By Stacey Tinsley, Bossier Press-Tribune
Louisiana Tech University President Dr. Jim Henderson announced his plans to retire at the end of the calendar year in a message posted Friday on Louisiana Tech’s Facebook page.
Henderson said serving as Louisiana Tech’s 15th president had been the joy of his career.
“Serving as Louisiana Tech’s 15th president has been the joy of my career,” Henderson said in the message.
Henderson became Louisiana Tech’s 15th president in January 2024 after previously serving as president and CEO of the University of Louisiana System. He also previously served as president of Northwestern State University and chancellor of Bossier Parish Community College.
In his message to the Louisiana Tech community, Henderson reflected on his return to a college campus and the opportunity to work with faculty, staff and students.
He described the experience as “energizing and indescribably rewarding” and said he could not have predicted the warm welcome he and his wife, Tonia, received from the university community, the Ruston community and the broader Tech Family.
Henderson also thanked the university community for its impact on his life.
“You have enriched my life immeasurably. For that, I am grateful,” Henderson said.
He said Louisiana Tech is an institution with a strong reputation and deep history and credited the Tech Family with making the university what it is today.
Henderson said there would be opportunities in the coming weeks for conversations and farewells as he prepares to leave the presidency.
He ended his message with the words, “Ever Loyal.”
Henderson’s retirement will mark the end of his tenure as Louisiana Tech’s president at the close of 2026.