University of Georgia President Jere W. Morehead has appointed Nathan A. Moore as his chief of staff, effective July 1. Moore currently serves as deputy chief of staff to the president, a role he has held since October 2023.

Moore succeeds Kathy R. Pharr, who will step down as chief of staff after 13 years of service in the position and six in the dual role of chief of staff and vice president for marketing and communications. Beginning July 1, Pharr will continue to serve as the vice president for marketing and communications and become senior advisor to the president.

“Dr. Moore is an outstanding administrator with a tremendous record of service to the University of Georgia,” said Morehead. “Throughout his career, he has built strong relationships with a keen understanding of every area of our campus, and I am confident he will provide exceptional leadership in this new role. I also want to recognize and sincerely thank Dr. Pharr for her dedication and tireless efforts over the last 13 years as my chief of staff. So many of UGA’s recent accomplishments would not have been possible without her strategic insights. I look forward to her continued contributions as a vice president.”

As chief of staff, Moore will provide counsel to the president and oversee day-to-day operations of the Office of the President. He will also act as the primary liaison with the University System of Georgia Chancellor’s Office and serve as the administrative liaison with the UGA Office of the Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost, as well as the vice presidents of government relations, development and alumni affairs and finance and administration, all of which report directly to the president.

Moore’s other duties will include serving as the principal liaison with the UGA Foundation and providing administrative oversight of all special events involving the president. In addition, Moore will represent the president on numerous special task forces and committees.

“It is truly a privilege to have been selected to serve in this critical role,” said Moore. “I am honored to serve President Morehead and the University of Georgia as we carry out our vital land-grant and sea-grant mission, and I look forward to working with our campus community to further expand UGA’s positive impact throughout our state and beyond.”

In his current role as deputy chief of staff, Moore has coordinated operations of the Office of the President, overseen executive communications efforts, served as liaison to many campus units and represented the president with key off-campus constituent groups. Recently, Moore co-led the university-wide strategic planning process, and he also serves as UGA’s SACSCOC liaison, interacting with regional accreditors and advancing the institution’s wide-ranging accreditation efforts.

Moore earned his bachelor’s degree in political science and a master’s degree in public policy and administration from Mississippi State University. He earned a graduate certificate in nonprofit management from Harvard University and holds a Ph.D. from the Louise McBee Institute of Higher Education at the University of Georgia. Prior to joining UGA as a doctoral student in 2015, Moore held several roles at Mississippi State University, including director of corporate and foundation relations and director of development for the MSU College of Architecture, Art and Design.