DAHLONEGA — Forsyth County residents have been elected president and vice president of the board of directors for the University of North Georgia Alumni Association.

Chris Stenander, a 1992 alumnus, will serve as president and Brad Barton, a 1991 graduate, as vice president.

According to a news release from the college, the 30-member board will steer the new association in its mission to engage UNG alumni, encourage financial support and serve as a conduit between alumni and the university.

The association represents recent alumni from UNG, as well as those from Gainesville State College and North Georgia College & State University, which consolidated in January 2013 to form UNG.

The inaugural board involves members from the former alumni associations and new board members.

In a statement, Stenander said the group’s "primary focus over the next six months will be engaging alumni by educating everyone about the UNG Alumni Association and encouraging active participation.”

"This will ensure that we have strong representation from across the university, putting in place a firm foundation for the association's future, which has already been started by the Alumni Council Steering Committee's hard work during the past six months."

Following this transitional year, board members will serve two-year terms, according to the college. After serving their first term, they will be eligible for re-election for an additional term.

UNG serves more than 16,000 students across campuses in Cumming, Dahlonega, Gainesville and Oconee County.