East Georgia State College (EGSC) hosted an Arbor Day Tree Planting Celebration on Tuesday, February 13, in memory of EGSC past president, Dr. John Black. The event was held on the EGSC Swainsboro campus behind the Luck F. Gambrell Building.
Dr. John Black served as the fourth president of East Georgia College for seven years. Under Dr. Black’s leadership, East Georgia College experienced monumental growth, including student enrollment, the addition of athletics, expanded facilities on the main campus in Swainsboro, a permanent facility in Statesboro, and its first on-campus apartment facility. Additionally, East Georgia College was approved by the Board of Regents to become a state college.
At the event, Dr. David Chevalier, EGSC’s Associate Vice President for Academics, welcomed the guests in attendance. Matthew O’Connor, a management forester with the Georgia Forestry Commission, spoke next about the history of Arbor Day and the selection of the Black Gum Tupelo tree. Dr. John Derden, Professor Emeritus at EGSC, and David Gribbin, EGSC Director of Strategic Planning and Institutional Research, spoke about Dr. Black’s service to the community and the college. They shared stories about Dr. Black and his success. To conclude the ceremony, Cheryl Goodman, a member of the EGSC Tree Campus Advisory Committee, invited Ms. Dorothy Black to help unveil the commemorative sign that was placed at the base of the tree.
About Tree Campus Higher Education:
East Georgia State College has been recognized as a Tree Campus Higher Education since 2017. This designation from the Arbor Day Foundation is awarded to universities and colleges across the United States for promoting healthy trees and student engagement on campus. To obtain this distinction, the college met the five core standards for an effective campus forest management, including establishment of a tree advisory committee, evidence of a campus tree-care plan, dedicated annual expenditures for its campus tree program, an Arbor Day observance, and the sponsorship of student service-learning projects.
