Drew Lamonica Arms, Ph.D. 

Associate Dean, Roger Hadfield Ogden Honors College, Louisiana State University

An LSU Honors College graduate and University Medalist, Drew Lamonica Arms returned to teach in the Honors College in 1999 after receiving her doctoral degree in Victorian literature from Oxford University, where she studied as a Rhodes Scholar. In 2004, she was named Director of Fellowship Advising and has assisted LSU students in receiving over 100 prestigious national and international fellowships, including Truman, Goldwater, Udall, Marshall, Gates Cambridge, Knight Hennessey, and Fulbright. She has written "We are Three Sisters": Self and Family in the Writing of the Brontës (Missouri, 2001) and is a contributing author to The Brontës in Context, (Cambridge, 2012). Her work on Emily Brontë is featured in the Gale Critical Companion Feminism in Literature (2005), and she currently works on Anne Brontë’s novels and poetry. In 2017, Dr. Arms created the OHC’s signature study abroad program, Ogden Honors in Oxford, and serves as its director. Appointed Associate Dean in 2022, Dr. Arms manages the honors curriculum.

Jay Dardenne 

President, Kennon, Odom & Dardenne, APC

Jay Dardenne has enjoyed a distinguished blended career as an attorney and public servant. A seasoned practitioner and mediator with varied civil practice, he is the president of Kennon Odom and Dardenne (APLC) in Baton Rouge. He served for eight years as the Commissioner of Administration, the state’s chief operating officer and budget architect. He previously was elected twice as Lieutenant Governor and twice as Secretary of State following fifteen years in the State Senate and three years as a Metro Councilman.

Mr. Dardenne has mediated nearly 100 cases and negotiated numerous complex matters during his service to the state. He rendered dozens of decisions related to contract disputes and administrative appeals involving governmental entities. As a premier coalition builder, he is routinely sought after for his unique style of constructive problem solving.

Mr. Dardenne clerked for U.S. District Judge Frank J. Polozola (M.D. La.) before entering private practice. Before beginning his political career, he was named the Outstanding Young Lawyer in Louisiana and served as president or chairman of ten local non-profit organizations. He was founder of the Council for a Better Louisiana’s (CABL) Leadership Louisiana Program and was a fellow in the British American Project. He has received dozens of awards for his leadership and has been inducted into five halls of fame including the LSU Hall of Distinction and the Louisiana Political Hall of Fame. He created, wrote and hosted an Emmy-nominated documentary for Louisiana Public Broadcasting entitled Why Louisiana Ain’t Mississippi… or Any place Else.

An attorney and graduate of Louisiana State University and the LSU Law Center, Mr. Dardenne is married to the former Cathy McDonald. They have two grown sons, John and Matthew.

Courtney Phillips, Ph.D. 

Vice President of Health Affairs and Chief Health Officer, Louisiana State University

Courtney Phillips serves as the Vice President of Health Affairs and Chief Health Officer at Louisiana State University. In this role, Phillips will work closely with university leadership across the LSU system as well as with healthcare partners to maximize the system’s healthcare-related financial well-being, enhance operational efficiency, develop new revenue streams and leverage related strengths.

This role is a recasting of a previous vice president position that oversaw healthcare across the system. The position will not oversee or manage campuses or their leadership, but will focus on building collaborations and maximizing opportunities to improve the state of healthcare in Louisiana.

Prior to LSU, Phillips served in multiple executive leadership positions including Executive Commissioner of the Texas Health and Human Services Commission as well as Chief Executive Officer of the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services. In both of these roles, she implemented strategic plans to optimize healthcare and increase widespread access to lifesaving health services while consolidating state budgets and streamlining technology and infrastructure initiatives.

Phillips has a Ph.D. in Public Policy from Southern University as well as a Master’s Degree in Public Administration and Bachelor’s Degree in Kinesiology from LSU.

John K. Pierre 

CHAncellor, Southern University

John K. Pierre, who was named chancellor of Southern University and A&M College in July 2024, has devoted his career to education and being a champion of innovation. He is married to Antoinette Pierre, and they are the proud parents of two adult sons.

Pierre received a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Southern in 1980, a master’s degree in tax accounting from Texas Tech University in 1982, and a juris doctor degree from Southern Methodist University School of Law in 1985.

After graduating from law school, from 1986 to 1990, Pierre served his country as a Judge Advocates General Corps Officer, or JAG, for the United States Army. In 1990, his next assignment led him to the classroom as he began serving as a faculty member at the Southern University Law Center, where he taught courses such as tax law, security devices, local government law and more. In addition, he has previous teaching experience as a visiting and adjunct professor at California State University, Southern Methodist University School of Law, Loyola University Law School, Southern University’s College of Business, Saint Leo’s College, Webster University, Louisiana State University, and Baton Rouge Community College. Beyond the classroom, Pierre has published numerous articles on tax law, sales and contracts, real estate and commercial law, ranging from magazine features to legal journal and law review articles.

In 2006, he transitioned to a leadership role at the Law Center, becoming the vice chancellor of institutional accountability and the evening division. He served as the Law Center’s chancellor from 2016 to spring 2024. Under his tutelage, the Southern University Law Center thrived as a global legal institution and was recognized for its diversity, world-class faculty, and racial justice efforts.

As a progressive leader and visionary, Pierre advocates for technology advancements, community outreach initiatives, and strategic partnerships that ensure access and opportunity are provided to all. In 2023, the Southern University System Board of Supervisors appointed Pierre as the interim executive vice president of Southern University and A&M College.

Beyond the education field, Pierre was involved in the Baton Rouge school desegregation case as co-counsel for the Baton Rouge Branch of the NAACP in Davis v. East Baton Rouge Parish School Board. He was also co-counsel in the landmark case of McWaters v. FEMA.

Pierre fervently serves as a transformational change agent and inspiration to legal professionals and thoughts leaders around the globe. He has earned numerous awards for his leadership, innovative strategy, and tireless efforts within the legal and professional realm, including Educator of the Year from the Thurgood Marshall College Fund and Ten Most Dominant HBCU Leaders from The HBCU Campaign Fund. Hampton University, the Baton Rouge Bar Association, and the Louisiana Legislative Black Caucus are just a few of the organizations that have bestowed honors upon Pierre throughout his career. Also, his alma mater, Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law, has named him a Distinguished Alumni. Pierre has served as a contributing panelist during national discussions with the Peggy Browning Fund, Thurgood Marshall College Fund, the National Pre-Law Summit, and more.

Pierre remains a member of numerous state and national organizations, including the Louisiana State Bar Association and the Texas Bar Association.