Suzanne Tatum named assistant vice president of protocol and special events

AUGUSTA, Ga.—Suzanne Tatum, former assistant vice president for external affairs and chief protocol officer at Georgia Southern University, has been named Augusta University’s assistant vice president of protocol and special events.

Created as part of the reorganization of the university’s Office of Advancement, the position will report to the Executive Vice President for External Affairs and Chief of Staff to the President, and have responsibility for developing programs and events in support of university priorities, creating opportunities for community and statewide involvement, and establishing consistent operating practices across the university.

In addition, the position will represent the university’s senior leadership at programs pertaining to government relations as well as oversee special events for dignitaries, foreign visitors, government officials, members of the military, and other constituencies.

“I have worked closely with Suzanne in the past and I can personally speak to her professionalism, character, and her success in building relationships in the capitol, in the state and in our communities,” said Russell Keen, EVP for External Affairs and Chief of Staff to the President. “Suzanne is an experienced leader in external relations and community engagement and I look forward to her contributions on behalf of Augusta University.”

At Georgia Southern, Tatum’s responsibilities consisted of serving on the Government Affairs Committee with the Statesboro-Bulloch Chamber of Commerce and representing the university in the Protocol and Diplomacy International Protocol Officers Association (PDI-POA).

Prior to her work in higher education, Tatum served as a manager at CBS News in the News Operations Division and, after three years in New York, she moved to Georgia and began working as Statesboro Publishing’s online marketing director for the Statesboro Herald and host of Studio Statesboro, the company’s daily news show.

She is a graduate of the 2009 Class of Leadership Bulloch and is currently serving on the 2015 PDI-POA Education Forum Planning Committee. In addition, she is an active member of her community and serves on a number of boards and organizations.

Tatum earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Colorado and is a 2013 graduate of the Protocol School of Washington’s Protocol Officer Training.