His family service goes back to the Revolutionary War. Meet Columbus State’s interim president
Although the retirement date for Chris Markwood to end his seven years as president of Columbus State University is June 30, University System of Georgia vice chancellor for organizational effectiveness John Fuchko started working full-time on campus June 1 as CSU’s leadership transitions to Fuchko officially becoming interim president July 1.
Fuchko, 44, grew up in Kennesaw, where he was homeschooled K-12. He earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from Kennesaw State University, a master’s degree in business administration from Georgia State University, a master’s degree in strategic intelligence from the National Intelligence University and a doctoral degree in education from the University of Georgia.
For USG, he’s been in charge of the system’s enterprise risk management, compliance and ethics, athletics oversight, strategic implementation and accreditation. He previously worked as USG chief audit officer and vice chancellor for internal audit. He also oversaw three consolidations of USG institutions.
His other jobs have included audit and compliance positions with the USG Board of Regents and the Georgia Department of Audits and Accounts.
But he’s more than a bunch of academic degrees and professional experience. So here’s the Ledger-Enquirer’s Top 5 Fun Facts about John M. Fuchko III.
12 kids
Indeed, that’s not a typo. Fuchko and his wife, Sherie, have a dozen children — no multiple births and no adoptions — ranging in age from 2 to 22.
“All ours, all one at a time,” he told the L-E. “… It’s a lot of fun.”
And it’s a family tradition. Sherie is the oldest of 10 siblings; he’s the oldest of eight.
Military service
Another family tradition is military service, dating back to the Revolutionary War for the Fuchkos.
He has served for 20 years in the National Guard and was promoted to colonel last year, commanding the Georgia Army National Guard’s 122nd Tactical Support Detachment in Marietta.
During deployment to Iraq and training fighters against ISIS in the Middle East, he was awarded the Bronze Star Medal, Defense Meritorious Service Medal and Meritorious Service Medal with four oak leaf clusters.
Two of his siblings and two of his children serve in the Guard. His parents met as Army officers. His great-grandfather was stationed at Fort Benning.
“It’s just kind of been part of who we are,” he said.
His military training has influenced his approach as an educational leader, Fuchko said, but he isn’t fixated on rank.
“It’s the quality of your ideas, the quality of your thinking that means as much as anything,” he said. “… I might have an opinion, but it might not be the right one. So challenge me. Let’s have a conversation about it. Let’s think through it, and we’ll get to a better spot if we’re doing it that way.”
Newspaper editor
Fuchko was editor-in-chief of the campus newspaper at Kennesaw State.
“I truly appreciate the written word,” he said. “I think it’s important how you say it and when you say it and how it’s framed. It’s an art form. … I do have a respect for what journalists are called to do. … The other piece is you really have to learn about a lot of different things very quickly. And that’s helpful, particularly in this role.”
His journalism background also has informed the way he tries to communicate as a leader, Fuchko said.
“Be transparent and engage proactively, rather than wait for the bad news to come to you,” he said. “It doesn’t get better with age.”
Political activist
Fuchko was president of the student government at Kennesaw State and chaired the student advisory council for the USG Board of Regents.
And before Fuchko went to college, he helped convince officials to change the HOPE Scholarship rules to allow homeschoolers who graduate from an accredited high school program to be eligible.
That boosted his confidence in his ability to make a positive difference at a high level despite a relatively young age.
“It was really encouraging to see,” he said.
Dangerous last name
Yup, he’s well aware folks who try to say or write Fuchko are one letter away from embarrassment.
“Over the years,” he said with a smile, “people have been known to mispronounce and misspell my name.”
