Baton Rouge, La. - Today, the Louisiana Community and Technical College System (LCTCS) Board of Supervisors unanimously approved the appointment of Dr. Michael Anthony Elam as interim chancellor of Sowela Technical Community College beginning February 15, 2012.

Elam will assume the responsibilities of interim chancellor, filling the vacancy created by Sowela Chancellor Dr. Andrea Miller who, at the end of last year, accepted the position of chancellor at Baton Rouge Community College. There is currently a search underway to fill the permanent chancellor position at Sowela. Elam will not be considered for the permanent position as has been the case in the past regarding other interim chancellor positions within the Louisiana Community and Technical College System.

"I am confident that Dr. Elam will help us bridge the gap between Dr. Miller's exit and the appointment of the next chancellor of Sowela," said LCTCS President Dr. Joe D. May. "I look forward to working with him during this transition period. "

Elam comes to Sowela Technical and Community College from Texas City, Texas, where he served as the sixth President of College of the Mainland, a single campus district serving the 13 cities of Galveston County with an approximate enrollment of 13,000 students. Prior to that appointment, he held numerous leadership positions at the university and community college levels, including Daytona State College, Florida State College at Jacksonville, the University of Houston, Eastern Kentucky University, and Illinois State University acquiring more than 32 years of experience in higher education.

Elam was born in North Carolina but grew up in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Zoology and a Masters of Education degree in Student Personnel Administration from Howard University. Elam's Educational Doctorate was conferred by Nova Southeastern University in Higher Educational Leadership.

Elam and his wife, Maxine, have two children, Mikaela and Matthew.