Recap: Lessons from a President and his Prose
Mapping the road ahead—technology, trust, and transformation.
Learning to Advocate with Exposition
It was during the Great Recession—when higher education budgets were shrinking and uncertainty was everywhere—that I saw the true power of the written word. I was working at Pepperdine, and Andy Benton was president. Andy could be commanding, even intimidating. But beneath that no-nonsense style was a leader with deep conviction and a fierce love for what made the university special.
Andy didn’t just lead through decisions—he led through writing. In good times, he used prose to cast vision and celebrate progress. But in hard times, it became something more: a way to steady the institution, to name what mattered, and to draw people together. He didn’t retreat behind closed doors. He kept writing—clearly, candidly, with a sense of moral responsibility. That experience shaped me. It taught me that writing isn’t just communication—it’s leadership.
That’s why, each year, I write an annual planning memorandum. It’s a practice I’ve carried into my work at the University of Georgia and the University System of Georgia—part reflection, part roadmap, part thank you. The memo looks back on where we’ve been and lays out where we’re going, not as a list of tasks, but as an invitation to shared purpose.
A Roadmap for the Year Ahead
This year’s planning memo touches on several core priorities:
Unified ERP: We’ve moved from vision to execution, with a Workday agreement in place and implementation work underway.
Enterprise data strategy: We’re transitioning to Power BI, refining our warehouses, and asking tough questions about structure and focus.
Cybersecurity and resilience: From a major storage failure to a security breach, we’ve responded with discipline—and used each event to get stronger.
AI adoption: We’re pushing beyond the hype, investing in responsible, everyday tools—and asking every team member to begin exploring how AI can reshape their work.
One of the most important sections in the memo lays out what I call our “AI-infused future.” It’s a challenge for every employee—not just technologists—to start using AI, experimenting, and asking questions. This isn’t just about efficiency. It’s about shaping a new culture of work, one where we lead with intention rather than react with fear.
2025 Annual Planning Memorandum for UGA EITS and USG ITS
The full memo is linked above, and it’s worth reading—not just for the initiatives it outlines, but for the cultural and strategic posture it reflects. It invites staff, faculty, and leaders across the system to think critically about their role in the future of public higher education. If it prompts questions, disagreement, or new ideas, those are welcome outcomes. Vision becomes reality not through top-down direction, but through the steady, shared work of people committed to evolving their institutions with clarity, courage, and care.