Deidre Deculus Robert to Serve As LSUE Commencement Speaker

EUNICE, La. – Louisiana State University Eunice is proud to announce that Deidre Deculus Robert will serve as the Spring 2024 Commencement Speaker.  This year, LSUE will have two separate graduation ceremonies – a 10:00am program for LSUE Academy students and a 2:00PM event for all other graduates.  Both ceremonies will be held in the HPRE Center on campus on Friday, May 17.

 A LSUE alum, Mrs. Robert has over two decades of legal, administrative, and executive management experience in local, state, and federal governance.  She was recently honored as a presidential appointee by the Biden-Harris Administration to serve as the director of state operations for the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development, based in Washington, D.C.  Prior to her appointment, she was leading the USDA Rural Development Office in Louisiana.

During her time as state director of Louisiana, Mrs. Robert and staff secured $972 million used to help small businesses access new and better markets, grow modern infrastructure, promote a healthy environment and affordable housing, and create equitable access to quality healthcare, jobs, and capital.

“As a proud alumna of LSU Eunice, I am overwhelmed with pride and joy to return as commencement speaker,” said Deidre Deculus Robert.  “LSUE has been a part of my family for decades and we have all carried the foundation of achievement, education and sense of community we gained while there.”

“Every visit to LSUE is like going home,” added Mrs. Robert.

A native of nearby Mamou, she began a legal career in the Parish Attorney’s Office of the City of Baton Rouge-Parish of East Baton Rouge as an assistant city prosecutor, serving that community for 11 years.  Mrs. Robert would move to a role as an assistant attorney general with the Louisiana Department of Justice, serving as deputy director of the Public Protection Division, deputy director of the Litigation Division, and special litigation counsel assigned to defend the Louisiana Judiciary.

Mrs. Robert has also served as general counsel of the Southern University and A&M College System, the only HBCU college system in the country.  She was the chief legal counsel for the president-chancellor and five campus system.  Prior to her recent presidential appointment, she served as executive counsel for the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development.

Mrs. Robert attended LSU Eunice (1995) and LSU (1996) during her undergraduate career, and Southern University Law Center (2000).