The University of South Alabama (USA) Board of Trustees on Wednesday announced that it had named Gov. Kay Ivey’s chief of staff and former congressman Jo Bonner as the university’s new president.
The statesman holds decades of service to the state of Alabama in governmental and educational capacities.
Bonner holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Alabama and an honorary doctorate from USA in recognition of his career of public service. Upon graduating college, Bonner went on to serve as press secretary for U.S. Rep. Sonny Callahan (R-01) before being promoted to chief of staff.
Bonner was elected to Congress in 2002, representing Alabama’s first congressional district, where he served on the influential House Appropriations Committee. He would go on to be appointed by House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) to serve as chairman of the House Ethics Committee. Bonner served five terms in the U.S. House of Representatives and emerged victorious in every election.
The former Gulf Coast congressman played an integral role in recruiting Airbus’ Final Assembly Line to Mobile, which has resulted in over $1 billion worth of investment the aerospace giant has dedicated to South Alabama.
From 2013-2018 Bonner served as vice chancellor for economic development at the University of Alabama System (UAS). During his final year at UAS, he served as interim executive director of the Tuscaloosa County Industrial Development Authority.
Bonner assumed the role of chief of staff for Ivey’s administration in 2019. He has been widely recognized by numerous entities for his years of public service. He earned the No. 3 spot on Yellowhammer Multimedia’s 2021 Power and Influence 40 list.
Jimmy Shumock, chair pro tempore of the USA Board of Trustees, hailed the appointment of Bonner to head the university.
“We are tremendously pleased that our comprehensive national search has resulted in the decision to bring Mr. Bonner to USA as the fourth president in the history of the University,” proclaimed Shumock. “Mr. Bonner is a proven innovator, a skilled administrator and a respected, admired and influential leader in our state. With his leadership, we look forward to the continued elevation of the University of South Alabama’s reputation as a leading academic, research and healthcare institution.”
Bonner expressed gratitude to the USA Board of Trustees for placing faith in him to serve as its institutional leader.
“I am deeply honored by the strong vote of confidence by the Board of Trustees, and I am grateful for the significant input and contributions of many different individuals and constituencies that were a part of this search process,” declared Bonner. “Over the coming days and weeks, I look forward to working with the Board members to better understand their timetable and expectations for helping to move the University of South Alabama to the next level. There is obviously a lot of success and momentum on which to build. For today, however, I remain deeply humbled.”
USA’s 18-member President Search Committee chose Bonner over two additional finalists. The finalists included Dr. Damon Andrew, dean of Florida State University’s College of Education, and Dr. Michael Tidwell, the immediate past president of the University of Texas at Tyler.
President Search Committee chair Alexis Atkins asserted that Bonner’s years leadership experience will prove beneficial to USA.
“There are few people who know the State of Alabama as well as Jo Bonner,” stated Atkins. “His leadership experience and knowledge of the state and the region, along with the relationships he has built throughout his distinguished career, will greatly benefit the growth and improvement of the University of South Alabama in the years ahead.”
According to USA, the board will formally introduce Bonner as president at its next regular board meeting on December 2.
Dylan Smith is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @DylanSmithAL
