UL SYSTEM ANNOUNCES GRAMBLING STATE UNIVERSITY PRESIDENTIAL SEARCH COMMITTEE AND INITIAL MEETING

University of Louisiana System Board of Supervisors Chair Liz Pierre is announcing the Grambling State 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.

“President Gallot’s leadership at Grambling will be felt for generations to come,” Chair Pierre said. “We greatly appreciate the community members who have agreed to serve on the committee charged with finding the next leader for this historic institution.”   

Current UL System President Dr. Jim Henderson will chair the committee and incoming System President Rick Gallot will co-chair, both as non-voting members. The committee includes select System Board members and Grambling’s Faculty Senate president as voting members as well as non-voting community members to serve in an advisory capacity. 

“I look forward to working with President Gallot and the search committee members during the coming weeks. Together, we will find the ideal president to lead Grambling State University into its next era,” Dr. Henderson said. “We encourage members of the community to get involved. We will be accepting feedback from the public during next Friday’s committee meeting and throughout the process.”

The committee’s inaugural meeting is public and will take place Nov. 17 at 10 a.m. on Grambling State University’s campus in the Betty E. Smith Nursing Building Auditorium, Room 104 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 desired leadership qualities from the university’s constituencies. Information regarding the search will be housed on the System’s website at https://www.ulsystem.edu/gramblingsearch.

The Presidential Search Committee is made up of the following members: 

  • Dr. Jim Henderson, Search Committee Chair, non-voting 

  • Rick Gallot, Search Committee Co-Chair, non-voting 

  • Liz Pierre, UL System Board Chair 

  • Dr. Jimmy Clarke, UL System Board Vice Chair 

  • Barry Busada, UL System Board Member 

  • Steve Davison, UL System Board Member 

  • Lola Dunahoe, UL System Board Member 

  • Al Perkins, UL System Board Member 

  • Virgil Robinson, UL System Board Member 

  • Bailey Willis, UL System Student Board Member 

  • Dr. Gary Poe, Faculty Senate President 

  • David Aubrey, Community Representative, non-voting 

  • Alvin Bradley, Community Representative, non-voting 

  • James Bradford, Community Representative, non-voting 

  • Wilbert “Coach” Ellis, Community Representative, non-voting 

  • Alexa Johnson, SGA President, non-voting 

  • Dr. Frederick L. Pinkney, Community Representative, non-voting 

  • Dr. Tammy Richardson, Community Representative, non-voting 

  • Rodney Welch, Community Representative, non-voting 

President Gallot was named president of the University of Louisiana System Oct. 25. He will assume the role Jan. 1. Since 2016, he has served as Grambling’s 10th president where he has presided over a period of historic growth including enrollment records and a 200 percent improvement in the institution’s fiscal health score.