BATON ROUGE, La. — Dr. Monty Sullivan, president of the Louisiana Community and Technical College System (LCTCS), announced he will retire in early 2026, concluding more than a decade of leadership marked by significant growth, innovation, and national recognition.
Since assuming the presidency in 2014, Sullivan has guided Louisiana’s 12 community and technical colleges through a period of record student achievement and alignment with the state’s workforce needs. Under his tenure, LCTCS nearly doubled the number of graduates, tripled foundation assets, and invested more than $500 million in new and upgraded training facilities statewide.
Sullivan also led the creation of the M.J. Foster Promise Program, a $10.5 million annual scholarship for adult learners, and strengthened partnerships with business and industry to expand Louisiana’s workforce pipeline.
“It has been the honor of my life to serve the students, faculty, and communities of Louisiana,” Sullivan said. “When I think about our mission, I think about the single mom earning a nursing credential, the welder training to upskill, the student who never thought college was possible. These stories are what drive our work.”
LCTCS now serves more than 130,000 students each year and recently graduated a record 38,000 students, the largest in system history. Sullivan’s leadership also expanded collaborations with Louisiana Economic Development and Louisiana Works, helping deliver customized workforce programs for major industrial projects statewide.
At the national level, Sullivan testified before congressional committees on workforce education policy and advocated for federal initiatives supporting community colleges. His leadership earned recognition from the Association of Community College Trustees, which named him the 2021 Marie Y. Martin Chief Executive Officer of the Year.
“Dr. Sullivan’s leadership has transformed what it means to be a community college system,” said Tim Hardy, chair of the LCTCS Board of Supervisors. “He led with vision, belief, and compassion. Under his guidance, LCTCS has become a national model for how community and technical colleges can power economic growth and individual opportunity.”
Sullivan’s influence extends beyond Louisiana as president of Rebuilding America’s Middle Class, a national coalition advocating for community college systems, and as former chair of the National Student Clearinghouse Board of Directors.
Before leading LCTCS, Sullivan served as chancellor of Delgado Community College, executive vice president of LCTCS, and vice chancellor for academics and research at the Virginia Community College System.
“Our system’s strength today is a direct reflection of the people within it,” Sullivan said. “Louisiana’s community and technical colleges are filled with dedicated leaders and educators who understand that every credential we award represents a life changed and a future strengthened.”
LCTCS, founded in 1998, provides strategic management and support for Louisiana’s 12 community and technical colleges, which serve more than 130,000 students annually. The system focuses on workforce alignment, student opportunity, and statewide economic growth.