ASU System Presidential Search Information
Dr. Thomas C. Meredith has served as the head of three university
systems and as a university president during his 36 years in higher education. He has been
the Commissioner of Higher Education for Mississippi’s university system of eight
universities. In January 2002 Meredith was appointed Chancellor for the University System
of Georgia, responsible for the state’s 34 public colleges and universities. Prior to this
appointment, Meredith serviced as Chancellor of the University of Alabama System, as well
as President and professor of educator at Western Kentucky University. He also was Vice
Chancellor at the University of Mississippi. Meredith began his career as a high school
teacher and later as a high school principal. He holds a B.A. from Kentucky Wesleyan
College, an M.S. from Western Kentucky University, an Ed.D. from the University of
Mississippi, and he completed the Institute for Educational Management at Harvard
University and the Higher Education Roundtable at Oxford University.
Dr. Meredith holds two honorary doctorates and has been recognized by his alma maters for
his achievements, including the naming of a building in his honor at Western Kentucky. He
was inducted into the Alabama Academy of Honor and headed the Governor’s task force on
developing and implementing a long term strategic plan for economic development in that
state.
Meredith was president of the National Association of System Heads (NASH). an
organization comprised of the chief executive officers of the 52 public higher education
systems in the United States. He was chair of the American Association of State Colleges and
Universities (AASCU), the first head of a university system to serve in that capacity.
Meredith has also served on the executive committee of the Southern Regional Education
Board (SREB) and has served as the chair of the Council of Presidents in both Alabama and
Kentucky.
Dr. Meredith consults in the areas of presidential mentoring, development and performance
appraisal (over 79 presidents have reported to him); presidential compensation; leadership
training; board development and self evaluation; board relations; executive searches and
multi-institutional system matters.