Harlan Kirgan
LSUE Chancellor Kimberly Russell has left the job she has held for three years and accepted a position at Texas Woman’s University.
There was no news release from LSU about Russell and the only indication of a leadership change from LSU was in the agenda for Friday’s LSU Board of Supervisors meeting in Baton Rouge.
That agenda included Dr. F. King Alexander, president of LSU, announcing the departure of the LSUE chancellor in his report to the Board.
The agenda also included voting on the appointment of Dr. William R. Crowe as interim chancellor from Dec. 3 to July 31, 2019. The agenda stated Crowe is to be paid $18,000 a month and receive a $2,000 a month housing allowance.
Van Reed, director of public relations at LSUE, was unavailable for comment Friday.
A news release on the Texas Woman’s University website announced that Russell had accepted the position of vice president for university advancement, effective Dec. 1.
The university is based in Denton and has about 15,000 students.
Russell was appointed LSUE chancellor in June 2015.
LSUE has about 3,000 students and 230 faculty members.
Russell replaced William Nunez, who had served as chancellor since 1996.
The Texas Woman’s University news release stated, “During her leadership at LSU, enrollment at the Eunice campus grew 29 percent, and degree and certificate programs in high-demand health care fields were expanded. She also worked with the LSU Foundation on a comprehensive fundraising campaign to benefit all LSU institutions.”
Carine M. Feyten, TWU chancellor and president, said, “This advancement leadership position is strategically important to TWU’s ability to prepare students to achieve their dreams and contribute meaningfully to Texas, and also to leverage our distinctive position as the nation’s largest university primarily for women.”
The Texas Woman’s University news release continued:
Prior to her current position, Russell worked at Tyler Junior College as vice president for University Advancement and executive director of the TJC Foundation, which had a 35-member board of directors. During her 16-year tenure there, TJC completed a historic capital program that expanded the campus by 25 percent, including a new nursing and health sciences center, an energy center and residence hall. In addition, from 2013-2016, CASE consecutively recognized the TJC Foundation’s fundraising program for overall fundraising performance and sustained excellence.
Before joining TJC in 1999, Russell served as director of foundation and corporate relations at LeTourneau University in Longview, Texas, where she and her team acquired more than $5 million in successful grant proposals from a number of high-profile foundations. Prior to that, she served as a secondary English teacher (grades 7-9) and as an adjunct professor of English at Kilgore College.
“I’m excited to return to pursuing my passion — higher education advancement,” Russell said. “I’m also glad to return to North Texas, after growing up in East Texas, attending the University of Texas at Tyler, and completing both of my graduate degrees at UNT.”