Dalton State College is building on proven leadership with the promotion of David Elrod to vice president for institutional advancement and appointment of Ben Rickett as athletic director. Elrod and Rickett serve in key roles on the college’s senior leadership team; the appointments were effective Dec. 1.
“David is among the longest-serving heads of advancement within the University System of Georgia, and he is a respected colleague on our campus and a valuable member of the community he has called his home for his entire life,” Dalton State President John Fuchko said. “The Dalton State Foundation has thrived over the past two decades, thanks to the extraordinary generosity of our community and donors, the stewardship of the board and David’s leadership.”
Elrod has dedicated 23 years of service to Dalton State and will continue to oversee the activities and operations of the Dalton State Foundation. Under his leadership, the Foundation’s endowment has grown from $7.1 million to $33.8 million, with total assets surpassing $50 million for the first time in 2024. He spearheaded Dalton State’s first-ever Giving Day in 2020, raising $197,967 for campus projects despite limited opportunities for face-to-face cultivation and solicitation. In 2025, Giving Day set new records, resulting in $331,747 for special initiatives that directly benefit students.
A native of Dalton, Elrod attended Whitfield County Public Schools and was the first in his family to attend college when he enrolled at Dalton Junior College in 1986. He completed a bachelor’s degree in history at Berry College. Following seven years in sales for major textile and pharmaceutical manufacturers, Elrod joined Dalton State in 2003. Elrod and his wife, Eaddy, live in Dalton and have a college-aged son.
Rickett has served as interim athletic director since March 2025 and now assumes the role permanently. In addition to serving as athletic director, Rickett will continue as director of golf and men’s head golf coach.
“I am very appreciative to Ben for his willingness to continue his service as athletic director in a more permanent capacity,” Fuchko said. “Dalton State athletics continually performs at a very high level, and this is due to leaders—inside and outside athletics—who have made such a difference, and I know Ben will continue to elevate the department’s ongoing success.”
Rickett joined Dalton State in 2012 as the college’s first director of golf and added the role of assistant athletic director of development in 2022. Under his leadership, the men’s golf team has achieved remarkable success, including two NAIA National Championships, three individual NAIA National Championships, nine Southern States Athletic Conference titles and five Jack Nicklaus Award winners. He has earned numerous Coach of the Year honors for his leadership.
A native of Surrey, England, Rickett is a former world top-100 amateur player. He came to Dalton State from his alma mater, the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, where he helped build the Mocs program into a national power as both a coach and student-athlete. Rickett and his wife, Shelley, live in Dalton with their three sons.
