Moved to Louisiana in 1975 after obtaining History
degree from UCSB. Drank from the bayou, married a
Cajun (Sandra) and have enjoyed life in the South ever
since. We have two daughters - Jessica (27) &
Michelle (24).
Finished my PhD at LSU in '97 & left the University of
Louisiana at Lafayette after 21 years there as Dean
of Students/Enrollment Management to work at the
Louisiana Board of Regents. After 7 years, left my job
in 2005 as Deputy Commissioner of Academic and Student
Affairs at the request of Governor Kathleen Blanco to
serve as her Chief of Staff (two weeks after Katrina's
landfall).
Spent 2 1/2 years immersed in the running of
state government amidst the realities of recovering
from the nation's largest natural disaster. This
extraordinary experience recently ended (January '08)
with the inauguration of a new governor and I decided
to retire from state service.
Retirement didn't last long... as I recently accepted
an offer from ACT, Inc. (the college admissions test
folks) to help them establish a national policy
center. As such I now serve as the Executive
Director of ACT's Center for College and Career
Success. Though the Center is housed in Iowa City,
IA, I will be based out of Lafayette, LA and will
spend a good deal of time travelling throughout the
US.