The Georgia Trustees
The highest honor the State of Georgia can confer.
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.
On April 27, 2024, Governor Brian Kemp and the Georgia Historical Society inducted Carol Tomé, CEO of UPS, and Dr. Louis Sullivan, founding Dean of the Morehouse School of Medicine and 17th U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services, as modern-day Georgia Trustees at the Trustees Gala in Savannah. The elegant evening included a lively conversation with the inductees—two exemplary Georgians whose history-making accomplishments and service reflect the original Trustees’ ideals.
2024 Trustees Gala
Saturday | April 27, 2024 | 7:00 p.m.
Hyatt Regency Savannah | 2 W. Bay Street | Savannah, Georgia
Featuring the Office of the Governor’s induction of the
2024 Georgia Trustees
The 2024 Georgia Trustees
Louis W. Sullivan, M.D., 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 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.
Learn More About the 2024 Georgia Trustees
The 2024 Georgia Trustees are profiled in the February issue of Georgia Trend magazine.
Previous Inductees
2024
17th U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services
CEO of UPS
2023
Chairman and CEO of Aflac Inc.
President and CEO of Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta
2022
Former Mayor of Atlanta and Civic Leader
Chairman of Chick-fil-A, Inc.
2021
Former Executive Chairman of the UPS Board of Directors
Executive Vice President and COO of Baranco Automotive Group
2020
President and CEO of R.L. Brown & Associates, Inc.
Founder and CEO of Jepson Associates, Inc.
2019
Retired Chairman and CEO of The Home Depot
Vice Chairman Emeritus of the Atlanta Braves
2018
CEO of Delta Air Lines
Retired Chairman, President, and CEO of Georgia Power
2017
Retired Chairman of the Board and CEO of BellSouth
Retired CEO of Georgia-Pacific
2016
Retired Chairman of the Board and CEO of Synovus
Chairman of the Board and CEO of The Coca-Cola Company
2015
Co-founder of the Shepherd Center
President and Co-founder of the Savannah College of Art and Design
2014
Co-founder of The Home Depot, Owner of the Atlanta Falcons
Former Chairman of the Augusta National Golf Club, Chairman of Centennial Holding Company, LLC
2013
Founder of Chick-fil-A
Founder of H.J. Russell & Company
2012
Founder of Cousins Properties, Inc., Founder of Purpose Built Communities
Former UN Ambassador and Mayor of Atlanta
2011
Legendary UGA Football Coach
Former U.S. Senator
2010
Baseball Legend
Founder of CNN, Chairman of Turner Enterprises, Inc.
2009
Co-founder of The Home Depot
(honored posthumously), Community Volunteer and Philanthropist
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