In conjunction with the Governor’s Office, the Georgia Historical Society reestablished the Georgia Trustees as a way of recognizing Georgians whose accomplishments and community service reflect the highest ideals of the founding body of Trustees. The original Georgia Trustees, a governing body chartered and appointed by His Majesty King George II of England in 1732 to establish a new colony in North America, founded Georgia upon the principle of Non Sibi, Sed Aliis, “Not for Self but for Others.” GHS and the Governor’s Office reestablished the Trustees in 2008. The Governor annually appoints new Trustees whose history-making accomplishments and service reflect the original Trustees’ ideals.
Join the Georgia Historical Society and leaders from across the state as we induct the 2024 Georgia Trustees, Ms. Carol Tomé, Chief Executive Officer of United Parcel Service (UPS), and Dr. Louis Sullivan, 17th United States Secretary of Health and Human Services and Founding Dean of the Morehouse School of Medicine, on Saturday, April 27, 2024, in Savannah at the Trustees Gala.
The 2024 Georgia Trustees
Dr. Louis Sullivan
Dr. Louis W. Sullivan was president of Morehouse School of Medicine (MSM) – the only predominantly Black medical school in the U.S. established in the 20th Century – for more than two decades. He became the founding dean and director of the Medical Education Program at Morehouse College in 1975, which became The School of Medicine at Morehouse College in 1978.
Dr. Sullivan left MSM in 1989 to accept an appointment by President George H.W. Bush to serve as the 17th Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, where he led the national efforts to improve the health and health behavior of Americans.
In January 1993, he returned to MSM and resumed the office of president. He retired in 2002 and was appointed president emeritus.
A native of Atlanta, Dr. Sullivan graduated magna cum laude from Morehouse College in 1954, and earned his medical degree, cum laude, from Boston University School of Medicine in 1958. He is certified in internal medicine and hematology, holds a mastership from the American College of Physicians, and is a member of Phi Beta Kappa and Alpha Omega Alpha academic honor societies.
Dr. Sullivan currently is the chairman of the Washington, D.C.-based Sullivan Alliance to Transform the Health Professions. In January 2020, in order to further increase diversity and transform health professions’ education and health delivery systems, the Board of the Sullivan Alliance voted to become a central program of the Association of Academic Health Centers (AAHC). In 2022, the AAHC merged into the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC). He also serves on the boards of United Therapeutics and Emergent Biosolutions, and he is co-chair of the Henry Schein Cares Foundation.
Carol Tomé
Carol B. Tomé is the Chief Executive Officer of UPS. She is the 12th CEO in the 115-year history of the company.
Before joining UPS, Tomé served as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of The Home Depot, Inc., one of the world’s largest retailers. She joined the company in 1995 as Vice President and Treasurer.
Tomé began her career as a commercial lender with United Bank of Denver (now Wells Fargo) and then spent several years as Director of Banking for Johns-Mansville Corporation. Prior to joining The Home Depot, Tomé was Vice President and Treasurer of Riverwood International Corporation.
Tomé serves as board member for Verizon Communications, Inc., board of councilors for the Carter Center and is a board trustee for Grady Memorial Hospital Corporation and the Atlanta Botanical Garden. She is also a member of The Committee of 200, The Buckhead Coalition, and The Business Council.
A native of Jackson, Wyoming, Tomé holds a bachelor’s degree in communication from the University of Wyoming and a master’s degree in finance from the University of Denver.
Previous Inductees:
2024:
- Dr. Louis Sullivan, 17th U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services
- Carol Tomé, CEO of UPS
2023:
- Dan Amos, Chairman and CEO of Aflac Inc.
- Donna Hyland, President and CEO of Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta
2022:
- Dan Cathy, Chairman of Chick-fil-A, Inc.
- Shirley Franklin, Former Mayor of Atlanta and Civic Leader
2021:
- David P. Abney, Former Executive Chairman of the UPS Board of Directors
- Juanita Powell Baranco, Executive Vice President and COO of Baranco Automotive Group
2020:
- Robert L. Brown, Jr., President and CEO of R.L. Brown & Associates, Inc.
- Robert S. Jepson, Jr., Founder and CEO of Jepson Associates, Inc.
2019:
- Frank Blake, Retired Chairman and CEO of The Home Depot
- John Schuerholz, Vice Chairman Emeritus of the Atlanta Braves
2018:
- Edward H. Bastian, CEO of Delta Air Lines
- W. Paul Bowers, Retired Chairman, President, and CEO of Georgia Power
2017:
- F. Duane Ackerman, Retired Chairman of the Board and CEO of BellSouth
- A.D. “Pete” Correll, Retired CEO of Georgia-Pacific
2016:
- James H. Blanchard, Retired Chairman of the Board and CEO of Synovus
- Muhtar Kent, Chairman of the Board and CEO of The Coca-Cola Company
2015:
- Alana Smith Shepherd, Co-founder of the Shepherd Center
- Paula S. Wallace, President and Co-founder of the Savannah College of Art and Design
2014:
- Arthur M. Blank, Co-founder of The Home Depot, Owner of the Atlanta Falcons
- William Porter “Billy” Payne, Former Chairman of the Augusta National Golf Club, Chairman of Centennial Holding Company, LLC
2013:
- Truett Cathy, Founder of Chick-fil-A
- Herman Russell, Founder of H.J. Russell & Company
2012:
- Tom Cousins, Founder of Cousins Properties, Inc., Founder of Purpose Built Communities
- Andrew Young, Former UN Ambassador and Mayor of Atlanta
2011:
- Vincent J. Dooley, Legendary UGA Football Coach
- The Honorable Sam Nunn, Former U.S. Senator
2010:
- Henry “Hank” Aaron, Baseball Legend
- Robert Edward “Ted” Turner, Founder of CNN, Chairman of Turner Enterprises, Inc.
2009:
- Bernard Marcus, Co-founder of The Home Depot
- Marguerite Neel Williams (honored posthumously), Community Volunteer and Philanthropist