University System of Georgia (USG) Chancellor Sonny Perdue today named John Fuchko III as interim president of Dalton State College, effective June 1.
Fuchko will serve upon the retirement of Dalton State President Margaret H. Venable, whose final day at the college will be May 31. A presidential search committee formed in March has begun a national search and will recommend candidates to the system’s Board of Regents for consideration as the college’s next president.
Fuchko currently serves as interim president at Columbus State University, where a new president has been named. He has been with USG for more than 16 years.
“Dr. Fuchko has outstanding experience as a campus leader and with the university system office, and will serve Dalton State and its students, faculty and staff well in the interim,” Perdue said. “We appreciate his willingness to step into the role and are very grateful to President Venable, who spent more than 30 years making the university system better. Her leadership of Dalton State over the past eight years has helped make the college one of the top state colleges in the Southeast. We thank her for her service and hope she enjoys her well-earned retirement.”
Fuchko’s most recent role at the university system office is as vice chancellor for organizational effectiveness, overseeing strategic implementation, accreditation, athletics, ethics and risk and various other administrative functions. Having joined the staff of USG’s Office of Internal Audits in July 2006, Fuchko previously served as USG’s chief audit officer and vice chancellor for internal audit, which included responsibility for 25 campus audit shops and 80 professional staff.
A decorated colonel in the Georgia Army National Guard, Fuchko is the commander of the 122nd Regiment (Regional Training Institute). His two decades of service have included roles such as battalion commander for the 221st Expeditionary Military Intelligence Battalion and two deployments to the Middle East.
“I’m looking forward to joining the Dalton State community and working with faculty and staff as we continue to serve the college’s hard-working students and keep them headed for success,” Fuchko said. “President Venable has done an incredible job, and I appreciate Chancellor Perdue’s confidence in me to take on this role as the search committee and the Board of Regents do their work.”
Fuchko has been an officer and board member for several nonprofits to include service as a trustee at his parish Epiphany Byzantine Catholic Church. He is currently the chair for the Center for Family Resources.
A Georgia native, Fuchko holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from Kennesaw State University. He earned an MBA at Georgia State University, a master’s degree in strategic intelligence at the National Intelligence University, a master’s degree in strategic studies from the U.S. Army War College and a doctorate in education at the University of Georgia. He also holds multiple professional certifications. He and his wife Sherie have 12 toddler- to college-aged children.