(USA TODAY Network of Louisiana)- Gov. John Bel Edwards has appointed new faces to Louisiana’s higher education governing boards, among them former Gov. Kathleen Blanco’s chief of staff, a district attorney and a Democrat who challenged incumbent Republican Congressman Clay Higgins.
Blanco’s former chief of staff James S. “Jimmy” Clarke of Lafayette is among the governor’s new appointments to the University of Louisiana System Board of Supervisors. Clarke, an LSU graduate, is senior director of state policy for HCM Strategists.
Lafourche Parish District Attorney Kristine M. Russell of Thibodaux, a Nicholls State University and LSU graduate, was also appointed to the University of Louisiana System board.
Mildred E. “Mimi” Methvin of Lafayette, an attorney and former United States magistrate judge, finished second to Higgins in last fall’s election. She is a Tulane University graduate.
Edwards appointed Gary N. Solomon Jr., of New Orleans, and Felix R. Weill of Baton Rouge as new members of the Louisiana Board of Regents, which oversees all of the state’s higher education boards.
Solomon is owner and president of the Solomon Group and serves as a representative of the 2nd Congressional District.
Weill, an LSU graduate, is an attorney and owner of the Weill Law Firm. He represents the 6th Congressional District.
Edwards also reappointed Robert W. Levy of Vienna and Sonia Perez of Baton Rouge to the Board of Regents.
Levee, a retired district attorney and graduate of Nicholls State University and LSU, serves as a representative of the 5th Congressional District.
Perez is the President of AT&T Louisiana. She serves as an at-large member.
Edwards also appointed two new members to the Southern University Board of Supervisors.
They include Sam A. Gilliam of Shreveport and Arlanda J. Williams, of Houma.
Gilliam, a Southern and LSU graduate, former served as interim chancellor of Southern University-Shreveport. He represents the 4th Congressional District.
Williams, a Southern graduate, is vice chancellor of Delgado Community College and a Terrebonne Parish councilwoman. She represents the 1st Congressional District.
Edwards also reappointed Raymond M. Fondel Jr. of Lake Charles and Leon R. Tarver II to the Southern Board.
Fondel, a Southern graduate, owns the Raymond M. Fondel Jr. Insurance Agency and represents the 3rd Congressional District.
Tarver, president emeritus of the Southern University System, will serve as an at-large member.
Edwards reappointed three new members to the University of Louisiana System Board of Supervisors, which oversees Grambling State, Louisiana Tech, McNeese State, Nicholls State, Northwestern State, Southeastern Louisiana, University of Louisiana at Lafayette, University of Louisiana at Monroe and University of New Orleans.
They are John R. Condos of Lake Charles, Virgil Robinson Jr. of New Orleans, Mark E. Romero of New Iberia and Joe Salter of Florien to the University of Louisiana System board.
Condos, president of Access Healthcare Management, is a McNeese State graduate who will serve as an at-large member.
Robinson, retired president and CEO of Dryades Savings Bank, is a Grambling graduate. He represents the 2nd Congressional District.
Romero, executive vice president of Brown & Brown of Louisiana, is a University of Louisiana at Lafayette graduate who represents the 3rd Congressional District.
Salter, first assistant to the Louisiana secretary of state and former Louisiana speaker of the House, is a Northwestern graduate who represents the 4th Congressional District.
