The Georgia Trustees

The highest honor the State of Georgia can confer.

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.

View the Georgia Trustees brochure

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.

The 2027
Georgia Trustees

Shan Cooper

Shan Cooper created a name for herself as the Vice President and General Manager of Lockheed Martin and Chief Transformation Officer of Westrock. With a career spanning over 30 years, she has honed a diverse skill set that she now leverages as the driving force behind Journey Forward Strategies LLC, where she delivers sustainable results for her clients. Throughout her career, her core focus has remained the intersection of business and people strategies, as she recognizes that the two are inextricably linked and must be considered and nurtured in tandem. It’s with this perspective that Shan lives out her mission to equip every person, no matter their background or role, with the tools needed to prepare for, face, and recover from adversity and steer their ship forward.

As the former Chief Transformation Officer of WestRock, Cooper played a pivotal role in developing the infrastructure and processes essential for business growth during periods of fast-paced mergers and acquisitions. She also led divisions such as Recycling and Waste Services, Enterprise Logistics, Global Procurement, and Information Technology. Prior to this, her role as Vice President and General Manager at Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company showcased her expertise in leading operations and business ethics. While at Lockheed, Shan also served as the first Corporate Vice President of Diversity and Equal Opportunity, where she led the company’s cultural transformation to a new age of inclusivity and equality.

Throughout her career, Shan Cooper has faced unimaginable change and adversity head on. She’s led organizations through challenges from tense labor negotiations to a tragic mass shooting. She has endured her fair share of personal adversity as well, oftentimes being the only woman in the room and even once being demoted. These experiences and more molded Shan into the even-tempered executive and transformational thought leader she is today and her career has been a display of proficiency and fearless leadership.

Cooper’s influence extends to various boards, including Intercontinental Exchange, Inc., SouthState Corporation, Veritiv Corporation, and Southern Company. She’s also deeply engaged in institutions such as Grady Health System, Emory University, Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI), Georgia Historical Society, and more. She currently serves as a senior advisor to McKinsey & Company, where she previously served as an executive coach for the company. Her accolades, from the National Philanthropy Day Volunteer of the Year Award to the Women of Influence Lifetime Achievement Award, underscore her contributions to business and society. Armed with degrees from Emory University and Rutgers University, Cooper continues to inspire as a transformational thought leader with an unyielding commitment to empowering individuals and organizations alike.

Doug Hertz

Douglas J. Hertz is Chairman and CEO of United Distributors, Inc. A native Atlantan, Hertz attended Westminster High School and then Tulane University, earning a BA in history, and an MBA in accounting and finance.

He began his professional career with KPMG in New Orleans. Returning to Atlanta, he joined United Distributors, becoming its President and CEO in 1984. Under his leadership, United experienced tremendous growth and is one of the top privately held companies in Georgia. The Atlanta Business Chronicle has consistently named Hertz as one of Atlanta’s 100 most influential individuals. The Governor appointed him to the Georgia Ports Authority Board in 2019 where he continues to serve.

Hertz is also Chairman of Camp Twin Lakes, a camping facility he founded in 1989. The camp is designed for, and serves, nearly 13,000 special needs children and adults annually. He serves on the Boards of Atlanta Committee for Progress, Narrative Content Group, and is a past Chairman of Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, Georgia Research Alliance, SouthState Bank, Woodruff Arts Center, a past president of The Temple, and a past director of Georgia Power Company. Mr. Hertz currently serves as a trustee for the Marcus Foundation and the Holly Lane Foundation. He has served on the Board of his Alma Mater, Tulane University, for fifteen years, serving as its Chairman from 2017-2020.

Hertz was a recent recipient of the prestigious Ellis Island Medal of Honor, as well as the the 2012 Atlanta Rotary Club’s Community Service Award, the Eleven Alive Community Service Award, and the Jefferson Award in Washington, D.C., as one of 20 in the country, for distinguished service to children. He was inducted into the Junior Achievement Atlanta Business Hall of Fame and was the recipient of the 2020 Four Pillar Award. Georgia Trend Magazine named him the state’s most respected business leader in 2018.Hertz and his wife, Lila, were honored by the Georgia Association of Philanthropy as the 2017 Philanthropists of the Year.