Georgia Military College (GMC) President Lt. Gen. William B. Caldwell IV, USA (Ret) announced Aug.
26 that this will be his last year serving as president.
Caldwell assumed the role of President in November of 2013 becoming GMC’s 21st president after a decorated 37-year career in the United States Army. He plans to continue his philanthropic endeavors, working to ensure his legacy of compassion and dedication continues to enrich and uplift the community. A nationwide search is underway by the GMC Board of Trustees for his replacement.
Caldwell has served as the president of GMC for the last 11 years with a significant focus on the growth and development of every student as authentic servant leaders under his guidance. During his tenure, Caldwell has illuminated the essence that GMC is and has always been, a leadership institute.
As president Caldwell embodied GMC’s values “Duty, Honor, and love of Country” and “Character Above All.” His initiatives throughout his tenure underscored GMC’s stature as a premier leadership institute, which in turn heightened awareness of ethical principles within the curriculum, prompted a thorough reexamination of the institution’s operational efficiency, and significantly bolstered fundraising efforts. As a result, the institution has achieved its greatest academic successes and is strategically positioned for long-term viability.
“Georgia Military College is unique, and each president that has been privileged to serve this great institution has had the unique opportunity to take the college through a different challenge. General Caldwell did a phenomenal job growing the school’s enrollments, expanding opportunities for students, ensuring the focus on student success, and providing new academic offerings while reestablishing GMC’s forward-facing brand as a leadership academy,” says Board Chairman George Hogan.
Shortly after arriving at GMC, Caldwell led the team in the creation of the GMC “Four Big Ideas” which have served as guiding principles for his entire tenure. The four strategic initiatives in priority order are: contribute to student success, create pathways of opportunity, think and act as one institution, and invest in the future of GMC. As a result of this focus, the highlights speak for themselves: the graduation rate of the Junior College under the president increased by almost 10%, the number of degrees offered has increased by 32%, and the Preparatory School just graduated its 15th t senior class with a 100% graduation rate.
Upon Caldwell’s arrival in 2013 the net assets of the GMC Foundation, after 50 years, were just over $11 million, and now, that amount has nearly quadrupled as the institution’s net assets sit right at $47 million. With an intense focus on the strategic initiative to invest in the future, the president called upon all GMC Ambassadors to make a difference and help pay it forward, creating a return on those investments into distribution from endowments in 11 short years from less than $200,000 to more than $1,100,000, which directly impacts close to 1,000 students on an annual basis. The increase alone in employee giving was up 276% from the fiscal year 2013 to the fiscal year 2024.
Caldwell can be most proud of the remarkable growth in the Corps of Cadets, which stands as a testament to his dedication for public service but also his drive to see education and leadership as the ethos of academic curriculum as a vision in GMC’s enduring mission. This focus was not just a strategic decision but a full-circle moment in his illustrious career, blending his own past experiences with the cadets and his aspiration to foster future leaders. As Caldwell steps into the next phase of his life, he leaves behind a legacy deeply etched into the fabric of the institution, one where his impact on the Corps of Cadets will be remembered as a defining achievement, and his passion for cultivating excellence continues to inspire the generations that follow.
“I am so grateful for this ‘season of life’ and all the opportunities we have had together to impact the lives of our students. Working with this team of dedicated, talented, and committed servant leaders has made this time together so special. This GMC team is the absolute best. They are second to none,” said Caldwell. “Thanks for allowing me to have been ‘All In’ with each of you and your families. I am so proud of all we have accomplished together, and Stephanie and I are so blessed to be a part of this amazing GMC Family.”
Other major career achievements during Lieutenant General Caldwell’s tenure include:
• Expanded the Preparatory School from grades 6-12 to K-12 with the largest enrollments in school history.
• Graduated the largest cohort of Junior College graduates with an Associate’s and a Bachelor’s of Applied Science degree.
• Secured the largest amount of state appropriated funds for maintenance, repair, and restoration in school history.
• Established the Junior College Corps of Cadets as the nation’s premier preparatory program for U.S. Service Academies with a 98% success rate of securing an appointment to one of the five.
• Completed the renovation and restoration of all the buildings on the Old Capitol Square, returning them to their original purpose as academic educational spaces for students.
• Secured the funding and oversaw the construction of new facilities, along with the renovation and restoration of others totaling over $50 million in the past 10 years.
• Established the NewDay USA Center of Leadership, home of GMC’s performing arts and the leadership speaker series.
• Realigned the College’s operations to ensure efficiency, effectiveness, and standardization to many business practices and procedures across the enterprise.
The start date of the next president will be determined based on the availability of the incumbent, considering any potential military obligations that person may have. Caldwell has agreed to structure his transition date around the start date of his successor.
To learn more about the GMC Presidential Search, visit gmc.edu/president