Gov. John Bel Edwards announced T. Jay Seale, III as one of his appointments to the State of Louisiana Board of Regents – a state agency which coordinates all public higher education in Louisiana. Mr. Seale represents the 1st Congressional District until December 31, 2022.
Gov. Edwards said, “Our institutions of higher education continue to face financial challenges that make the work of the Board of Regents more critical than ever as we continue our efforts to stabilize the budget and provide more predictable funding for our colleges and universities. The appointees I have named to the board bring an array of professional and educational expertise from higher education institutions across Louisiana. I am looking forward to working with them to build a brighter future for Louisiana’s students.”
The Louisiana Board of Regents coordinates 33 degree granting public institutions in addition to Louisiana State University & Southern University Agricultural Centers and Pennington Biomedical Research Center. The Board of Regents is a state agency created by the 1974 Louisiana Constitution. The Board began operations January 1, 1975, succeeding the Coordinating Council for Higher Education.
The 15 volunteer members of the Board of Regents are appointed by the Governor to six-year, overlapping terms, with at least one (but not more than two) Regents drawn from each of Louisiana’s seven Congressional districts. In addition, the Louisiana Council of Student Body Presidents appoints one student member as its representative on the board.
Regents also serves as the state liaison to Louisiana’s accredited, independent institutions of higher learning. While not involved in overseeing the day-to-day operations of college campuses, Regents is responsible for setting important statewide standards including minimum admissions requirements. The Board of Regents represents the public higher education community before all branches of government and the public and maintains close contact with student interests through the Council of Student Body Presidents.
Mr. Seale has served as Chairman of the Louisiana State Mineral Board, is a former Chair of the Northshore Business Council, is a Director of GNO, Inc., and is legal counsel or executive counsel for banks and commercial entities, developers, contractors, medical practices, and political subdivisions.