LSU board could end fight over ’09 chairman

• By JORDAN BLUM
• Advocate Capitol News Bureau
• Published: Nov 21, 2008 - Page: 1A - UPDATED: 12:05 a.m.

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The LSU Board of Supervisors apparently has decided on a compromise candidate after months of infighting over who would become chairman in 2009.

Board member Alvin Kimble, initially the leading candidate for the job, said Thursday night he would nominate Blake Chatelain, of Alexandria, a new appointee by Gov. Bobby Jindal.

John George, the other contender in the deadlocked race, also said he would support Chatelain.

The LSU board next meets Dec. 4, when the chairman-elect can be chosen.

The chairman runs the board that oversees the LSU system, including the main Baton Rouge campus, four other academic campuses, a law school, an agricultural center, two medical schools and the state’s public hospitals.

Dating back to August, the board had been evenly divided 8-8 between Kimble, of Baton Rouge, and George, of Shreveport.

Kimble had the support of the board leadership, while George, with his health-care expertise as a former physician, was backed at the last minute by the Governor’s Office.

Kimble and George were appointed to the board at the same time in 2006.

Kimble and others accused Jindal of trying to control the independent board.

“The word from the governor is I will never be chairman as long as he is governor,” Kimble said.

Kimble said Jindal’s chief of staff, Timmy Teepell, told Kimble’s Republican friends that he would never be accepted. Kimble is a Republican but had supported Kathleen Blanco for governor.

“We were harming the university,” Kimble said of the public infighting. “Someone had to be the adult here.”

When asked about the perceived compromise, Teepell said Thursday night, “That’s great. Blake is a great man.”