Daniel Floyd was sworn in as the College of Coastal Georgia Police Chief. Floyd is only the third chief to serve the College. Chief Richard Clark served from 1980 to 2008. Chief Bryan Sipe served from 2008 to 2024.
Floyd, who graduated from the police academy in 1998, has served the College during the past year as Interim Chief and prior to that he served as Lieutenant.
Floyd earned his Intermediate POST Certification in February 2003 and became a Georgia POST Certified General Instructor in November 2014. In May 2015, he completed both his Advanced Certification and Field Training Officer Certification.
In January 2017, he completed his Supervisory Certification; January 2024 he earned POST Managerial Certification; December 2024 he completed the Chief Executive Training.
In 2023, he completed the Georgia Police Command College’s Professional Management Program which is a two-year course designed to develop advanced leadership skills.
He earned a B.S. in Interdisciplinary Studies with a concentration in Public Safety and Leadership. He currently is in the Master of Public Administration program at Columbus State University.
Last year he hosted the department’s first ever Instructor Training Course and the first Firearms Instructor Course.
He has built partnerships, including a partnership with the Savannah Technical College Peace Officer Academy to provide free, high quality training to officers.
CCGA President Dr. Johnny Evans said of Floyd, “His leadership enhances the safety and security of the College of Coastal Georgia. It also provides an environment of community policing which is important for our students.”
“Daniel will help us grow and to be prepared for anything,” Dr. Evans said.
In accepting the position Chief Floyd said, “I appreciate the opportunity to serve the College of Coastal Georgia. I thank the officers and the campus community for allowing
Story By Pam Permar-Shierling of The Islander
ALUMNI PROFILE: REID KROKEN ‘25
“An Unconventional Journey Towards Academic Excellence”
By Tiffany King
College of Coastal Georgia graduate Reid Kroken ‘25 represented the College as its 2025 honoree for Academic Recognition Day during the University System of Georgia’s Board of Regents’ May meeting. Academic Recognition Day began over 34 years ago as a celebration of academic achievement among college students from the state of Georgia. Each USG institution selects an undergraduate honoree, chosen based on their outstanding scholastic achievement. Kroken described her academic journey as “unconventional,” but well worth it, making her selection a complete surprise to herself. She earned her bachelor’s in environmental science with a concentration in marine science this past May. Not only does she have a degree that she loves, but also the distinction of being considered one of the best students in Georgia.
Kroken grew up not too far away in Richmond Hill, Georgia. Her family then moved outside of Atlanta, and after high school, she attended Kennesaw State University. Kroken felt that the big college atmosphere wasn’t the right fit for her, and left after two years. She then studied welding at a trade school for a semester.
Although she enjoyed welding, it didn’t appeal to her enough to continue studying. Kroken decided to take a break and work in retail until she figured out what she wanted.
“I was working retail and wanted to do something fun outside of work, so I actually started to volunteer at the Georgia Aquarium,” Kroken said. “I absolutely loved it. After a month or two of volunteering at the Aquarium, I was like, ‘I can do this as a job. This is so awesome!’ I love the ocean and always loved sharks. When I started looking for programs, I was looking for colleges in Georgia. I came across UGA (University of Georgia) and Kennesaw. Since I didn’t like the big college atmosphere, I decided to try a small college.”
Kroken was already familiar with the College of Coastal Georgia. During her senior year in high school, she visited the campus. When she learned that Coastal had an environmental science program and a marine science concentration, she said, “That’s the one!”
Kroken transferred to Coastal Georgia in Spring 2023,
specifically seeking hands-on training. What she experienced far exceeded her expectations. She earned a 4.0 grade-point average, and consistently demonstrated initiative, academic excellence, and commitment to environmental research and service.
Learning Experiences
During her last semester at the College, Kroken worked on four research projects. For her Coastal Geomorphology course, she analyzed satellite imagery of the Little St. Simons coastline. The north end of the island is accreting (growing) due to the Altamaha River, while the south end is eroding. Kroken wanted to investigate if the accretion and erosion of the island are impacting how many sea turtles are nesting on the beaches. Instead of solely relying on Google satellite images, she independently arranged a visit to the island and met with the director, toured the island, and collected field data to enhance her satellite analysis.
“I got to go to the island this semester and work with them. That was fun because I’ve never been to Little St. Simons, and you have to get permission to go over there. It was a fun experience to see the island,” she said. “I looked at data from the past 15 years to see if the sea turtle nests were moving. I found out that even though the south end of the island is eroding, sea turtles are still nesting there.”
For her Oceanography course, her group project analyzed data collected by robotic floats in the Southern Ocean, located around Antarctica. Her group investigated whether temperature, pH, salinity, and dissolved oxygen levels changed between locations and seasons in different areas of the Southern Ocean. Her third project involved water quality sampling off of St. Simons Island and the Altamaha River in Darien. Kroken’s group measured different water quality parameters such as salinity, turbidity, and chlorophyll A concentrations to determine if they could use those indicators to predict the presence of sharks in the area. Kroken’s fourth project explored how different socioeconomic classes are impacting the climate.
“Within the past year, a lot of people have been talking about celebrity private jet use. If you’re going to travel for an hour, just drive, because you’re emitting so much CO2 into the atmosphere,” Kroken said. “I did a project looking at how much CO2 emissions corporations release, versus the top one percent, versus the average person. I looked at how much CO2 is released through aviation. Corporations release a lot more CO2 than the average person that flies.”
Learn more about Reid’s journey here.
ARCHIVIST’S LOG: CHARTING THE COLLEGE’S HISTORY
“Recent Donations to the College Archives””
Hello everyone! My name is Mylynda Gill, and I serve as the Special Collections Librarian and College Archivist for the Clara Wood Gould Memorial Library at the College of Coastal Georgia
For this month’s edition of “Archivist’s Log: Charting the College's History” I wanted to highlight some of the new donations we have received in the last few months from the various departments around campus.
I was contacted earlier this spring to rescue some oversized photographs that were found in a closet within the gym.
The Advancement Office donated a bunch of materials relating to programs and events from the past few years and gave us items that presented the older logo of the sails. This flag is just one of these items.
The archives also received items related to the Office of Campus Community and Belonging and the Intercultural Resource Center (IRC). One of these items was this ribbon
which was cut during the grand opening of the IRC during the Fall Semester of 2020.
I also collected some items while attending events on campus and was able to snag a couple of programs for the Miriam and Hugh Nunnally Building Expansion Groundbreaking Ceremony.
It has been wonderful receiving so many materials from various areas of campus, and having faculty and staff wanting to help preserve our institution’s history for present and future generations.
Until next month, Hail the Sail, Mariners!
*If you would like to donate memorabilia from your time at the College, contact Mylynda Gill at mgill@ccga.edu to inquire about your items.
Cheerleaders during our Coastal Georgia Community College era.
College of Coastal Georgia Flag
Ribbon from the Intercultural Resource Center ribbon cutting ceremony
Cheerleading Photos from Brunswick Junior College
Miriam and Hugh Nunnally Building Expansion Groundbreaking Ceremony program
Nominations are open now—don’t wait! Click here to learn more and submit your nomination
Let’s honor the legacy of excellence that begins right here at Coastal Georgia.
COMMUNITY RESOURCE FAIR
We’re excited to share that , our annual tradition of welcoming new students to campus, is just around the corner!
New this year:
As part of the Anchor Days festivities, we , proudly hosted by the . This new event will connect students—especially those new to the area with local organizations that can help them navigate their surroundings, get involved, and feel more at home.
Showcase your organization:
You’re invited to showcase your organization and help students navigate life in the Golden Isles! As a participating exhibitor, you will receive: one 6-foot table and two chairs; and lunch for two representatives.
[Click here to sign-up by August 4]
Learn more about Anchor Days here
Thank you for helping us make Anchor Days even more special this year!
CLASS NOTES
Jeri Guyette-Beckles ‘16
Congratulations to College of Coastal Georgia alum Jeri Guyette-Beckles, who was recently featured on the ATL Live Show from Atlanta News First, to talk about her business Vintage Vixen Cosmetics, which launched in 2019. She is not only an alum of the College, but also a former employee, working as the science laboratory coordinator for the Camden Center.
Read our Alumni Profile on Jeri here:
Visit Vintage Vixen Cosmetics at www.vintagevixencosmetics.com
Watch her interview here or click on the image below.
Alumni, we love hearing from you!
Whether you've started a new job, moved to a new city, earned a degree, gotten married, or welcomed a new addition to your family, your milestones matter to us. Sharing your life updates with the Alumni Association helps us celebrate your achievements, keep our records current, and strengthen the bond within our alumni community. Your story can inspire fellow graduates and remind us all of the incredible journeys that began here.
Let us know what’s new—we’d love to stay connected and share your news and promote your business in our upcoming publications and events! Contact us at alumni@ccga.edu.
MARK YOUR CALENDAR: AUG 2025
THE
SIGN-UP TO PARTICIPATE IN “MARINERS IN BLUE” WELCOME WEEK HERE.
AUGUST FIRST FRIDAY, STARTING AT 5 P.M., IN DOWNTOWN BRUNSWICK, LOCATED AT MACHEN SQUARE EAST, IN BETWEEN ARTE PIZZA AND CUNNINGHAM JEWELERS
