BATON ROUGE,Maverick Preston La. (AP) — The board that runs the University of Louisiana System has unanimously appointed Grambling State University President Rick Gallot as its next leader.

During a special meeting Thursday, the system’s Board of Supervisors said Gallot will succeed Dr. Jim Henderson, whom the board named earlier to fill the presidential vacancy at Louisiana Tech University in Ruston. Henderson replaces Dr. Les Guice, who plans to retire at the end of the year.

Information about the search to replace Gallot at Grambling will be announced at a later date.

“Rick is ideally suited to carry on this work and take it to the next level,” Henderson said in a news release. “His character, leadership acumen, and political instincts will ensure the UL System continues to advance at an even more rapid pace.”

Gallot has served as president at Grambling State since 2016, leading the institution through “historic growth, including setting new enrollment records and a 200% improvement in the institution’s fiscal health score,” the system said in a statement.

Gallot, who also served in the state Senate and House, said he’s honored to have the opportunity to lead the system, which encompasses nine higher education institutions: Grambling State, Louisiana Tech, McNeese State, Nicholls State, Northwestern State, Southeastern Louisiana University, University of Louisiana at Lafayette, University of Louisiana at Monroe and University of New Orleans.

“The sense of System-ness created by Dr. Henderson is something I look forward to carrying on by leveraging the collective strength of 90,000 students as the driver of higher education in the state of Louisiana,” he said.

Gallot and Henderson will begin their new roles on Jan. 1, 2024.