BATON ROUGE, LA. - Dr. Joe May, President of the Louisiana Community and Technical College System (LCTCS) announced today the selection of Jimmy Sawtelle, Regional Director of South Central Louisiana Technical College, as the new Senior Vice President for Workforce Solutions.

In his new role, Sawtelle will be responsible for the development and coordination of successful workforce initiatives that meet the needs of Louisiana's existing and prospective employers. He will also work closely with Louisiana FastStart. Additionally, Sawtelle will oversee all of the state's three Technical Colleges; Capital Area Technical College in Baton Rouge, Northwest Louisiana Technical College in Natchitoches, and South Central Louisiana Technical College in Morgan City. Sawtelle's new assignment is effective Monday, November 12, 2012.

Dr. Joe D. May, LCTCS President commented, "We are pleased that Jimmy Sawtelle has accepted this critical role. Administering Perkins funding statewide, he has a proven track record in working with business and industry to meet workforce needs. Jimmy's addition will move us ahead in building tomorrow's workforce and providing opportunity for Louisiana's 3.4 million workers."

"I am truly honored and humbled by the opportunity to serve the LCTCS and the great state of Louisiana in this capacity. We are at a critical moment in our history when it comes to workforce and economic development, said Sawtelle. "Our Board of Supervisors, System President Joe May, and I have a shared vision when it comes to creating programs and aligning them with the needs of Louisiana's business and industry and ensuring that our citizens have the opportunity and access to these programs so they are adequately trained to secure high wage jobs and contribute to our state's economy."

To ensure a smooth transition, LCTCS officials plan to name a new Regional Director of South Central Louisiana Technical College by November 5, 2012.

A 20-year veteran of Louisiana's Community and Technical Colleges, Sawtelle has held several other critical roles. Prior to his current position, he served as the LCTCS VP for Career & Technical Education for six years, the Interim Regional Director of Central Louisiana Technical Community College (CLTCC) and as a workforce development officer and campus dean at South Central Louisiana Technical College. In addition, he has served in the roles of interim regional director and, prior to that, electronic learning director at South Louisiana Community College.