Prigge leaving Georgia State for VP post at Southern Polytechnic
February 16, 2011
ATLANTA – Dr. Bill Prigge, who has been with Georgia State University College of Law since 2003, recently announced he will be leaving the school at the end of February to become the new vice president for business and finance at Southern Polytechnic State University.
Prigge joined the College of Law as Chief Administrative Officer to direct a service-focused organization that provides all administrative support functions to faculty, staff and students. He was subsequently named assistant dean and last year promoted to associate dean for administration and finance.
Prigge said he was torn about the decision, calling it the hardest professional decision he’s ever made. While there were many reasons to go in terms of career advancement and being in the kind of position he’s always wanted, there were equally as many reasons to stay, he said, including the people he has worked with at Georgia State and the college’s plans to build a new building in downtown Atlanta, a project he’s been working on for the last seven years. Prigge called College of Law Dean Steven J. Kaminshine “the best person I’ve ever worked for.”
“I went back and forth for a whole week about going or staying,” he said. “It was a hard decision.”
Prigge looks back with a sense of satisfaction for his time at Georgia State Law. He oversaw numerous expansion and renovation projects at the school. One of the major projects he was an integral part of was the College of Law’s 25th Anniversary, which was celebrated during the 2007-2008 academic year with numerous events, culminating with a gala held at the Atlanta History Center featuring three of Georgia’s former governors among more than 400 attendees.
Dean Kaminshine received the news with mixed feelings – excited for Prigge to pursue an opportunity he richly deserves and saddened by the realization he is losing a valued colleague. He said Prigge leaves behind a legacy of leadership and success.
“Bill has been an invaluable member of our leadership team here at the college,” Kaminshine said. “We will feel his loss, and we will miss him. The consummate professional, Bill comes to work every day always ready to do more than is expected of him – he leads, manages, sees the big picture, tends to detail, sets an example, and gets results.”
While the dean and others may praise his accomplishments at Georgia State, Prigge humbly suggests that he was just doing his job.
“I just come in every day and do whatever has to be done. And I hope that when I leave people will say the College of Law is better today than it was when I got here,” he said. “Having the team that we have here is great, too. They all have been here much longer than me. They all know what to do, they all know how to do it, they all know when to do it, and so my direct reports don’t require a lot of direction because they all know their jobs. They’re the experts; they just get it done.”
Prigge said the new position is a perfect fit for a goal he has had for some time: to be a chief business officer at a small school and be part of a senior leadership team that can help the university achieve its goals. He also feels the same sense of family and community at Southern Polytechnic that he experienced during his time at Georgia State.
“That’s what I’m excited about, being part of that team that helps set the direction for the university and making it happen,” he said. “I’m looking forward to that challenge.”