Community leaders weigh in on search for new Mercer president

<p>Community leaders are weighing in on what kind of person they want to be the next president of Mercer University.</p><p>A search is underway for a replacement for Kirby Godsey, who announced Dec. 2 he would step down in June 2006 after serving in the school's top post for more than 25 years.</p><p>Bob Hatcher, a school trustee and CEO of MidSouth Financial in Macon, said the next Mercer president should have a strong university background and a commitment to the surrounding community.</p><p>"I think we need to find someone who can move Mercer forward," Hatcher said.</p><p>The 68-year-old Godsey has been president of Mercer since 1979 and came to the school in 1977 as executive vice president and dean of the College of Liberal Arts. Mercer's enrollment nearly doubled from 3,800 students to 7,300 during his tenure.</p><p>Jack Mahaney, an assistant professor of engineering at Mercer, said he doesn't think that Mercer's next president needs to be as focused on growth.</p><p>"I don't know if Mercer can grow any more than it already has," Mahaney said. "But at the same time, the stagnating pond is not known for vibrant lifestyles.</p><p>"To keep us going, to keep us vibrant and active in the community will be a challenge," he added. "There aren't that many Kirby Godseys out there."</p><p>Mayor Jack Ellis said a qualified candidate for the job would be someone who is progressive thinking. Ellis cited Carl Patton, president of Georgia State University in Atlanta, and Ruth Simmons, president of Brown University in Providence, R.I., as examples of two others with similar commitments.</p><p>The Georgia Baptist Convention, which has publicly clashed with the outgoing Mercer president over his religious beliefs and administration, said in a statement that it hopes the school seeks a replacement for Godsey that is "best suited to lead the university forward into the 21st century."</p><p>Godsey's battles with Christian fundamentalists had some calling for his resignation in the late 1980s and after he published his 1996 book, "When We Talk About God ... Let's Be Honest."</p><p>A presidential search committee, to be chaired by trustee and Augusta lawyer David Hudson, will be named in January.</p><p>___</p><p>HASH(0x2865c68)</p>

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