Sonny Perdue announced he will retire from his role as leader of the University System of Georgia, stepping down after four years. The USG board said it will launch a national search for his replacement and indicated Perdue will remain as chancellor until a successor is named. Perdue was selected in 2022 and entered the sector from a long political career, including two terms as governor of Georgia and U.S. Secretary of Agriculture under the first Trump administration. Under his leadership, the board cited three conservative years of fall enrollment highs and installed 14 university presidents. USG also accelerated system-level initiatives, including support for a conservative championed regional accreditation strategy and a previously approved plan to consolidate East Georgia State College into Georgia Southern University. The chancellor transition sets up an immediate governance and leadership planning test across USG’s 25 institutions.