Brian Foster

J. Paul Hansen

Hart Williford

Community Leaders Join AASU Board of Trustees

SAVANNAH, Ga.–– The Armstrong Atlantic State University Foundation Board of Trustees has announced that three community leaders— Brian R. Foster, FCB Financial Corporation and First Chatham Bank; J. Paul Hansen, Hansen Architects; and S. Hart Williford, H.O. Systems/VeriSign—have been named to its twenty-four member board of trustees.

"These community leaders have joined the board during an exciting time of change and expansion at the university," said Stephen S. Green, president of the AASU Foundation Board and owner of Stephen Green Properties. "The faculty and administration have made tremendous strides in defining strategic directions for the university. The promotion and support of these initiatives is one of the board’s top priorities."

The foundation’s primary purpose is to acquire and administer funds and gifts for the support of the university and its programs. The foundation provides more than $300,000 annually to enhance academic and service programs. During the last six years, the net assets of the foundation have increased from nearly $300,000 to more than $3 million.

A recognized leader within the banking industry, Foster currently serves as chairman, president, and CEO of FCB Financial Corporation and First Chatham Bank. He is chairman of the CEO Council of the Savannah Area Chamber of Commerce, a board member and past chairman of Savannah Economic Development Authority, and a board member of Parent and Child Development Services. Foster also is a member of the Chatham Club and formerly served as president of the Savannah Rotary Club.

Hansen has carried on the tradition of Hansen Architects for more than three decades as the director of architectural services. Under his leadership, the firm has received numerous awards and has been featured in a variety of national publications, including Southern Living's Georgia Living: People and Places. Hansen serves on the board of directors of the Savannah Area Chamber of Commerce and is a member of the Georgia Hospital Association. He is a member of the Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation and the South Georgia Chapter of the American Institute of Architects, which recently elected him to its College of Fellows for his notable contributions to the advancement of the architecture profession.

Williford has served as president of H.O. Systems/VeriSign since joining the company in 1999, following a career spanning more than twenty-five years in corporate management and international business. He is a member of the board of directors of the Savannah Area Chamber of Commerce and Savannah Onstage, the sponsor of the Savannah International Arts Festival. Williford serves on the advisory boards of the Savannah Economic Development Authority and the School of Information Technology at Georgia Southern University and is a member of the Business, Education, and Technology Alliance of Southeast Georgia and the Downtown Rotary.

Additionally, the AASU Board of Trustees has renewed the terms of three trustees— Don Waters, president/CEO of Brasseler, USA; Millicent Melaver, corporate officer of Melaver, Inc.; and Robert W. Groves III, chairman of the board of Strachan Shipping Co, Inc. Each will serve a second, three-year term.

The Board of Trustees is a non-profit Georgia corporation designated to receive charitable contributions on behalf of the university. The officers and board of directors regulate and supervise its activities.

Roster of Foundation Board Trustees
Stephen S. Green, President
Don Waters, Immediate Past President
C. Leary Bell, Exec. Vice President, Ex-Officio
David H. Dickey, Vice President
O. Raymond Gaster, Secretary
Frank P. Rossiter, Treasurer
Melinda Thomas, Assistant Treasurer, Ex-Officio
Floyd Adams, Jr., Ex-Officio
Thomas C. Bordeaux
Patrick Burk, Ex-Officio
Thomas J. Dillon
Andrew H. Ernst
Robert W. Groves III
Millicent Melaver
Howard J. Morrison, Jr.
W. Ray Persons
Philip Solomons, Jr.
Irving Victor, Ex-Officio
Dalton R. Ward
Spencer M. Wheeler