FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 30, 2006
Contact: Katara Williams
Office of Public Relations
P.O. Box 10010
Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70813
(225)771-2242 / (225) 771-4374 Fax
www.suagcenter.com
Southern University Ag Center continues plans for
the Southwest Center for Rural Initiatives and names Director
SU Ag Center is moving forward with plans to establish the Southwest Center for Rural
Initiatives (SCRI) located in St. Landry Parish. One of the main components of the
planning process has been fulfilled with the naming of the director of the Southwest
Center, LaVonya Malveaux.
A native of Palmetto, Louisiana and a graduate of the University of
Southwestern Louisiana (now University of Louisiana at Lafayette) and Southern University
New Orleans, Malveaux has more than 15 years experience of providing human services to
underserved populations, and building relationships with diverse community stakeholders and
additional community agencies.
In 1999 Malveaux established a non-profit rape crisis center in St. Landry Parish. As the
only staff person and a volunteer pool of 21 trained advocates, she created the St.
Landry-Evangeline Sexual Assault Center and began delivering sexual assault intervention
services that were previously inaccessible to rural communities. Five years later, the
agency expanded to four salaried employees, 45 volunteers, and four service delivery sites
with an operating budget that was tripled within the center's first two and a half years.
"We are very excited about Ms. Malveaux, she brings extensive valuable experience that seems
tailor-made for our Southwest Center for Rural Initiatives" said Leodrey Williams, Chancellor
of the Southern University Ag Center. "Malveaux has a proven track record and I look forward
to more good things from her in this new position."
Ms. Malveaux serves as a volunteer for various community groups. She is a former vice- chair
of the board of directors for Acadiana C.A.R.E.S (Concern for AIDS Relief through Education
and Support), past board president for the Louisiana Foundation Against Sexual Assault,
chairperson of the St. Landry Parish Children & Youth Services Planning Board, advisory
committee member for Project H.O.P.E (Helping One another Push for Excellence) - an after-
school tutorial and drug education/prevention program for at-risk rural children age 6-18,
and is currently an assistant coach for North Central High Schools' Athletic Program.
In 2002, Ms. Malveaux entered the political arena as she was appointed alderwoman to the
Council for the Village of Palmetto. She was eventually elected unopposed and became the
first African American to hold this office.
The Southwest Center for Rural Initiatives (SCRI) will be headquartered in St. Landry parish
as a result of funds appropriated by the legislature during the 2004 regular session. The
mission of the SCRI is to improve the socioeconomic environment in rural communities in a
ten-parish area in Southwest Louisiana by (1) providing leadership that assures focused,
applied rural development research and community outreach, (2) increasing awareness and
understanding of rural development conditions, issues, strategies and policies, and (3)
providing rural community stakeholders and policy makers with information necessary for
public-policy decision making. These mission statements are consistent with the SU AG
Center's mission to conduct basic and applied research and disseminate information to the
citizens of Louisiana in a manner that is useful in addressing their scientific,
technological, social, economic and cultural needs.
The SCRI will provide leadership within a ten-parish region (St. Landry, Lafayette,
Vermilion, Acadia, St. Martin, Pointe Coupee, Avoyelles, Beauregard, Allen and Evangeline),
and address the current status of socioeconomic conditions, with particular emphasis on
rural poverty-stricken areas. The Center shall evaluate the potential of various rural
development policies and strategies and develop statewide and regional awareness of
effective policies and strategies for rural development. Such strategies shall include
rural entrepreneurship, value-added development, and rural workforce development.
"With Katrina and Rita creating such a profound economic impact on the state of Louisiana,
the Southwest Center will allow Southern University Ag Center to position itself to do
greater works, more specifically in St. Landry and surrounding parishes," says Vice
Chancellor Adell Brown.
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