Gov. Kathleen Blanco appointed a black woman to the nearly all-white board that governs the Louisiana State University System this week.
Dorothy “Dottie” Reese’s appointment to the Board of Supervisors came shortly after black lawmakers in the state pressed Blanco to appoint more people of color to the board to better reflect the racial make-up of the state. Thirty-three percent of the state’s population is black, and before Reese’s appointment, the board had only one black member.
The Board of Supervisors is a 16-member statewide board that governs the state’s public hospitals and LSU, University of New Orleans, LSU Shreveport, LSU at Eunice and LSU Alexandria.
Roderick Hawkins, a spokesperson for the governor’s office, said Blanco selected Reese because she is the best for the job, not because she is black.
“Hiring people of color is important to the Governor, but the main goal is selecting the best for the job,” Hawkins said. “She feels confident Reese is very qualified.”
Reese is Blanco’s first appointment of a person of color to the board. She has appointed three white men to the board since she came into office.
Reese, who is diversity director for Methodist Hospital in New Orleans, told The Daily Reveille she is honored to have the job and is ready to be briefed on board issues.
Reese said real diversity comes from diversity of thought, and that she will bring a different perspective to the board.
“Diversity of thought brings richness,” she said. “[It will] enhance what the board is already doing to be a representative of different communities or groups in the state.”