Approximately 2,100 students will graduate with associate, baccalaureate, master’s, specialist and doctoral degrees this semester during two ceremonies in Statesboro and Savannah.
The dates and speakers for each ceremony are:
Saturday, December 14 – 2 p.m. — Enmarket Arena in Savannah
For 17 years, Jerald Mitchell (’99) has served as a state leader in economic development. He has been named as one of Georgia Trend’s “100 Most Influential Georgians” for the last four consecutive years, and most recently served as the president and CEO of the Greater Columbus Georgia Chamber of Commerce, which also operated the Development Authority of Columbus. In this role, his focus was driven by growing the local economy through targeted external marketing, advancing various policy initiatives and supporting redevelopment and land activation.
Prior to that, Mitchell served as vice president of economic development for the Atlanta Beltline, Inc., director of innovation for the Savannah Economic Development Authority, and regional project manager for the Georgia Department of Economic Development. In these roles, he directed collaborative initiatives for business attraction, retention, entrepreneurism, redevelopment, infrastructure and placemaking.
Earlier in his career, Mitchell earned first-hand technology and innovation experience through more than a decade in the communications industry with Comcast NBCUniversal and Time Warner where he primarily managed the operational transition of newly acquired assets and executed new product launches.
Mitchell holds an Executive MBA in International Business from the Georgia Institute of Technology and a bachelor’s in economics from Georgia Southern. He continues to serve on various boards in a number of roles, including: Chairman of Leadership Georgia, Georgia Department of Community Affairs board member, past vice chair of the Georgia Public Telecommunications Commission (GPB) and Foundation, Georgia Chamber of Commerce Board of Governors and the Georgia Workforce Investment board.
Tuesday, December 17 – 2 p.m. — Allen E. Paulson Stadium in Statesboro
Bria Janelle (’11) is a renowned figure in sports media, celebrated for her influential voice and multifaceted career spanning more than a decade in sports and entertainment. As the founder of the Bria Janelle Foundation, Inc., established in 2022, she leads initiatives focused on education, inclusivity and community development. Notably, in 2024, her foundation partnered with PGA REACH Georgia for “Her Shot,” a groundbreaking summer golf program aimed at enhancing inclusivity and representation for young women of color, ages 11 to 18, in golf — a sport where less than 2% of women of color receive scholarships.
Bria Janelle, who earned a bachelor’s in general studies from Georgia Southern, serves as arena host for Notre Dame Football, the Chicago Bulls, Premier Soccer League, Overtime Elite, NBA, WNBA and the Atlanta Dream. She has been featured in USA Today, Sports Illustrated, ESPN, Harper’s Bazaar and ELLE, among others.
Her hosting credits include the 2024 NBA All-Star Game, the third annual NBA HBCU Classic, the McDonald’s All-American Game, the Jordan Brand Classic and the Premier League Summer Series, just to name a few.
She was also a member of Georgia Southern Alumni Association’s “40 Under 40” Class of 2024.