BATON ROUGE – BPCC Chancellor Dr. Jim Henderson has been named as a top candidate for the System President for the Louisiana Community and Technical College System.
The Board of Supervisors Search Committee announced the candidates to be interviewed today after an extensive and highly competitive national search.
The nominees are:
- Dr. Deborah Blue, Chancellor of the State Center Community College District in California
- Dr. Marshall Drummond, former Chief Operating Officer and Provost of Higher Colleges of Technology in the United Arab Emirates
- Dr. Marie Gnage, President of West Virginia University at Parkersburg in West Virginia
- Dr. James Henderson, Chancellor of Bossier Parish Community College in Louisiana
- Dr. Joan Smith, Chancellor of the Yosemite Community College District in California
- Dr. David Steele, Dean of the College of Business for San Jose State University in California
- Dr. Monty Sullivan, Chancellor of Delgado Community College in Louisiana.
Interviews will take place Tuesday, Jan. 21 during a public meeting at the New Orleans Airport Hilton. Each individual will meet separately with the committee.
“My colleagues and I look forward to meeting with each person and identifying the very best individual to lead our system as president,” said Tim Hardy, committee chairman. “We understand the magnitude and importance of selecting a leader who will continue to build on our momentum and carry on our mission of responding to the critical needs of our students, the communities we serve, and business and industry statewide.”
In keeping with the LCTCS Board of Supervisors bylaws and policies, last October, Chairman Michael “Mickey” Murphy appointed members on the board to serve on the committee. They are: Tim Hardy, Robert “Bob” Brown, Helen Bridges Carter, Michael “Mickey” Murphy, Norwood “Woody” Oge, Paul Price, Jr., and Stephen Smith.
After the first round of interviews the search committee will recommend finalists to be interviewed by the full board of supervisors in Baton Rouge on a date to be determined. An advisory will be issued to announce the names of finalists and an interview date.
Candidate’s Bios
Dr. Deborah Blue currently serves as the Chancellor of the State Center Community College District in Fresno, California. She previously served as Vice Chancellor for Planning and Educational Services at the Contra Costa Community College District in Martinez, California. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Speech Pathology and Audiology from Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, MI and a Master of Arts in Speech and Hearing Science and a Doctorate of Philosophy in Speech and Hearing Science from University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, IL.
Dr. Marshall Drummond was previously the Chief Operating Officer and Provost of Higher Colleges of Technology in the United Arab Emirates. He previously served as the Chancellor of the Los Angeles Community College District in California. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Management and Economics and a Master of Business Administration in Marketing and Economics from the San Jose State University, San Jose, CA and a Doctorate of Education in Higher Education Administration from University of San Francisco in San Francisco, CA.
Dr. Marie Gnage currently serves as the President of West Virginia University at Parkersburg in West Virginia. She previously served as the Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs at Raritan Valley Community College in New Jersey. She earned a Bachelor of Science in English from Alcorn A&M College in Lorman, MS and a Master of Arts in English from University of Southwestern Louisiana at Lafayette, LA and a Doctorate of Philosophy in English at the Florida State University in Tallahassee, FL.
Dr. James Henderson currently serves as the Chancellor of Bossier Parish Community College in Louisiana. He previously served as the Senior Vice President, Workforce & Economic Development/Career &Technical Education for the Louisiana Community and Technical College System. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism and English from Northwestern State University, Natchitoches, LA and a Master of Science in Administration from the University of West Florida in Pensacola, FL and Doctorate of Management from the University of Maryland –University College in Adelphi, MD.
Dr. Joan Smith currently serves as the Chancellor of the Yosemite Community College District in California. She previously served as the President of Columbia College in Sonora, California. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Psychology, Sociology, and Anthropology from the University of Wisconsin in Stevens Point, WI, a Master of Science in Vocational Rehabilitation from the University of Wisconsin-Stout in Menomonie, WI and Doctorate of Education in Higher Education from Nova Southeastern University in Ft. Lauderdale, FL.
Dr. David Steele currently serves as the Dean of the College of Business for San Jose State University in California. He previously served as the Interim CEO of the Kids 2020 Foundation in Florida. He earned a Bachelor of Science and a Doctorate of Philosophy in Chemical Engineering from Birmingham University in England.
Dr. Monty Sullivan currently serves as the Chancellor of the Delgado Community College in Louisiana. He previously served as the Executive Vice President for the Louisiana Community and Technical College System in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, a Master of Education in English Education and a Doctorate of Education in Curriculum and Instruction from Louisiana Tech University in Ruston, LA.
