After a nationwide search, Dr. Bill McKinney has received the recommendation as the finalist for VSU’s next president.

 Don Leebern, chair of the Special Regents’ Committee for the presidential search at VSU, and University System of Georgia (USG) Chancellor Hank Huckaby  announced the recommendation in a press release Friday.
 McKinney said that he is both very excited and humbled by the recommendation.

 “I want the student body to know that when I made the decision years ago to move into administration, and away from being a fulltime faculty member, I did it with the idea not to get away from students but to help as many students as I could,” he said.

 McKinney added, “…[H]opefully, if all goes the way I hope that it does and I become VSU’s next president, the students need to know that I will be accessible, that universities exists for our students. And as a president I take that very, very seriously and I look forward to getting to meet all of our students.”

 The Board of Regents still has to vote on his recommendation, but McKinney is the sole finalist.

 If approved, he will take over as President on July 1.