Georgia Southern University President Kyle Marrero has been named as one of Georgia’s 100 Most Influential Leaders in 2025 by Georgia Trend. This marks the eighth time he has been included on one of Georgia Trend’s ‘Most Influential Georgians’ lists since 2015.
“I would like to thank Georgia Trend for this distinct honor,” stated Marrero. “I am humbled to be included on a list of impactful educational and thought leaders from around the state.”
Marrero began his tenure as Georgia Southern’s president in 2019. In this role, he leads the Eagle Nation, a Carnegie R2 institution, with more than 27,500 students and 3,000 faculty and staff on three campuses – Statesboro, Savannah and Hinesville, Georgia – with learning centers in Wexford, Ireland, and Fort Stewart-Hunter Army Airfield.
“Georgia Trend is honoring 100 noteworthy people on our annual list of Most Influential Georgians,” wrote Georgia Trend managing editor Kathleen Conway. “In addition to helping Georgia residents through education, innovation and job creation, these leaders also serve on boards and foundations and make a positive impact on the state.”
Under Marrero’s direction, Georgia Southern has established a culture of high performance and evidence-based leadership focused on data-informed decision-making and communication transparency. As a result, the University has accrued record-breaking numbers in private fundraising, faculty-research expenditures and awards, post-consolidation enrollment, graduation rates and an economic impact of more than $1.1 billion to the region.
Marrero is also directing transformational initiatives for the University, including “Soaring to R1,” which maps the organizational alignment and institutional progress to gain Carnegie R1 status by 2028. Additionally, he is committed to leading the charge for the University’s first-ever comprehensive capital campaign, “Together We Soar,” which is ahead of schedule to raise $125 million by the end of this academic year.
Beyond the realm of Georgia Southern, Marrero’s leadership influence extends to his positions on the boards of the Georgia Chamber of Commerce, Regional Industry Support Enterprise (RISE), Junior Achievement of Georgia, the Statesboro-Bulloch County Chamber of Commerce, the Savannah Area Chamber of Commerce, World Trade Center Savannah and East Georgia Regional Medical Center. He also leads the Regional Educational Collaborative alongside Bulloch County and Chatham County educational leadership and serves as the president of the CEOs for the Sun Belt Conference.
