LSUA Vice Chancellor for Enrollment and Student Engagement Abbey Bain, Ph.D., has been selected to participate in the 2026 class of Leadership Louisiana, a prestigious statewide program dedicated to developing informed, connected, and civic-minded leaders. For nearly 40 years, Leadership Louisiana has strengthened the state’s leadership capacity by bringing together professionals from across sectors to examine critical public issues and build lasting relationships that span communities and regions.
Leadership Louisiana participants make a one-year commitment to engage in immersive sessions focused on key topics shaping the state’s future, including education and workforce development, economic growth strategies, history and politics, media, arts and culture, criminal justice, healthcare, and poverty. With more than 1,600 graduates, the program has played a significant role in preparing leaders who help shape policy, industry, and community life throughout Louisiana.
In her application, Bain shared that Louisiana’s culture and people drew her to the state more than a decade ago and ultimately made it home. Now an executive leader at LSUA and the wife of a farmer from Bunkie, she views Leadership Louisiana as an opportunity to deepen her understanding of the interconnected cultural, economic, and social forces that define the state. Bain noted that the program will strengthen her ability to lead with a broader perspective while helping LSUA remain responsive to workforce needs across Louisiana.
Bain also emphasized educational attainment as the most significant challenge facing the state over the next five years. She pointed to Louisiana’s comparatively low percentage of adults holding bachelor’s degrees and highlighted education as a catalyst for improving economic prosperity, public health outcomes, and civic engagement. Through her work at LSUA, Bain has focused on expanding access to higher education and supporting students whose success can create generational change for families and communities.
Her selection to Leadership Louisiana reflects both her professional impact and her commitment to the state’s future. At LSUA, Bain has played a central role in record-setting enrollment growth, improved retention, and the expansion of student-centered initiatives that align education with workforce and community needs.
LSUA congratulates Abbey Bain on this achievement and looks forward to the continued impact of her leadership across central Louisiana and the state.
Written by Adam Lord
Photo credit – LSUA Strategic Communications