Louisiana Supreme Court Associate Justice James Genovese was named the 21st president of Northwestern State University in August 2025. He is honored to be at NSU and in a position where he can help put the school back on the map.
Although Genevese is grateful for being selected as NSU’s new president, it was not his original idea. “It came from other alumni and close friends. We all had the common interest that we wanted to do something to return Northwestern to its state of prominence and they felt that perhaps I could do something in that regard,” Genovese said. “So I put my name in the hat and by the grace of God, I was chosen. Four months ago, I was on the Louisiana Supreme Court and now I’m president of Northwestern State University.”
To Genevese, what makes NSU so special is its familial dynamic, student-teacher ratio and positioning within the heart of Natchitoches. “There’s a family unit here that’s so very important to get an education. I firmly believe in the student-teacher ratio, and we presently have a 17-1 student-to-teacher ratio, which is phenomenal. In our family here at Northwestern, you know your professor and your professor knows you, which makes a difference and is very conducive to learning,” Genovese said.
Even before he accepted the position, Genovese began seeking ways to get involved on campus. He started by researching NSU’s courses and the status of various departments, including the STEM school, Scholars’ College and graduate school. After reviewing everything NSU offers, Genovese devised a four-point plan to enhance NSU: Recruiting, Marketing, Finances and Exposure.
When it comes to recruiting, Genovese is all about getting students on campus. “When you bring kids on campus, that stirs the financial pot. And not only is it important to Northwestern, but it’s vitally important to the city of Natchitoches,” Genovese said. “Kids on campus need to buy goods and services, they need to get cars repaired, they have to buy clothes, buy food. That generates and gives a boost to the economy of the city of Natchitoches. If the university fails, so does Natchitoches. We’re all in it together, which is why recruiting is so important.”
Genovese’s next goal is to revitalize NSU’s marketing, especially when it comes to social media platforms and websites. “Social media, whether you like it or not, is here, and it’s a big factor. It’s not just sending out flyers or putting up billboards. Social media is big and that’s how you get the attention of a lot of people. So within a couple of months, we will have a brand new Facebook,” Genovese said. “I’ve already looked at some of the examples of it and it’s gonna be super. So we’re coming out of the stone age and into the progressive age now, and that’s a good thing in marketing.”
To further the success of NSU and Natchitoches, Genovese is glad to be partnering with businesses and organizations such as Willis-Knighton, IBM and Dr. Julian Bales—a renowned neurosurgeon.
“This is all new and groundbreaking. You don’t have this happening anywhere else. And this is just the tip of the iceberg of the good things that we have here at Northwestern,” Genovese said. “But we have to have the finances because we can’t run this university on a nickel-and-dime budget. We can’t do that. And so we need the funding to do so. We need donor participation from the alumni, the city and elsewhere.”
At the end of the day, what Genovese pushes for the most is exposure. “Get out and blow your horn! Get out and let the people know what we have here in Natchitoches and at Northwestern,” Genovese said. “This is a diamond in the rough. This is a beautiful university that has everything you could possibly need or want. If you want an education, this is the place to come to.”
