Mike Reese, Louisiana State Senator and new McNeese University president. Credit: State of Louisiana
Call him “president,” call him “senator” – when referring to Mike Reese, both titles apply to him simultaneously.
The state senator from Leesville is now the new president at McNeese State University, taking over for Wade Rousse, who’s now heading the LSU system.
Reese officially took over as McNeese president July 1st with words of encouragement for both current and incoming students.
“McNeese offers a great opportunity for your future,” says Reese. “Our students are being placed when they graduate from McNeese in wonderful jobs and wonderful positions throughout Louisiana, throughout Southwest Louisiana and certainly in other parts of the country, and (they’re) having wonderful careers.”
Reese notes that 78-percent of McNeese’s graduates remain in Louisiana, so it’s important that the school work very closely with the community to prepare them for life after college.
“Working with our industrial partners in Southwest Louisiana so we make sure that we are providing education and curriculum and degrees that are meaningful to them,” Reese says, “and making sure they understand how they could invest in our university and in these fields that help us recruit students and produce the workforce that they require.”
As for President Reese’s alter ego, Senator Reese says he will continue serving in that capacity, juggling both duties as best as he can, realizing that there are only 24 hours in a day.
“There’s not a dual office holding conflict, but I think the process that we’ll follow will be to take an unpaid leave of absence from the university during windows of time that I’m participating in a role as state senator,” says Reese.
Reese acknowledged that while conflict of interest is not a factor, keeping this arrangement will likely have a very short shelf life; thus, he says this upcoming legislative session will be his last.
“I’ll start resigning from interim boards that I’m on and some of the standing committees that I serve on, so to lessen my time requirements in Baton Rouge when that session does occur next year,” Reese says, “and then I won’t seek re-election next fall.”
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