Eddie Edwards elected Chairperson of Shawnee State University Board of Trustees

Shawnee State University Board of Trustees has announced Eddie Edwards will serve as board Chairperson for the upcoming 2024-2025 academic year. Edwards, who began his term on the Board in 2018, is the previous Chair of the university Finance & Administration Committee.

In his early career, Edwards served as administrative staff for the Ohio State Senate.  He then was a Special Assistant for Congressional & Intergovernmental Affairs in the U.S. Department of Commerce during the Reagan Administration and spent the balance of his career as a practicing attorney in Portsmouth, Ohio.  Edwards has supported education in southern Ohio for decades.  He served a total of three terms on the Notre Dame High School and Elementary School Boards, was the Vice President on the DES Athletic Foundation, and served as Co-Chairman with his wife Cathy on the NDS Annual Fund Drive.  Edwards has also served on the Board of Directors for the Shawnee Mental Health Center and on the Alcohol, Drug Abuse & Mental Health Services Board for Adams, Scioto, and Lawrence counties.

“Chairman Edwards is committed to Portsmouth and southern Ohio.  He has been an outspoken and invaluable advocate for Shawnee State and for our region,” said SSU president Eric Braun.  “Eddie is an avid reader and true lifelong learner – his broad experience and interest in innovation is just what we need to navigate the rapidly changing higher education landscape.  It is a privilege to continuing with him as we build for the future.”

At SSU, Edwards established with his brother Joe the Betty C. Edwards Nursing Scholarship through the SSU Development Foundation, providing financial aid for second year nursing students in Scioto and Adams counties. 

Shawnee State University’s Board of Trustees is responsible for oversight of academic programs, budgets, general administration and employment of faculty and staff within the university. The board is made up of nine Trustees and two non-voting student members, all appointed by the Governor of Ohio. 

To learn more about Shawnee State University’s Board of Trustees, visit shawnee.edu/bot.