Southern narrows search for its new president-chancellor to three finalists

By JC Canicosa
Contributing Writer

(lailluminator.com) — Southern University has narrowed the search for its next president and chancellor to three finalists. They will take part in a final round of interviews this week.

The finalist are:

• Laurence Alexander, chancellor of the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff

• Walter Kimbrough, president of Dillard University in New Orleans

• Dennis Shields, chancellor of the University of Wisconsin Platteville

James Ammons, chancellor of Southern University at New Orleans, was another Louisiana university leader under consideration, but did not make the final list of candidates.

Kimbrough has previously announced he will step down as Dillard president in May. He has led the campus since 2012.

Southern University’s search committee began the search for a new president-chancellor in November 2021.

The current Southern president-chancellor, Ray Belton, announced his retirement last year.

Belton has served in the role for seven years. Before that, he served as chancellor for Southern University Shreveport for 14 years. He also has worked in faculty and administration at Southern for more than 34 years.

This article originally published in the January 31, 2022 print edition of The Louisiana Weekly newspaper.