President Leaving Chatt Tech

is about to lose the man who made it into the largest technical college in Georgia.

Sanford Chandler, who has been the Marietta-based college’s president since November 2008 and oversaw the merger of Chattahoochee, North Metro and Appalachian technical colleges into a single eight-campus entity serving six counties in 2009, is leaving Oct. 1 to become the Technical College System of Georgia’s assistant commissioner for global initiatives.

“I’m excited about this new opportunity but would be remiss if I didn’t comment on what an extraordinary two years it has been merging three great technical colleges,” Chandler said in a statement released by the college Thursday afternoon.

Chattahoochee Provost Ron Newcomb will become interim president.

Chandler’s new job puts him in charge of the Technical College System’s International Center for Technical Education, an initiative announced Thursday to improve the system’s image and expand its connections around the world.

“The International Center for Technical Education will strengthen the overall mission of the TCSG to create a competitive workforce in Georgia,” system Commissioner Ron Jackson said in a statement. “Our plan is to forge international partnerships that will enable the TCSG to solidify its goal of becoming a global leader in technical education.”

Jackson cited Chandler’s at Chattahoochee Tech, such as increased international enrollment.

Chandler has guided cooperative agreements between Chattahoochee Tech and:

• Changzhou College of Information Technology and Sanjiang University in China.
• Hanyang Women’s University in South Korea.
• Tabuk Community College, Tabuk University, Jeddah Community College and Abdullah Aziz University in Saudi Arabia.

Chattahoochee Tech also is assisting a nursing program in Kenya and is negotiating to work with a nursing program in Jordan.

“I’m looking forward to this new challenge and continuing to make a difference in the lives of students here and abroad. It’s my hope that this international initiative will ultimately help to improve the economic and workforce development of our state,” Chandler said.

He will leave Chattahoochee Tech a far different place from what he found in 2008 when he left the presidency of Appalachian Tech after five years.

Since the merger, enrollment has swelled to more than 20,000, largest among the 25 colleges in the state two-year college system, and it graduated its in the spring. It also moved to a semester system this fall.

The college has raised its profile with an intercollegiate athletic program, including and , and has improved facilities, such as a new sports weight room.

It just announced this week.

“I am very proud of our accomplishments during this challenging economic period,” Chandler said. “We not only maintained employees, but also increased faculty and staff. … Our faculty and staff developed strong working relationships that I am confident will contribute to the future success of Chattahoochee Tech.”

That future, at least for now, is in the hands of Newcomb, who also served as interim president at North Metro Technical College when it merged with Chattahoochee Tech. He became provost and executive vice president after the merger.

In addition to several positions in the administration at North Metro in Acworth, Newcomb served as an assistant for education research and policy to two governors, Joe Frank Harris and Roy Barnes.

He received his bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees from the University of Georgia.

No process is in place to search for a permanent president at Chattahoochee Tech, technical system spokesman Mike Light said. When Jackson is ready to start the search, he'll develop a process.