He welcomed the first students to Georgia Gwinnett College, but on Thursday afternoon, GGC President Dr. Daniel Kaufman announced he is stepping down. Kaufmann accepted the position of President and CEO of the Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce, based in Duluth.

Kaufman began his tenure as President of the Lawrenceville college in 2005. His last day on the job will be June 30th.

“President Kaufman was the right choice to lead Georgia Gwinnett College at its founding," said Hank Huckaby, chancellor of the University System of Georgia in a release. “Under his leadership, the college opened and has lived up to expectations at the state and local level to provide access and to create a new model for higher education in the 21st century. On behalf of the University System, all of us are proud of what has been accomplished in only seven years under his leadership. He will be missed, but we are excited his talents will continue to serve Gwinnett County and the State of Georgia. 

In October 2004, the Board of Regents voted to create a new four-year college located in Lawrenceville. The following fall, Georgia Gwinnett College welcomed 118 students. Today there are over 9,000 students enrolled at the school.

Read the complete story on Lawrenceville Patch.