Meet The President

Cynthia Robinson Alexander, J.D. 
Interim President of Savannah State University

Since beginning her tenure as Interim President of Savannah State University on July 1, 2023, Cynthia Robinson Alexander has pursued her vision to attract, retain and graduate students at Georgia’s oldest public Historically Black College and University (HBCU).

Leveraging her extensive financial background — most recently as the Associate Vice Chancellor of Finance for the University System of Georgia (USG) Board of Regents — Alexander commenced this process by stabilizing the university budget. As an expert in fiscal management and portfolio strategy, she systematically reassessed and streamlined underperforming budget items to create space for future growth and development.

Interim President Alexander drew upon her three decades of leadership experience in both business and higher education, to design and implement a shared governance framework. This initiative empowered students, faculty and administrators to collectively assume responsibility for the institution’s success. Central to this framework was the establishment of the SSU Forward Committee, a collaborative body designed to address key issues, gather input and develop innovative solutions. The committee, which comprises representatives from the student body, faculty across all four colleges, administrators and alumni, reports directly to the President and SSU leadership, thereby enhancing the institution’s responsiveness to the needs of its community. Alexander also maintains an open-door policy with students, faculty and alumni operating under the principle that “it takes a village.”

With the university’s financial foundation secure and strong relationships with the campus community firmly established, Alexander championed recruitment efforts and spearheaded initiatives aimed at increasing enrollment – a goal achieved for the first time since 2019. Concurrently, she revitalized the Student Success Center ensuring that newly enrolled students would have the support of skilled counselors and advisors as they navigated their academic journeys with a focus on successful graduation.

While bolstering recruitment and student services, Alexander also cultivated several strategic partnerships at local, national and international levels to enhance the educational offerings at SSU. During her tenure, numerous academic departments launched new programs designed to meet the demands of emerging and lucrative industries, ensuring the continued employability of future graduates.  A notable achievement was the expansion of the College of Education to include elementary education, addressing the growing need for qualified teachers in this critical field. Furthermore, SSU joined the Georgia Film Consortium, a pioneering, state-wide initiative that provides professional courses in film, television, digital entertainment, esports, and game development. Additionally, SSU’s Forensic Science program secured nearly $900,000 in funding from the U.S. Department of Education’s Minority Engineering and Improvement Program to develop a new Forensic Toxicology track, addressing the urgent need for expertise in the face of increased overdose deaths and drug-related crime. On the international stage, SSU became the exclusive HBCU partner of the King and Queen of the Netherlands, opening the door for increased foreign exchange and internship opportunities.

Alexander also oversaw significant campus improvements and beautification efforts. Among the most prominent projects was the renovation of T.A. Wright Stadium, which received new turf through a $1.1 Million grant from the Arthur Blank Foundation, NFL Foundation, and Local Initiatives Support Corporation. Additionally, the USG approved a $300,000 master plan to address flooding, power outages and humidity issues on campus, while a $7 million HVAC capital improvement project was greenlit to enhance the university’s resilience to environmental challenges. SSU was also awarded a $60,000 Campus Improvement Grant from The Home Depot Retool Your School program, the largest grant received by the university to date, which supports sustainable campus improvements for HBCUs.

As Interim President, Alexander has successfully instituted several initiatives that position SSU for continued growth and excellence. Prior to this role, she spent 14 years leading complex financial and business operations for USG, where she played a central role in addressing fiscal and facility challenges across all 26 public institutions. She worked closely with institutional presidents, chief business officers, fiscal and facility teams, foundations, internal USG staff and external stakeholders including other state agencies, rating agencies, banks, and financial institutions overseeing policy, procedure and financing of facilities within the USG Foundation’s portfolio.

Before her tenure with the Board of Regents, Alexander held senior leadership positions, including Senior Vice President at Sumitomo Life Realty, where she managed fiscal, portfolio management, and investment activities across multiple U.S. cities, including Washington, D.C., Atlanta, and Los Angeles.

Interim President Alexander holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Urban Studies from Brown University, where she became a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. She later earned a Master of City and Regional Planning from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University and a Juris Doctor from Boston University.

An alumna of Leadership Atlanta and the USG Executive Leadership Institute, Alexander has served on the boards of the Atlanta Chapter of Big Brothers Big Sisters and Commercial Real Estate Women (CREW), where she also served as president. She is a lifetime member of Jack and Jill of America and was actively involved in Mt. Zion AME Church in Decatur, Georgia for several decades. Throughout her distinguished career, Alexander has received numerous accolades, including recognition as one of the “10 Women to Watch” and the “Who’s Who in Commercial Real Estate.”

Interim President Alexander is married to Charles Barnett Alexander, and they have two adult sons.