Delgado Community College Chancellor Accepts Vice President Position at Community and Technical College System Office
In late August, Joan Davis, chancellor of Delgado Community College announced she had accepted the position of Vice President of Administration & Policy at the Louisiana Community and Technical College System Board Office in Baton Rouge.
“This is a bitter sweet moment,” said Davis, who has served as chancellor of Delgado since 2014. “Together, we have accomplished so much during my time at Delgado as evidenced by our new facilities, improving student outcomes, and stronger business partnerships throughout the region.” Under Davis’ leadership, the college has had many achievements. Among them are:
• Securing approximately $15 million in funding from the US Navy, Department of Labor, the GE Foundation, the Conrad F. Hilton Foundation, the National Science Foundation, and Coca-Cola to support students and build new state-of-the-art facilities.
• Opening five new educational and workforce development facilities: the H. Giles Martin Learning Annex, the Marvin E. Thames, Sr. Learning Resources Center/Moss Memorial Library, the Maritime Fire & Industrial Training Center, the Sidney Collier Site, the region’s first Fab Lab, and the River City Site and Advanced Manufacturing Center.
• The naming of the Maritime and Industrial Training Center as among the 100 Best in the Industry Internationally.
• The Culinary Arts Program ranked 15th in the United States.
• The naming of the college as the Best Two-Year College in the Region by New Orleans City Business Leaders.
• The ranking of Delgado as one of Top 10 Fastest Growing Community Colleges.
Prior to being appointed chancellor at Delgado, Davis worked in the Alabama Community and Technical College System as General Counsel. Among Davis’ new responsibilities, she will focus on reviewing numerous long-standing LCTCS Board policies created during the system’s infancy to ensure they align with current higher education trends and market demands. She will also develop policies and strategies to positively impact the 1.4 million Louisiana working age adults (25-64) with only a high school diploma or less as their educational attainment.
“While I love working on a college campus and helping students first-hand, I also have a strong passion for policy review and development and researching ways, through policy, that will benefit more students. Specifically, at-risk youth, women, and adults who face socioeconomic barriers that prevent them from attending and completing college,” Davis said. “I’m excited by the opportunity to go back to a system office and influence higher education and financial aid policy.”
“Chancellor Davis has represented Delgado with class and enhanced its reputation throughout the New Orleans region,” said LCTCS Board Chairman Stephen Toups. “Our primary focus remains meeting the area’s workforce needs. To meet those needs and close the skills gap, we must be more thoughtful in our policy development and serving more adults in programs that lead to college credentials and jobs. I believe Joan brings the experience and skill set to our System Office that will help us reach these goals.”
DU Students Selected for White House HBCU Initiative Honor
Dillard University student Chevel Powell, ’19 is among the 63 students named to the White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities 2018 HBCU Competitiveness Scholars – the Initiative’s highest student recognition. Later this month, the Powell and other high achievers will assemble in the nation’s capital on Sept. 16-18. She is only one of two scholars selected from New Orleans and the fifth Dillard student selected since 2014.
The Competitiveness Scholars are comprised of undergraduate, graduate, and professional students, who are recognized for successfully preparing to compete for top opportunities that improve long-term outcomes. Each was nominated and endorsed by their institution’s president, which itself is an honorable mention. They were selected from among several highly distinguished HBCU students based on their academic achievement, campus and civic involvement and entrepreneurial ethos or “go-getter” spirit.
“Chevel, while quiet and reserved, has had a stellar career at Dillard,” said Walter M. Kimbrough Ph.D.. “From serving as a resident assistant to being a member of our nationally ranked mock trial team, she has been consistently excellent.”
In the course of their year-long term, Competitiveness Scholars will learn and share proven and promising practices that support individual and HBCU competitiveness, with the goal of strengthening prospects for career and life success.
“I felt honored to be selected by Dr. Kimbrough,” said Powell, a political science major from Westmoreland, Jamaica. “I was pleasantly surprised and humbled by his endorsement.”
Competitiveness Scholars will gather September 16-18, at the 2018 National HBCU Week Conference held at the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel, in Washington, D.C. The theme of the national convening is HBCU Competitiveness: Aligning Institutional Missions with America’s Priorities, and the students will participate in workshops designed to improve leadership, encourage ongoing personal and professional development and discover areas of innovation and entrepreneurship. Competitiveness Scholars will be recognized during the conference on the evening of September 17, at the Initiative’s Excellence in Innovation and Competitiveness Awards.
“I hope that this experience will enhance my leadership skills and allow me to make connections that will not only be personally beneficial but beneficial for Dillard as well,” Powell said.
