Investiture Ceremony held for President Schecter, Sixth President of EGSC
Last edited: October 20, 2023 by
East Georgia State College (EGSC) officially installed Dr. David Schecter as its sixth president in an Investiture Ceremony on Friday, October 13. The ceremony was open to the public in the auditorium of the Luck Flanders Gambrell Building on EGSC’s Swainsboro campus.
An Investiture ceremony is counted among the oldest traditions of academia. It is a formal and academic occasion to celebrate a new president’s official installation. Distinguished guests, elected officials, and higher education leaders from around the region gathered with students, employees, alumni, and community partners to show support for the start of Dr. Schecter’s leadership tenure.
The Investiture ceremony was also a celebration of the College’s 50th anniversary. Dr. Schecter selected music from 50 years ago along with a few of his favorite songs to be played during the ceremony. Scholars in Sync and Sounds of Gabriel were the two musical groups that performed the songs during the ceremony.
Scholars in Sync is a quartet of musicians organized for the Investiture. Members of the quartet, Jacob Yarborough, Samantha Glover, and Micah Bonn are all graduates of EGSC. Dr. Alan Brasher is in his twenty-seventh year as an English professor at the College. In his first semester, he initiated Music Makers Anonymous, an unofficial music club which makes groups like this possible.
Sounds of Gabriel started as a gospel workshop choir that was intended to meet once a year. That idea changed quickly due to the invitations that were extended to them.
Their range for music extends to the genres of Gospel, inspirational, soul and jazz.
Members of Sounds of Gabriel that performed at the event were all either alumni of EGSC or current students.
To help celebrate the 50th anniversary of the College, a graduate from each year was invited to represent their graduation year at the Investiture. The graduates were recognized by Dr. Catherine Whelan, Provost and Vice President for Academic and Student Affairs.
During the ceremony special recognition was given to the Mill Creek Foundation for sponsoring the luncheon following the ceremony and to the late Denny Key. Key was a longtime member of the EGSC Foundation and Chair of the Mill Creek Foundation. Richard McNeely, Chair of the EGSC Foundation, and Wade Johnson, EGSC Foundation Trustee and Chair of the Mill Creek Foundation, spoke about Denny Key and his dedication to EGSC and the community.
Dr. Jeremiah Ashcroft, President Emeritus of EGSC, spoke about the history of the college. Dr. Ashcroft also remembered past EGSC presidents Dr. Willie Gunn and Dr. John Black who both passed away this year. He spoke about their leadership and the impact they had on the community, the college, students, faculty, and staff.
University System of Georgia (USG) Regent Harold Reynolds and USG Chancellor Sonny Perdue spoke on behalf of the University System of Georgia. They each spoke about Dr. Schecter’s leadership and dedication to the college.
Dr. Schecter spoke to the group about his life and the influence music had on his education. He shared photos of his childhood with the guests and spoke to them about the future of the college and his leadership.
The Investiture ceremony closed with Sounds of Gabriel and Scholars in Sync joining together to sing a song. A BBQ luncheon followed the ceremony.
Dr. David L. Schecter, a Florida native, holds a Ph.D. in political science from the University of Florida and both a master’s degree in political science and a bachelor’s degree in interdisciplinary studies and history from Florida State University. He also holds an MBA from Fresno State.
Prior to joining East Georgia State College, Dr. Schecter served as provost and senior vice chancellor for Academic Affairs at the University of South Carolina Upstate in Spartanburg, S.C. Dr. Schecter also served as associate vice president for faculty affairs and then vice provost at California State University, Bakersfield. He provided oversight for the university’s Office of Research and Grants as well as the Kegley Institute of Ethics. Before joining the administration at CSU Bakersfield, Dr. Schecter was chair of the Department of Political Science at California State University, Fresno where he was granted tenure as a full professor and earned the Provost’s Award for Faculty Service. He also previously taught at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.
When not working, Dr. Schecter enjoys seeing concerts by his favorite 80s bands, traveling, watching documentaries, and spending time at the beach with friends and family.
The Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia named Dr. Schecter the sixth president of East Georgia State College on January 3, 2022.
For more information about the Investiture ceremony, visit www.ega.edu/investiture.
East Georgia State College would like to thank the Mill Creek Foundation for providing the funds for the community luncheon and Davis Marketing Company for sponsoring the Investiture invitations.
