Tuesday's vote was the fourth time in 10 years the board has approved limited tuition increases.
Perdue's political career began in the 1980s on the Houston County Planning and Zoning Board. The one-time Democrat was first elected to the state Senate in 1991, where he later chaired the Senate Higher Education Committee and served as Senate President Pro Tempore.
In 2003, Perdue became the first Republican governor of Georgia since Reconstruction, defeating Democratic incumbent Roy Barnes. Perdue would serve two terms as governor and was succeeded by Nathan Deal.
During President Donald Trump's first administration, Perdue served as the nation's 31 U.S. Secretary of Agriculture. In 2018, he served as designated survivor during President Trump's State of the Union address.
Perdue has served as USG's 14th chancellor since April 1, 2022.
"Serving as chancellor was one of the most impactful roles of his career, and he leaves a legacy of expanding higher ed access in Georgia," Gov. Brian Kemp said on X. "Under his leadership, the system has seen record enrollment, modernized campuses and advanced medical education, including the launch of UGA's new School of Medicine."
Born in Perry, Georgia, and raised on a farm in Bonaire, Perdue is a veterinarian and agribusiness owner who graduated from Warner Robins High School and earned his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from the University of Georgia.
He is a veteran, having served 4 years in the U.S. Air Force. He is married to the former Mary Ruff, also a UGA graduate. They have four children, 14 grandchildren and one great-grandchild and have served as foster parents to children awaiting adoption.