Genovese Has Strong Support For NSU President

BOBBY ARDOIN

Editor/Consulting Writer

Opelousas native and Louisiana State Supreme Court judge Jimmy Genovese appears to have enough support from key state officials to become the new president of Northwestern State University later in July.

According to information provided last week to St. Landry Now.com by multiple NSU sources, Genovese is expected to be the lead candidate when the State Board of Supervisors convenes to select finalists for the position vacated May 31 when Marcus Jones stepped down as school president.

In a story published Tuesday by The Advocate, Genovese also apparently has the backing of Louisiana governor Jeff Landry, who has acquired the political power through state legislation to appoint high level positions for the state’s higher education system.

Genovese, who graduated from AIC (now Opelousas Catholic) in 1967, is also a Northwestern State alumnus who became the No. 1 seed on the Demons’ men’s tennis team. Genovese graduated from NSU in 1971 with a business degree.

In April Genovese, 74, told the Opelousas Noon Rotary Club that he planned to retire as an associate state Supreme Court justice in about two years due to mandatory state age requirements.

At this point the Board is scheduled to select the next Northwester president July 18 following interviews on the NSU campus July 15-16, officials at NSU told St. Landry Now. com on Tuesday.

An applicants’ review for the NSU position is scheduled to take place in Baton Rouge on July 8, the published story in the Advocate indicated on Tuesday.

During the past several years, Genovese has also become a visible spokesperson for Louisiana Swamp Pop music history, with appearances on several area radio stations and in interviews with the print media.

Genovese has made personal appearances both locally and statewide for promoting the Swamp Pop genre that dominated the South Louisiana music scene during the 1950’s and early 1960’s. An older brother, Michael Genovese started a poplar Swamp Pop band, The Twisters, before he died at 18 in an automobile accident on US 190 west of Opelousas.

During the June 20-22 Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame weekend in Natchitoches, several NSU officials confirmed inquiries made by St. Landry Now.com that Genovese was evidently a strong candidate to become the university president.