James MagazineJames_July-August_2026_web - Flipbook - Page 49
WHEN DR. GEORJ L. LEWIS
talks about higher education, he
rarely begins with buildings, rankings or enrollment numbers. Instead, he talks about purpose. For
Lewis, education has never simply
been about degrees or credentials.
It has always been about transformation— opening doors, changing
family trajectories, and creating
opportunities that extend well beyond a single generation.
That perspective has been
shaped by nearly three decades
in higher education. When joining
Clayton State University as its
sixth president in February 2023,
Lewis brought with him 28 years
of experience serving students
at every level of university leadership. His career began in admissions and enrollment, where
he coordinated minority recruitment efforts before moving into
multicultural affairs leadership
positions at Edinboro University of
Pennsylvania and Georgia Southern University.
Over the years, Lewis advanced through increasingly
senior roles, serving as dean of
students at Georgia Southern
University, vice chancellor for
Student Affairs at Indiana University Northwest, vice president for
Student Affairs at Armstrong State
University and later vice president
for Student Affairs at Georgia
Southern. In 2019, he was selected
to serve as interim president of
Atlanta Metropolitan State College
and was subsequently named the
institution’s fourth president.
A native of southwestern Pennsylvania, he holds degrees from
Edinboro University and a doctorate in Educational Leadership from
Georgia Southern University.
Located in metro Atlanta’s rapidly growing southern crescent,
Clayton State serves a student
population that reflects the changing face of both Georgia and the
modern workforce— first-generation college students, working
adults, transfer students and students balancing careers and family
responsibilities while pursuing
higher education.
“Our students deserve the very
best,” Lewis said. “Clayton State
has an opportunity to serve as a
catalyst for achievement, opportunity and transformation.”
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