Grambling's new president, Martin Lemelle, shares plans for the university's future

A familiar face has taken on a new leadership role at Grambling State University. A former student body president is now serving as the institution's 11th president.

Martin Lemelle assumed the position of university president on April 1, replacing Rick Gallot who now leads the University of Louisiana System.

Lemelle was selected from a pool of three finalists interviewed, which included Monica Williams, foundation president and vice-president of advancement at the University of North Texas-Dallas, and Gregory Ford, associate professor of biology at Southern University-New Orleans.

Lemelle is a 2006 graduate and former student government association president of Grambling. He returns to Grambling from Maryland Institute College of Art, where he has been serving as executive vice president and chief financial officer. Previously, he served as Gallot's executive vice president and chief financial officer when Gallot took over as president in 2016.

The university boasts a remarkable brand, Lemelle said, that is instantly recognizable worldwide due to its distinctive black and gold letter G and there are opportunities in fundraising, development and alumni engagement to continue to elevate that brand.

"We need more voices like yours and your organization to continue to amplify who we are and what we do so that the research that our faculty are doing across mental to get amplified so that the students who are participating in cybersecurity and competitions are rewarded and acknowledged," Lemelle said. "Fundraising is about storytelling. It's about connections and so we've got a great fundraising team led by Brandon Logan, also a Grambling alum, and so we're in the beginning stages for discovery of what could be our capital campaign where enterprises across the globe get connected to Grambling alums, the broader philanthropic community and it's a big part of our future success to ensure that we have ongoing investment through fundraising."

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As Gallot's second in command, Lemelle contributed to the turnaround of the university's finances. The university also launched new programs in cybersecurity, cloud computing and nursing.

For the second year in a row, the university experienced substantial enrollment growth, with 5,114 students enrolling in the fall semester, surpassing the previous year's total of 5,074. Additionally, the university's retention rate improved significantly, reaching 76.19%, up from 71.76% in the prior.

Fostering student engagement involves everyday encounters and providing guidance on post-graduation job opportunities, Lemelle said. The ultimate goal is to ensure that all students complete their studies armed with a degree and the right attitude to navigate life beyond college successfully.

Lemelle launched his career in corporate finance at General Electric, where he said he honed his leadership skills and learned to deliver impactful results quickly. However, his career aspirations for academic leadership were shaped his experience as an SGA president during a meeting with then-newly elected president Horace Judson, where he said he realized his passion for problem-solving and sought to pursue a career that would allow him to fully utilize his skills.

"I said this to President Gallot when I said yes to coming to Grambling the first time where I could fully utilize my skills," Lemelle said. "... that I would not be limited or bound by a conventional role and the college presidency tests that theory every day. What I would say now that I'm just starting in that space is that it is one of the most complex careers in this country. It is one that requires a deep commitment to listening and empathy but also very solid decision-making and also any different meeting, hour or window of opportunity, you are throttling between many different constituencies and ensuring that there's fairness and equity in each space. That requires you to invest in your personal wellness a lot and I'm really big on that with our team to ensure that there's a space for you to be your best safe in what you do."

For the next three years, Lemelle said the university will continue to provide an inclusive setting, where everyone can thrive, reinforcing their motto: "Where Everybody is Somebody."

"I hope to see more students from Louisiana, for sure, but also students from across the globe who may take on short study abroad programs here at Grambling," he said. "...we're going to countries that we've been underutilized in our resource space before, so Grambling for a three-year time period could start to enhance its global footprint."

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