BATON ROUGE – After a wide-ranging national search, the Board of Directors of the Louisiana Association of Independent Colleges and Universities (LAICU) has selected Stanton F. McNeely III, Ed. D., as its next president and CEO. McNeely will begin his duties on Sept. 1, and will succeed MaryAnn Coleman who is retiring from LAICU after 32 years with the organization.
Dr. McNeely brings more than 21 years of experience in Louisiana higher education administration at both private and public institutions. Since 2013 McNeely has served as vice chancellor for institutional advancement at Delgado Community College and in January 2017 he also became its interim vice chancellor of workforce development and technical education. McNeely began his higher education administration career as director of admissions and student enrollment at Our Lady of Holy Cross College (now the University of Holy Cross).
“I am honored to be entrusted to serve as president and CEO of LAICU,” McNeely said. “Louisiana’s independent colleges and universities are leaders of higher education, economic impact, and community development throughout our state. I look forward to working with all 10 member institutions.”
Officially incorporated in 1983 and headquartered in Baton Rouge, LAICU is a nonprofit association which represents Louisiana’s 10 regionally accredited nonprofit private colleges and universities: Centenary College, Dillard University, Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady University, Louisiana College, Loyola University New Orleans, New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, Saint Joseph Seminary College, Tulane University, University of Holy Cross, and Xavier University of Louisiana.
In addition to coordinating collaborative activities of its member institutions, LAICU works extensively in state and federal public policy arenas advocating on behalf of all LAICU institutions, their faculty and staff, and the 28,000 plus students served by Louisiana independent higher education.
“Dr. McNeely completed his undergraduate work at a small Louisiana independent college, masters at a large Louisiana independent university, and did his doctoral dissertation on Dr. Norman Francis, president of a Louisiana HBCU,” said Dr. Walter Kimbrough, President of Dillard University and Chair of the LAICU Board of Directors.“ If anyone is qualified to lead LAICU, he's the perfect fit.”
