BATON ROUGE, LA. – The Louisiana Community and Technical College System (LCTCS) mourns the passing of Governor Mike Foster. Among his many accomplishments as a businessman and public servant, Governor Foster was the driving force behind the creation of the LCTCS. The LCTCS was created in 1999 to bring together the state’s community and technical colleges into one governing body. Governor Foster’s vision was driven primarily by the need for increased workforce training capabilities and an entry point for students to transfer to four-year universities.

"Thanks to the vision and persistence of Governor Foster, the people of Louisiana have the opportunity to learn life-changing training at Louisiana’s community and technical colleges," said Paul J. Price, LCTCS Board Chair. "His legacy is evident in each graduate and employee of our system. We are forever grateful for his commitment to creating the Louisiana Community and Technical College System. On behalf of the Board, I share our condolences to Governor Fosters' family and friends."

Governor Foster promoted the idea of a community college system as a simplification of the complex and inefficient governance structure in operation at the time. Using the three-pronged California model of higher education as a goal, Governor Foster and his proponents sought to take the first step in shifting typical community college functions from expensive four-year institutions to the more economical community colleges.

"The entire Louisiana Community and Technical College System family send our heartfelt condolences on the passing of Governor Foster- the Father of Louisiana’s community and technical colleges," said Monty Sullivan, LCTCS President. "He had a profound impact on the people of our state on many fronts. One of his most impactful accomplishments was the creation of our system of colleges, which continues to educate and skill Louisiana’s workforce. With each of the more than 30,000 students that graduate annually, the legacy of Governor Foster grows."

In 2015, the LCTCS established the Murphy J. “Mike” Foster Award for Extraordinary Contributions to Community and Technical Colleges in Louisiana. Governor Foster was the first recipient of the award at the 2015 LCTCS Annual Conference. 

Please join the LCTCS family in honoring the life and accomplishments of Governor Mike Foster.

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