Dr. Standifer To Speak At Tailgate Service
Monticello First United Methodist Church will host the annual Fall Sports Tailgate Service & Cookout on Sunday, August 11 beginning at 6 p.m. The guest speaker will be Dr. Alton Standifer, Chief of Staff to the Provost at University of Georgia (UGA) in Athens.
A native of Monticello, Dr. Standifer is a 2007 graduate of Jasper County High School. During those years, he was a member of St. James A.M.E. Church and attended a weekly prayer breakfast held at the Tillman House Restaurant.
As Vice Provost for Inclusive Excellence, Dr. Standifer directs the university’s Office of Institutional Diversity. In this role, he leads a focused effort to develop and implement strategies and initiatives designed to create a welcoming environment for all faculty, staff, and students and to advance academic excellence goals. He supports UGA’s particular focus on rural, economically disadvantaged, first-generation, underserved, military and transfer students.
Dr. Standifer joined UGA in 2014 as Assistant Director of New Student Orientation, advancing to Associate Director of Undergraduate Admis-sions and Director of New Student.
Orientation in 2015. He joined the staff of the Office of the President in 2019 as Assistant to the President. He was named as Deputy Chief of Staff to the President in 2022. In that role he managed the day-to-day operations of the President’s Office and advised the president on matters involving community engagement, inclusive excellence, and faculty, staff and student affairs.
At the request of the University System of Georgia, Dr. Standifer served as Interim Chief of Staff during a presidential transition at Savannah State University in the summer of 2023.
Prior to joining UGA, Dr,. Standifer served in a variety of student-centered roles at Georgia Southern University. He also has taught middle school math and coached basketball in his hometown of Monticello.
Dr. Standifer earned his doctorate in public administration and policy from UGA’s School of Public and International Affairs, where he now serves as an adjunct faculty member. He received a bachelor’s degree in middle grades education and a master’s degree in higher education administration from Georgia Southern University.
Dr. Standifer’s current research interests focus on the relationship between local governments and institutions in college towns. His experiences as a mathematics teacher in Monticello and a Higher Education professional have continued to aid him in his mission to connect citizens to resources that help build strong families, cultivate future leaders, and promote prospering communities.
He and his wife, Brittany, live in Athens with their son, A.J.
Attendees should wear their favorite team colors! A hamburger and hotdog cookout will follow the service in the Fellowship Hall. The church is located at 651 College Street in Monticello.
