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LaGrange College’s Board of Trustees has elected Kathy Reese McCollum ’81, M’17 as its new chair.

McCollum, who succeeds Bobby Carmichael Jr., is the first woman to lead the board in the history of the institution.

“I am honored to serve as chair of the board and look forward to working with fellow trustees who are dedicated to LaGrange College,” she said.

Carmichael said McCollum is a good fit for the position.

“She has the business experience, is a LaGrange College graduate and has served in almost every volunteer role on campus,” he said. “The future of the college is in good hands with her as our chair.”

McCollum first joined the board as an ex officio member after serving as president of the Alumni Association from 1995-1998.

In 2007, she officially joined the board as a new trustee.

After her two consecutive terms ended in 2015, she was invited to return in 2016. McCollum has served on the Enrollment and Student Affairs committees, now known as the Enrollment and Student Engagement Committee.

She earned a bachelor’s degree in mathematics and Christian education from LaGrange College, a master’s degree in business administration from Wesleyan College and a master’s degree in philanthropy and development from LaGrange College.

For 34 years, McCollum worked in the telecommunications industry for Southern Bell, BellSouth, and AT&T, beginning as an outside plant engineer and ending as director of outside plant construction for the state of Georgia. Her jobs were based in Dublin, Atlanta, Rome, Augusta and Macon.

After leaving AT&T in 2015, she made the transition to non-profit management and is currently the president and CEO of Middle Georgia Community Food Bank in Macon.

In her spare time, she enjoys reading, traveling and cheering on the LaGrange College Panthers.