Media Kit for President LaForge

Delta State University is a public institution providing a comprehensive undergraduate and graduate curriculum to over 4,000 students representing all of the states and more than 20 countries. Dozens of degree programs on the undergraduate level provide educational opportunities in the Colleges of Arts and Sciences, Business, and Education and in the Robert E. Smith School of Nursing. Graduate programs on the master’s, educational specialist, and doctoral levels provide advanced training in a broad range of disciplines.

Acknowledging its beginnings as a teacher’s college, the University sustains excellence in teacher education while continuing to expand offerings in traditional as well as unique programs of study. From the core disciplines such as arts, humanities, and sciences, to unique programs such as Commercial Aviation, the Delta Music Institute, and the nationally-recognized Geospatial Information Technology program, the University is committed to meeting the evolving needs of the students it serves.

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VIEWBOOK

William N. LaForge PRESIDENT

D E LTA S TAT E U N I V E R S I T Y

William N. LaForge PRESIDENT

Delta State University Kent Wyatt Hall, Suite 255 Cleveland, MS 38733 P: 662.846.4000 F: 662.846.4014 E: president@deltastate.edu CONNECT WITH DELTA STATE:

Bill LaForge is President of Delta State University in Cleveland, Mississippi, in the heart of the Mississippi Delta. Appointed April 15, 2013, by the Board of Trustees of Mississippi’s Institutions of Higher Learning, he is serving as Delta State’s eighth president.

Before returning to his hometown of Cleveland, Mississippi, Mr. LaForge enjoyed a 36-year career, in both the public and private sectors in Washington, DC, that spanned the fields of government, law, business, higher education, and public policy.

In the private sector, he was an attorney, registered lobbyist, and principal of LaForge Government Relations, and three different law or public policy firms previously, where he specialized in federal government relations, and represented businesses and other organizations with public policy interests before the United States Congress and federal executive branch agencies.

On Capitol Hill, Mr. LaForge served as senior legislative counsel to Republican and Democratic lawmakers in both houses of Congress. He was chief counsel of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, and culminated his government career as Chief Legislative Counsel and Chief of Staff to United States Senator Thad Cochran of Mississippi.

Previously, he served as Congressional Liaison for the Peace Corps and as a legislative assistant to Mississippi Congressman David Bowen. He has also advised and organized political campaigns for major office holders in both political parties. Mr. LaForge is the author of the award-winning book, Testifying Before Congress, a comprehensive treatise on preparing and delivering congressional testimony, published by TheCapitol.Net in 2010.

Mr. LaForge is a member of the bars of Mississippi and the District of Columbia, and he is Past National President of the Federal Bar

CLEVELAND, MS | 1.800.GO.TO.DSU | WWW.DELTASTATE.EDU

Association. For more than 30 years, he was an adjunct professor at George Washington University where he taught courses in the fields of commercial law, public policy, lobbying, and business-government relations.

He has been a visiting professor of law at universities in Poland, Bulgaria, and Russia, where he served as a Fulbright Fellow.

Mr. LaForge grew up in Cleveland, Mississippi, where he attended public schools and graduated with honors from Delta State University with a Bachelor of Arts degree. He earned his law degree from the University of Mississippi School of Law, received an LL.M. in international law from Georgetown University, and studied international law at Cambridge University. He received fellowships to study government and public policy in the European Union and at the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, and he is the recipient of an honorary doctorate of laws from the Stetson University College of Law.

While a student at Delta State, Mr. LaForge was a faculty scholar, president of the student government association, charter president of Omicron Delta Kappa leadership honorary society, and one of the first four students inducted into Delta State’s Student Hall of Fame. As an alumnus, Mr. LaForge has served as national president of the Delta State University Alumni Association and a trustee of the Delta State University Foundation. He was selected Delta State’s Alumnus of the Year in 1992 and a charter member of the Delta State University Alumni Hall of Fame in 2007.

A daily runner, Mr. LaForge is a veteran of 61 marathons, including 24 Boston Marathons, and he has logged more than 70,000 miles running. He was named 1999 Athlete of the Year by the University Club of Washington. He and his wife, Nancy, have two adult children­­— Caroline and Clayton­—both attorneys.

William N. LaForge PRESIDENT

D E LTA S TAT E U N I V E R S I T Y HIGHLIGHTS NEW PRESIDENT

LARGEST SINGLE GIFT

• William N. LaForge began his tenure as Delta State’s eighth president on April 15, 2013.

• Investiture Ceremony took place on November 1 with Senator Thad Cochran delivering the Inauguration Address.

• Inauguration activities included a week-long celebration of the academic colleges and school.

• Established the Presidential Inauguration Scholarship Fund with remaining funds.

• The School of Nursing received a $3.1 million bequest from the estate of Robert E. Smith.

• The purpose of the gift is to transform healthcare in the Mississippi Delta.

• Completed successful searches for Provost, Chief Financial Officer, Athletic Director, and Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences.

• President’s Cabinet is in place, fully engaged, and working on priorities.

• Enrollment numbers are trending favorably.

• Implemented aggressive recruiting tactics including an emphasis on out-ofstate and international recruiting.

• Placing a greater focus on student retention through the First Year Experience program and Student Success Task Force.

• Implemented Alumni legacy outreach program.

• Expanded targeted recruitment territory and demographics.

DELTA MUSIC INSTITUTE

CAMPUS INFRASTRUCTURE

• Ten students performed at “Mississippi Night” during Grammy Week in L.A. • Another 10 students performed at the White House in April.

• The Mobile Music Lab continues to provide an after school curriculum that teaches the basics of songwriting, music performance, and audio engineering skills to upper elementary and secondary students throughout Mississippi.

• Received $14.5 million in bond money from the State of Mississippi for facility projects.

• Projects will include renovation of the Music hall, Science and Math hall, and Dining Hall as well as repaving campus streets and parking lots.

LEADERSHIP TEAM IN PLACE

William N. LaForge PRESIDENT

Delta State University Kent Wyatt Hall, Suite 255 Cleveland, MS 38733 P: 662.846.4000 F: 662.846.4014 E: president@deltastate.edu CONNECT WITH DELTA STATE:

ENROLLMENT INITIATIVES

GRAMMY MUSEUM MISSISSIPPI • Scheduled to open in Fall 2015 on campus.

• Will provide an exchange program for DMI students to the University of Southern California and the GRAMMY Museum at L.A. Live.

DELTA CENTER FOR CULTURE AND LEARNING • Management entity for the Mississippi Delta National Heritage Area.

• Legislation was sponsored by Representative Bennie Thompson, Senator Thad Cochran, and Senator Roger Wicker.

• Fosters the preservation, perpetuation and celebration of the Delta’s heritage.

• The program includes 18 counties in Mississippi.

CLEVELAND, MS | 1.800.GO.TO.DSU | WWW.DELTASTATE.EDU

MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS • Created new marketing initiatives in Memphis, Jackson, and the Gulf Coast.

• Pursuing aggressive outreach, efforts, and relations with the media.

• Presidential outreach efforts with such initiatives as weekly Fireside Chats, campus forums, and Social Media.

ATHLETIC SUCCESSES • Recruiting success in football with 40 signees, 28 of whom were high school seniors with an average ACT score of 21.

• Post-season play for men’s and women’s basketball teams.

• 15 members of the Swim and Dive Team competed at the 2014 National Championships.

• A statue honoring the legacy of Margaret Wade, women’s basketball coach, will be unveiled this Fall.

NEW INITIATIVES RACE RELATIONS CONFERENCE

DELTA STATE UNIVERSITY COLLOQUIA

INTERNATIONAL STUDENT PROGRAM

• Hosted “Winning the Race: A Conference on Diversity and Community” on March 18-19.

• Keynote speakers included William Winter, Bennie Thompson, and Civil Rights expert John Dittmer.

• Purpose is to: (1) bring together diverse communities, (2) foster a greater cooperative spirit about diversity and community, and (3) promote a broad discourse on race relations by building conversations.

• Distinguished speakers lecture series.

• A series of top-flight lectures and addresses featuring prominent speakers.

• Held twice per semester, Fall and Spring.

• This is a university-wide program that brings a unique and diverse array of people—from judges, former government officials, lawyers and business people—to the campus to interact with students.

William Winter was inaugural speaker in September; five speakers participated during presidential inauguration week; Chancellor Robert Khayat opened in Spring; and, David Abney, Chief Operating Officer of UPS and Delta State alumnus, was the most recent speaker in April.

• Aggressive and expanded recruitment of international students.

• Enhanced support services for international students.

• Agreements in place for student/ faculty exchanges with universities in Poland, Russia, and Bulgaria.

• Hosted two Russian professors and one Bulgarian professor on campus recently to begin the process.

• Pursuing relationships with China and other countries.

INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON THE BLUES • Scheduled for October 6-7, 2014 • Delta State will become known as the “Academic Center of the Blues” where scholars, musicians, industry gurus, historians, demographers, and tourists come to focus on the Blues.

• Perfect for coordination with Grammy Museum, DMI, and Blues oriented activities in the Delta.

DEDICATED STATESMEN ASSOCIATION • Comprised of retired faculty and staff who want to promote their beloved university.

• Program to keep retirees, alumni, and all lovers of green and white involved, encouraged, and informed on activities and future endeavors of the campus.

OKRA WORKS • This is an off-campus work-study program.

• Delta State helps place students with local businesses.

• It is a “win-win” program for students and employers.

• Students receive real-world experience and money to come to and/or stay in school.

• Employers get extra help at a reasonable cost plus the potential for future employees.

CLEVELAND, MS | 1.800.GO.TO.DSU | WWW.DELTASTATE.EDU

CAMPUS RADIO STATION Programming to include: • Student-centered educational programming • Student-directed music formatting • Campus news • Athletic events • Community service programming • Mississippi Delta’s regional heritage • Addressing regional challenges (healthcare, economic development, etc.).

STUDENT RELATIONS/OUTREACH • Expanded outreach to students including: • Council of Student Presidents • Student organizations • Residence hall meetings • Student Forums • Greek leaders • Establishment of a Presidential Leadership Class.

Sample Questions: Can you tell me more about the International Blues Conference that took place this past fall at Delta State?

Delta State just recently saw an increase in enrollment this year for the first time in 8 yrs. Tell us more about these increases and why you are seeing more students this year?

Delta State University recently announced it was selected as one of only 24 universities across the nation for the U. S. Department of Education’s new First in the World grant. Can you tell us how this grant will be used?

Diversity has been called a cultural “mecca,� and one of its focuses is diversity. Can you tell me more about the Winning The Race conference scheduled for this spring?

Office of Communications and Marketing 662-846-4675 commark@deltastate.edu

Office of the President 662-846-4000 president@deltastate.edu