Gov. Bobby Jindal announced Wednesday that Albert Sam II, a Baton Rouge surgeon, has been appointed to the Board of Regents.
Sam will replace Board member Roland Toups, who stepped down Monday. Toups’ resignation followed a meeting last week with Jindal and his chief of staff, according to The Times-Picayune.
Sam is a surgeon with the Baton Rouge Vascular Specialty Center and serves as chief of vascular surgery at Baton Rouge General Medical Center.
He will be appointed to serve as a representative of the 6th Congressional District in accordance with the requirements of the state’s constitution, according to a news release. All appointments are subject to Senate confirmation, the release said.
If approved, Sam, an African-American, will be the only racial minority member on the all-white administrative board. The Board’s makeup has stirred controversy since Feb. 14, when a lawsuit was filed against the Board for being unconstitutional.
 
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Contact Sydni Dunn at [email protected]