Thomas H. Jackson Jr.

Tom Jackson, retired Vice President for Public Affairs at the University of Georgia, is a seventh-generation Georgian with interests in higher education, history, and the Methodist church. He holds the Ph.D. in higher education from UGA, a master's in public administration, and a bachelor's in history. A lifelong Methodist, he is grandson of a Methodist minister and great-grandson of Methodist Bishop James E. Dickey, whose service as Emory President and in the church's highest office was subject of Tom's dissertation. A leader in United Methodist laity, he has served in four General Conferences and five Southeastern Jurisdictional Conferences and in numerous other capacities from the local to General church levels. In addition to heading public relations at UGA for 27 years, he has been the stadium "Voice of the Redcoat Band" for 50+ seasons. Tom has served on national committees in the field of higher education marketing and communications, was Athens Bureau Chief for the Atlanta NBC affiliate, WXIA-TV, for eight years, and worked ten years as general manager, news director, and program director for local radio stations. He and his wife, Sharon "Sherry" Jackson, enjoy traveling, having visited all 50 states and 30 countries. They have two grown sons and five lovely grandchildren.