Dr. Jean Sumner, Dean of the Mercer University School of Medicine, will be the guest speaker at the spring commencement ceremony on May 9 at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College.  A total of 334 students are expected to receive diplomas at the 10 a.m. event in Gressette Gym.

ABAC President David Bridges will open the ceremony, which will feature the presentation of the prestigious George P. Donaldson Award, and the ABAC Alumni Association Award.  The Donaldson goes to the top associate degree graduate who is a part of the ceremony, and the Alumni award goes to the top bachelor’s degree graduate attending the ceremony.

 A member of Mercer University School of Medicine's first graduating class in 1986 and a practicing physician in Washington and Johnson counties, Sumner began her tenure as dean on July 1, 2016.  Prior to attending medical school, Sumner earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in nursing from the Medical College of Georgia School of Nursing.

A native of Sandersville, Sumner has been a community faculty preceptor for the Mercer University School of Medicine since completing her residency in 1989 at the Medical Center of Central Georgia/Navicent Health in Macon.  Prior to her appointment as dean, Sumner had been leading a major telehealth initiative as the associate dean for rural health.

Sumner has served as a hospital chief of staff and nursing home medical director, as well as a board member, chair and president of numerous community and statewide professional organizations. At the state level, she has served most recently as a governor-appointed member, then president and medical director, for the Georgia Composite Medical Board.

Passionate about rural health and access to care, Sumner is a third-generation Georgia physician.  She and her husband, Joe, who is a pharmacist, have two children and four granddaughters. In her free time, Sumner enjoys raising chickens, fishing, art, and creating pottery.