Randy Pierce, former president of Georgia Highlands College, has been picked to serve as interim president at Gainesville State College.

University System of Georgia Chancellor Hank Huckaby announced Wednesday that he’s also named an interim president for Augusta State University. Leaders of both schools are retiring in July.

He picked Shirley Strum Kenny to head ASU as Bill Bloodworth steps down to return to the classroom, and Pierce to replace Martha Nesbitt in Gaines­ville who is leaving the campus.

Kenny has served as president of Queens College, City University of New York from 1985-98 and for the State University of New York at Stony Brook from 1994-2009. She has also served on the board of directors at Toys R Us and Computer Associates.

Pierce served as president of the school now called Georgia Highlands College for 10 years before he retired in December. He has served on the boards of the Greater Rome Chamber of Commerce, Southern Association of Community, Junior and Technical Colleges and the Georgia Public Broadcasting’s Northwest Georgia Technical Advisory Board.