Athens, Ga. – Although Henry M. (Hank) Huckaby will retire on June 30 as the University of Georgia’s senior vice president for finance and administration, his service to the university won’t be over–at least not just yet.
Huckaby will be the speaker for UGA’s summer commencement exercises on Aug. 5 at 9:30 a.m. in Stegeman Coliseum. The combined ceremony is for undergraduates and graduate students who complete degree requirements at the end of summer semester.
The number of students eligible to participate in the ceremony won’t be known until the end of final exams on Aug. 4.
Huckaby joined UGA in 1997 as director of the Carl Vinson Institute of Government and in 2000 was named senior vice president for finance and administration, the university’s chief financial officer. Before coming to UGA, he had worked 30 years in public service positions in Georgia including five years as the state’s top budgeting and finance officer.
“With his nearly four decades of experience in higher education and state government, Hank can give our graduates a perspective on their responsibilities as citizens and future leaders that few other speakers could provide,” said UGA President Michael F. Adams. “We are indebted to Hank for his exemplary service to UGA and the state, and our graduates are fortunate to have the benefit of his wisdom and counsel.”
Before joining UGA, Huckaby was director of the Office of Planning and Budget, the highest financial position in state government, under Gov. Zell Miller. He also served as executive director of the Georgia Housing and Finance Authority under Gov. Joe Frank Harris, and as commissioner of the Georgia Department of Community Affairs under Gov. George Busbee.
After winning the governor’s election in 2002, Sonny Perdue appointed Huckaby to his transition team and subsequently named him interim chief financial officer, positions Huckaby held for eight months before returning full-time to his duties at UGA.
As senior vice president at UGA Huckaby has implemented technological improvements for administrative operations in the division of finance and administration; overseen implementation of UGA’s Campus Master Plan; and created a strategic plan for the division that calls for greater diversity in staffing, additional resources for staff and more opportunities for staff development and professional growth.
Last November, Huckaby received one of the highest honors in the field of public budgeting and finance when the Association for Budgeting and Financial Management presented him its top award for “exemplary work and professional integrity” in advancing the profession of public financial management.
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