Wednesday, August 27, 2003
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Wednesday, August 27, 2003 |
Vigil appointed to Board of RegentsAllan Vigil, long-time trustee of the Clayton College & State University Foundation and one of the Southern Crescent's prominent businessmen and civic leaders, has been appointed to the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia by Gov. Sonny Perdue. The president and owner of Allan Vigil Ford in Morrow and Fayetteville, Vigil was sworn in by Perdue to represent the 13th Congressional District at an Aug. 6 ceremony at the State Capitol. A resident of Henry County, Vigil, 59, will serve a seven-year term as a Regent. "Mr. Vigil is an outstanding person of the highest character," said Dr. Thomas K. Harden, president of Clayton State. "I am extremely pleased with his appointment to the Board of Regents. He is a consummate community servant, a successful businessman, and a committed citizen who will be a great Regent." Vigil's community service to the Southern Crescent dates back to 1983, when he first was named to the Board of Trustees of the then-Clayton Junior College Foundation. Indeed, along with his wife, Bonnie P. Vigil, the newest Regent has been one of the region's most devoted civic leaders for the past two decades, also serving as a board member of the Southern Regional Health System, the State of Georgia's Board of Motor Vehicle Safety, and the Fayette and Clayton County Chambers of Commerce. He served as president of the latter organization in 1990. "Allan has manifested an interest in education from the beginning. He believes it is critical to economic development," said Dr. Bryan P. Edwards, vice president for External Relations at Clayton State and a long-time acquaintance of Vigil. "He just gravitated to Clayton State, and has made a leadership commitment to the University on many occasions. Allan knows that education is the way to the future." Among the leadership roles that Vigil has filled in support of Clayton State include making one of the first leadership gifts towards the building of Spivey Hall, helping recruit Dr. George Horton from Auburn University to serve as the University's first dean of the School of Business in 1987, and serving for the past 16 years as a sponsor of the University's annual Career Fair. "He's a giver, he's always been involved," added Edwards. With his appointment to the Board of Regents, Vigil's commitment to education has taken on a whole new dimension, one he didn't really expect. "It kind of came out of left field," he said of his appointment. "Although I had talked to the governor when he was here for our grand opening in March, I didn't expect it. However, when the governor calls and asks you to do something ... well, I consider it an honor. "I've also been very impressed with the Board of Regents' staff. They made me feel very good that I was selected for this honor." Vigil will be attending an all-day orientation meeting Aug. 26 at the downtown Atlanta offices of the Board of Regents. "They're very anxious to get new people up to speed," he noted. Although he may be new to this particular job. Vigil, through his past association with Clayton State, is well-acquainted with the challenges facing higher education. "It is so important now in these difficult economic times that you put some good business practices in place to make sure you are getting good value out of what you are spending," he said. "Everybody needs to do that. We just need to make sure we get proper value out of the money being spent. "The people expect to spend money on education, but they expect good education for their money. I think everybody knows the value of a college education." A graduate and long-time supporter of the University of Florida (B.A. in business administration), Vigil served as a First Lieutenant in the U.S. Army during Vietnam from 1967 to 1970 and was awarded the Bronze Star and the Army Commendation Medal. Prior to becoming principal in his own dealership, Vigil worked as a field manager for the Ford Motor Company and a sales manager for two other Ford dealerships. A member of the Southlake Kiwanis Club and the Atlanta Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, where he was named Business Person of the Year in 1996, Vigil was also named Businessman of the Year for 2001 by the Georgia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and won the Hispanic Business, Inc. 2002 EOY Award in the Retail & Finance category. Professionally, he has held numerous membership and leadership positions in both the automotive industry in general and the Ford Motor Company in particular, including serving chairman of the Georgia and Metro Atlanta Automobile Dealers Association and the Ford National Dealer Council. Among his industry awards have been the Ford Top 100 Club, The Ford President's Award, the Ford Motor Company Triple Crown Award, and the Ford Motor Credit Partners in Quality Award.
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