M.G. Bailey, newly installed SGA vice president, directed and took part in his first student government meeting Tuesday evening as he and President Sarah Keeton took their positions on the executive committee in SGA’s transition meeting.

“It’s just exciting,” Bailey said. “All the new senators looked hungry and ready to get started. It really made me look forward to next year.”

Keeton said she shared in Bailey’s excitement for the coming year and was ready to begin her term.

“I was nervous,” Keeton said. “It’s kind of an awkward couple of weeks until you are installed, so we are happy to get to work.”

Outgoing SGA President Elizabeth Clement and outgoing Vice President Ben Sanders gave retiring remarks and wished Keeton and Bailey good luck next year. Keeton said the new SGA would benefit from the hard work of Clement and Sanders, and that she hoped to take the organization in a new direction.

“We appreciate everything they have done, but we are going to create our own path,” Keeton said. “We have a new structure and a new set of goals.”

Keeton’s Volunteer Voice running mate Adam Prater was nominated and elected as Student Services director for next year, the position vacated by Jenny Wright. The senate also elected Brandon Long as secretary/treasurer.

Also at the meeting, Associate Dean of Students J.J. Brown was named administrator of the year, an honor Bailey said Brown highly deserved.

“You always see him working for students,” Bailey said. “J.J.’s heart definitely bleeds orange, and we are lucky to have him here.”

Nominations for the SGA’s city council liaison, senate chair and historian were also made and will be voted on Tuesday at the new senate’s first official meeting.

Bailey said he thought senators bonding together would lead to an effective SGA.

“I told them coming together is the easy part – working together is the hard part,” Bailey said. “We need to get to know each other and learn to work together to do the best for the students.”