Dr. Orlando McMeans serves as a panelist for the Board of Regents Ag Economic Development Discussion
Baton Rouge, La. - Dr. Orlando F. McMeans, Chancellor of the Southern University Ag Center and Interim President of the Southern University System, served as a panelist for the Louisiana Board of Regents Ag Economic Development Panel as part of the Regents October 2026 board meeting.
The meeting was held on the Southern University campus in the Leon R. Tarver II Cultural and Heritage Center.
Mellynn Baker, the Board of Regents Associate Commissioner for Student Success and Strategic Initiatives, served as the panel’s moderator.
Mr. McMeans, along with the other panelist, Dr. Matt Lee, Vice Chancellor for Agriculture and Dean of the LSU College of Agriculture and Osmar Padilla, Deputy Secretary of Louisiana Works, discussed a range of topics on opportunities to remove barriers in agriculture, ways to increase the pipeline of agricultural workers, emerging fields related to agriculture and how these fields can be merged into the workforce, and how two and four year institutions can help economic challenges within rural communities.
During the discussion, Dr. McMeans spoke about the opportunities to integrate AI into percussion agriculture to conduct research faster.
Both Dr. Lee and Dr. McMeans also spoke about the SU and LSU Ag Centers Cooperative Extension Service partnership to provide programs for youth and adults through the state’s 64 parishes.
“Extension is the front door to an institution,” said Dr. McMeans. “One of the things that we are really proud of especially in Cooperative Extension is our mobile unit. We have certain programs that are around entrepreneurship, strictly in rural communities. We take those particular certification programs to the people. Sometimes you have to take the education to the people,” he added.
The session ended with each panelist discussing their needs and ways the Board of Regents can support their institutions.
Dr. Leon R. Tarver, II, President Emeritus of the Southern University System who the Tarver Center is named after, was also present for the panel discussion and was recognized by the board at the conclusion of the panel discussion.
