Kennesaw State President Betty L. Siegel named influential Georgian

12/5/00 - Georgia Trend Magazine named Kennesaw State University President Betty L. Siegel one of the 100 Most Influential Georgians for 2000.

Siegel, who will celebrate her 20th anniversary at KSU in 2001, is the first woman to head an institution in the 34-unit University System of Georgia. During her administration, the university has grown from a four-year college with an enrollment of 4,000 students and 15 baccalaureate-degree programs to its current university status, attained in 1996, with an all-time high of 13,400 students and 55 graduate and undergraduate programs.

In addition to presiding over the tremendous growth of Kennesaw State, Siegel sits on three corporate boards-AGL Resources Inc, Equifax Inc and National Service Industries. She also serves on a number of community service boards, including Arby's Foundation Inc., Atlanta Ballet, Boy Scouts of Atlanta, CDC Foundation Advisory Board, Cobb Convention and Visitors Bureau, Cobb Symphony Orchestra, Cobb Symposium, Junior Achievement of Georgia, Marietta/Cobb Museum of Art, Northside Hospital Foundation, Safe USA, United Way of Metropolitan Atlanta, U.S. Association of Disabled Athletes and WellStar Health Foundation.

Siegel's plans for the future of KSU include follow-through on a proposal made to the Board of Regents for the university's first on-campus student housing. Additionally, she has been supportive of the new Georgia Teacher Center, housed at KSU. The center will offer opportunities for Georgia's K-12 teachers to acquire the skills and knowledge they need in order to improve public education.

This is the fifth time Siegel has been named to the Georgia Trend list of 100 Most Influential Georgians.