Louisiana State University
PAE-6: Diversity and Equity Coordination

The LSU National Diversity Advisory Board advises and facilitates diversity and community outreach opportunities at LSU. This includes but not limited to giving campaigns and special initiatives, corporate, grant, and foundation development, programs and student affairs, faculty and curriculum development, professorships, and community impact and abroad.

•Katrice Albert, PhD, ex-officio member and vice provost for EDCO •Cherie Arceneaux-Pinac (’91, Law ‘94), Baton Rouge •Marco Barker, PhD ('10), ex-officio member and assistant to the vice provost and director of educational equity for EDCO •Jeff Boudreaux (’96, Law ‘00), Attorney for Kean Miller and Associates Law Firm, Baton Rouge •Cassandra Chandler (‘79), Sr. Investigative Services Executive for Bank of America and Retired Special Agent for the Federal Bureau of Investigation, West End, NC •Anita Chang (’02), Writer and Editor for the Associated Press, Beijing, China •Julie Dickinson, President-Elect of the Junior League of Baton Rouge, Baton Rouge •John Paul Funes (’92), President for the Our Lady of the Lake Foundation, Baton Rouge •Mario Garner, EdD (’02), Chief Operating Officer for HCA Healthcare, Lafayette, LA •Kellie Irving, Director of Diversity and Inclusion for Blue Cross Blue Shield of Louisiana, Baton Rouge •Monica Leach, EdD (‘91), Interim Dean and Associate Professor of Social Work of North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC •Francisco “Frank” Lopez IV (‘76), Group Vice President for Universal Health Services, Inc, Amarillo, TX •Meg Mahoney, Vice President for Product Development for Baton Rouge Chamber of Commerce, Baton Rouge •Claude Minor, MD (‘79), General Surgeon for Monroe Surgical Hospital, Monroe, LA •John Noland (Law ‘70), President of Noland Investments, Baton Rouge •Joseph Possa (’88, Law ‘91), Attorney and Partner of Tyler & Possa Law Firm, Baton Rouge •Todd Schexnayder ('81), Senior Vice President, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Louisiana, Baton Rouge •David Sickey, Vice Chairman for the Coushatta Tribe of Louisiana, Lake Charles, LA •Leonard Stewart (‘98), Attorney of Intellectual Property for Caterpillar, Inc., Peoria, IL

Equity, Diversity & Community Outreach. Enhancing diversity at LSU is a core institutional value. Equity, Diversity & Community Outreach (EDCO) is a division of the Office of Academic Affairs committed to fostering inclusive educational opportunities and an equitable workforce environment at LSU. EDCO provides leadership to ensure that diversity is a vital component in all decision-making processes on all administrative, academic, budgetary, and strategic planning fronts. EDCO is also responsible for supervising and guiding professional units whose purpose and mission is to promote understanding and respect for difference. These units include the Office of Multicultural Affairs, the African American Cultural Center, the Women’s Center, the Community University Partnership, and is affiliated with the Office of the University Ombudsperson. Similarly, EDCO works closely with University committees, commissions, task forces, and affinity groups whose charge is to support underrepresented LSU community members. We believe that cultural inclusion at LSU is paramount. As such, EDCO assists administrators, deans, department chairs/heads, and directors in identifying and implementing policies and procedures to increase diversity in their respective areas; assist in building rapport among people who are different and reducing resistance to diversity initiatives; and provide evidenced-based principles and “ best practices” which strengthen knowledge, awareness, and skills for working and learning in a diverse educational community.

The Vice Provost for Equity, Diversity & Community Outreach is the chief diversity officer of the University. She will represent the Provost when appropriate; serve as advisor to the Chancellor and Provost on academic policies including diversity, promotion and tenure, strategic planning, faculty hires, and budgets. Other responsibilities will include working closely with University administrators to identify and implement policies and practices to increase the diversity of their units in terms of adherence to the University’s strategic plan and performance indicators, serves on the Chancellor and Provost’s Executive Management Teams; is a member of the University Planning Council; represents Academic Affairs on various committees. She supervises the following units: the Office of Educational Equity, the Office of Multicultural Affairs, the Community University Partnership, the African American Cultural Center, the Women’s Center, the University Ombudsperson, and the Louisiana Center for Addressing Substance Use in Colligate Communities; advisor to EVCP on University Council on Women, Commission on the Status of Minority and Campus Diversity, Safe Space Program; represents Academic Affairs on the Black Faculty and Staff Caucus; and is an ex officio member of the LSU National Diversity Advisory Board.