UL System announces Southeastern Louisiana University Presidential Search Committee and initial meeting
Wednesday, February 8, 2023
by: Tonya Lowentritt
University of Louisiana System Board of Supervisors Chair Liz Pierre is announcing
the Southeastern Louisiana University Presidential Search Committee. The group is
responsible for reviewing applications, interviewing candidates, and recommending
finalists for the presidency. The finalists will ultimately be interviewed and a president
selected by the full UL System Board of Supervisors.
“I look forward to working with my fellow Board members and these community members
with deep and varied ties to Southeastern,” Chair Pierre said. “The university is
a pillar for the area, and the non-voting committee members’ unique perspectives will
inform us throughout the selection process.”
UL System President and CEO Jim Henderson will chair the committee as a non-voting
member. The committee includes select System Board members and the Southeastern Faculty
Senate president as voting members as well as non-voting community members to serve
in an advisory capacity.
“During the past six years we have developed an open and transparent search process
that engages the university community and results in the selection of a mission-focused
leader not only qualified to lead a university, but well-suited to lead this university,”
Dr. Henderson said. “Our goal: to choose the leader whose impact on the university
and community will be felt for generations.”
The committee’s first meeting is public and will take place Feb. 15 at 1 p.m.
in the Cate Teacher Education Center Lecture Hall, Room 1021-22 on Southeastern’s
campus and will be streamed live on the UL System YouTube Channel. During that meeting
the committee will vote to accept their charge and the search timeline after hearing
from the university’s constituencies. Information regarding the search will be housed
on the System’s website at ulsystem.edu/southeastern-search.
The Presidential Search Committee is made up of the following members:
- Dr. Jim Henderson, Search Committee Chair and UL System President, non-voting
- Liz Pierre, UL System Board Chair
- Dr. Jimmy Clarke, UL System Board Vice Chair
- Brad Stevens, UL System Board Parliamentarian
- Ethan Estis, UL System Student Board Member
- Jo Lethermon, UL System Board Member
- Al Perkins, UL System Board Member
- Julie Stokes, UL System Board Member
- Dr. Erin Horzelski, Southeastern Faculty Senate President
- Toby Cortez, Southeastern Foundation President, non-voting
- Louis Nick Joseph, Community Representative, non-voting
- Stephanie Stafford Kropog, Southeastern Alumni Association President, non-voting
- Wallace Lewis, Southeastern Foundation Board Member, non-voting
- Baileigh Picou, Southeastern SGA President, non-voting
- Carla Tate, Community Representative, non-voting
- Allen Waddell, Southeastern Athletic Foundation Chairman, non-voting
President John Crain announced his intent to retire at the end of this academic year. He became the university’s 14th president in Februrary 2009 after having served as Interim President from July 2008. Prior to being named President, Crain served seven years as Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs at Southeastern and before that as a faculty member in the Department of Accounting, including two years as President of the Faculty Senate and two years as Department Head.
