Amid the flowers and excited parents snapping pictures of their graduates in the Carl Maddox Fieldhouse, Provost Risa Palm, LSU System President William Jenkins and other University officials gathered to celebrate summer commencement. But one key figure was noticeably absent from the ceremony – Chancellor Sean O’Keefe.
Fulfilling duties for one of the three corporations that recently elected him to their board of directors, O’Keefe was out of town at a board meeting for Battelle, an Ohio-based technological research and development company.
With combined payments from the boards nearing $200,000, some question where O’Keefe’s priorities lie. But O’Keefe and University officials maintain that O’Keefe is only carrying out the duties of the redefined role of chancellor, and they say his involvement on private boards will increase the University’s prominence and competitiveness nationwide.
“Battelle runs national labs for energy and is developing exciting new technology every day,” O’Keefe said. “By sitting on boards like Battelle’s, we have a great opportunity to enhance our competitiveness for research grants.”
Battelle elected O’Keefe to its board in June.
O’Keefe also sits on the board for Sensis Corp, a private New York engineering firm, and the Delaware chemical company E.I. DuPont de Nemours and Co.
DuPont will pay O’Keefe a reported $50,000 a year and $85,000 in stock.
Sensis will pay him $5,000 as a retainer and an additional $2,000 for each of four yearly meetings.
O’Keefe will receive $50,000 from Battelle for the rest of this year. A new salary will be offered to him at the beginning of next year.
“Sitting on these boards is not a part-time job or moonlighting,” O’Keefe said. “This is part of the University’s plan to expand our national network. We’re getting into the major leagues now.”
O’Keefe said he is not surprised by the criticism he has heard of his board involvement.
“Anytime you recruit a nontraditional candidate for the role of, say, chancellor, people will question new decisions,” O’Keefe said. “Many people have never seen a chancellor sitting on prominent boards around the nation before. But there’s a first time for everything.”
O’Keefe said he had the full support of the Board of Supervisors to serve on boards when he came to the University.
C. Stewart Slack, Board of Supervisors chairman, said he knew O’Keefe would have to miss graduation to go to Battelle’s meeting, but he felt it was a great opportunity for the University.
“This is an opportunity to broaden other’s understanding of what LSU is all about,” Slack said. “It is also a great chance to interface with businesses and major industry players. These people can be partners with LSU in putting the University ahead in the academic world.”
Slack said it is not unusual for a university chancellor to serve on corporate boards.
“If you look at these boards, you will see O’Keefe’s counterparts from other universities from around the country,” Slack said.
Slack said a chancellor who had the ability to serve on boards such as Battelle’s was exactly what the Board of Supervisors wanted as the head of LSU.
“It is startling that we have someone who is as desired as O’Keefe is internationally,” Slack said. “We couldn’t be more fortunate.”
The employment contract O’Keefe signed when he was hired as chancellor even includes a provision for board directorships.
The contract states, “Consultancies and board directorships are permitted subject to approval of the [LSU System] President, which approval will be granted provided no conflict of interest is created.”
Contact Jeff Jeffrey at [email protected]