The search for the LSU Board of Supervisors’ chairman-elect came to an end Thursday in a surprisingly calm manner.After weeks of in-fighting and disagreements, Blake Chatelain, of Alexandria, unanimously received the Board’s vote to be the next chairman-elect.The Board had been in a state of uncertainty for four months stemming from a tie vote between Alvin Kimble, of Baton Rouge, and John George, of Shreveport, for chairman-elect.Chairman James Roy, of Lafayette, said last week the vote would remain 8-8 until a compromise candidate could be agreed upon, and in an act of “selfless courage and sacrifice,” George and Kimble withdrew their names from the ballot.Kimble — who was expected to become chairman-elect since March — and other members accused Gov. Bobby Jindal’s administration of interfering with the voting process by persuading members to support George, who entered his name in the hat days before the initial election in August.”The issue has divided our Board and hurt our institution,” Kimble said. “It was time to move past this division.”Kimble nominated Chatelain on Thursday for the position and said Chatelain will do what’s best for the Board and the LSU System.”I promised Blake [Chatelain] in private and now in public that he will have my full support,” Kimble said.Chatelain replaced Charles Weems this summer, who was appointed in 1991 and had been the longest-serving Board member before Jindal replaced him.Chatelain serves as the president of Red River Bank, deals with shareholders, a board of directors, investors, customers and clients, which proves his leadership experience in shaping policy, Roy said.”We’ve got a good man as our new chairman-elect,” Roy said. “[Chatelain] has our unanimous support.”The Board also approved other agenda items including a request to award a postmous degree to Luke Bashore, mass communication junior, who was killed in a car accident last summer in Virginia.The Board approved a recommendation to install a new artificial surface on a football practice field at the Football Operations Center costing $1.3 million.—-Contact Leslie Presnall at [email protected]
Chatelain selected as chairman-elect
December 4, 2008