By Suzy Alstrin
What began as a desire to connect with and enlighten his young children developed into six published children’s books and connections with U.S. Presidents for Reinhardt’s board of trustee member and alumnus Randell Trammell (RU-2003 & 2009). As part of a series of events leading up to former president Jimmy Carter’s 100th birthday, the Carter Center held a reading and launch for Trammell’s newly released book Presidential Pals: Discovering the Legacy of Jimmy Carter (independently published, 2024).
Dr. Trammell authored the book to teach his family about Georgia’s only president, a person he describes as an incredible community figure, “I think he’s probably had the most influential and impactful post-presidency.” His book on President Carter and others including Georgia Caroline Visits the State Capitol (independently published, 2020), reflect his passions for youth development, education, and civic education. He explained, “I wanted to take my passion and connect with my kids and break down these sometimes-complicated topics for age-appropriate levels.”
Dr. Trammell’s roles as founder and CEO of the Center for Civic Engagement, Chair of the Georgia Commission for Civics Education, and a Presidential Leadership Scholar helped develop interactions with the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library, as well as the Bill Clinton, Lyndon B. Johnson, George W. Bush, and George H.W. Bush presidential centers. He plans to extend his Presidential Pals series to accurately tell each one of their stories.
Not only is Dr. Trammell committed to equipping students to become informed and active citizens but also to giving back to his Reinhardt alma mater. He says, “There’s four things I credit for making me the person I am today – my family, my faith, Reinhardt, and my organization. I feel an incredible sense of gratitude and a debt to repay the university. So, I have found every opportunity I could since I graduated to either be an ambassador or serve on the Alumni Board, or the President’s Advisory Council.”
While at Reinhardt, Dr. Trammell majored in religion as an undergrad and graduated with the first MBA cohort a few years later. He served on the Board of Trustees as the student representative. After receiving his master’s degree, he taught as an adjunct professor at off-site locations of the McCamish School of Business. Last year he joined the Board of Trustees and now serves as the chair of the Board’s legislative committee.
