Alumnus ready to develop cadets into leaders

Returning to the University of North Georgia (UNG) is a full-circle moment for retired Army Lt. Gen. James Terry. After starting as UNG's inaugural senior vice president and superintendent of the Cadet Leadership Academy on June 24, Terry hopes to shape the next generation of Army officers and leaders as the Corps of Cadets helped shape him during his student experience at what was then North Georgia College.

"There is no higher calling than service to the nation," Terry said.

The 1978 graduate met his wife, Julie, at UNG. They were married June 3, 1978, and he commissioned as a second lieutenant the following day, beginning his 37-year Army career. He served in various command assignments, including being one of three UNG alumni to command Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve, the multinational coalition of military forces with the mission to defeat the Islamic State in parts of Iraq and Syria.

Terry is fired up about President Michael Shannon's strategic big bet to deliver the Corps of the future, growing it to 1,000 members and increasing its annual number of commissioning officers to 120. He knows that the strategies being implemented will set the course for future success.

"What we do in the next two to three years with the Cadet Leadership Academy will shape the next 150 years for our Corps of Cadets," Terry said.

Terry saw firsthand the transformative impact of being a cadet at UNG. He came from Murray County simply aiming to earn his four-year degree and finish his commitment to the Army,  before returning home to hopefully run a textile mill. Instead, he spent nearly four decades in the Army before spending eight years in the U.S. defense industry.

During his Army journey, Terry commanded at every level from rifle platoon leader through theater Army with stints both as a military science instructor and the assistant commandant of cadets at UNG.

Terry said the Cadet Leadership Academy must continue to evolve in creating the most valuable four-year experience possible both for commissioning cadets and for those on the National Service Leadership Track.

"As we deliver the Corps of the future, I know we have to make changes. I have a lot of experience. I want to make sure that I share my experiences in the right way with as many cadets and students as possible. They don't need to go through the hard learning pieces that I went through," he said. "I want them to hit the ground running so they can lead with character, make values-based decisions, understand complex situations, and be capable of adapting to technology."