By Marie Brown
ULM is now in the market for a new President since Dr. Ron Berry is stepping down to return as a faculty member at the university. The Presidential search ironically started during Black History Month.
Historians are reflecting on Sarah Louise McCoy, Bobby Saucer and Donald Wayne Smith who were the first black students to be admitted to Northeast Louisiana (now University of LA. at Monroe)
The previous presidential search was in 2020, and the two black applicants were Katrice Albert, Founder and Principal of Third Eye Consulting Group, LLC, who became a finalist but was not selected as President.
Ivy Taylor was the former Mayor of San Antonio, Tx., and was the first female African-American Mayor of a city with a population of more than one million.
It remains to be seen if the two of them will apply again. Perhaps others will apply. Many feel that it is time for the Board of Supervisors for the University System to select a qualified Black candidate for its next President. Currently Rick Gallot, the former President of Grambling State University, is now the President of the entire system, and the board of that system will make the ultimate decision.
It is rumored that State Senator Katrina Jackson-Andrews will be a candidate for ULM President. ULM is in dire need of strong leadership. The campus, which is on the borders of Bayou Desiard, is immaculate and second to none in its beauty. It excels academically with the Pharmacy school and Business school in addition to others.
However, the athletic department is in shambles, especially the main revenue-producing sports, football, basketball, and baseball. All have had losing records for many years, and game attendance and local support are very poor.
ULM is a major economic driver for Monroe and Northeast Louisiana, and the stronger it gets, the quality of life will be stronger… If this search is successful, we can continue to… Love where you Live and Live where you Love.
