Laura Elder has been chosen as acting president of Lanier Technical College following the retirement this week of Russell Vandiver, TCSG Commissioner Ron Jackson announced today.

Elder, Lanier Tech's vice president of administrative services, will lead the college until the arrival of a new president.

Jackson has interviewed the three finalists for the job and said that he will ask the TCSG State Board to approve his choice during their meeting April 4 in Atlanta.

The finalists are Jamie Loyd, the vice president of economic development at Columbus Technical College in Columbus, Georgia; Dr. Ray Perren, the president of Wiregrass Georgia Technical College in Valdosta, Georgia; and Dr. Joanne Tolleson, the vice president of institutional effectiveness and operations at Lanier Technical College.