FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (7/05)
Contact: Lynn Stewart or Kelsey Johnson, Centenary News Service, 318-841-7265

Six New Members Join Centenary College Board of Trustees in Fall 2005

SHREVEPORT, LA — Six new members have been elected to the Board of Trustees of Centenary College of Louisiana: Charles Ellis Brown Jr. of Shreveport, La.; Jerry M. France of Shreveport, La.; William Trimble Green of Laurel, Miss.; Thomas E. "Tem" McElroy Jr. of Shreveport, La.; Murray W. Viser of Shreveport, La.; and H. Alan Yokem of Shreveport, La.

This year's ex officio members are Centenary National Alumni Association President Charles Grubb of Shreveport, La.; Shreveport District Superintendent of the United Methodist Church Douglas Cain and Centenary Student Government Association President Christopher Lavan of Lake Charles, La.

Ellis Brown	Charles Ellis Brown Jr. Ellis Brown works for Bayou State Oil Corp. in Shreveport. He graduated from Centenary in 1979 with a B.S. in geology. He resides in Shreveport with his wife, Bobra, daughter Alissa and sons Chris, Alan and Paul. They are members at Noel Memorial United Methodist Church.
Jerry France	Jerry M. France Jerry France is a managing partner of Sabine Interests, L.L.C. He received his M.B.A. from Harvard Business School in 1973. France resides in Shreveport with his wife Sara. They have three children, Carter, Clare and Erin, and attend St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Shreveport. Among his civic activities, France is past president of the Cotillion Club and the Shreveport Club. A member of the Christus Schumpert Health Board and 8th Air Force Consultation Committee, he has served on several advisory boards at Centenary.
Bill Green	William "Bill" Trimble Green Bill Green, a self-employed asset and investment manager, earned his B.S. in business administration from Centenary in 1971.  A resident of Laurel, Miss., Green is married to Centenary alumna Barbara Treat Green, Class of '71. The Greens have two children, a son, Trimble and daughter, Catherine, Centenary Class of '99. Green has participated in civic activities, including membership in BIPEC, Economic Development Authority of Jones Co., Laurel Little Theater, Mississippi Independent Producers & Royalty Owners and the National Association of Royalty Owners. He also holds or has held leadership positions in the Eastman Memorial Foundation, Jones County Forestry Association, Laurel Little Theater, Rotary International, Rotary Club of Laurel and United Way of the Pine Belt Region.
Tem McElroy	Thomas E. "Tem" McElroy, Jr. Tem McElroy is president and CEO of McElroy Metal, Inc., a manufacturer and distributor of metal components for the construction industry. McElroy earned his B.S. in physics from Georgia Tech and an M.B.A. from Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He founded the National Metal Construction Association and chairs the Community Foundation of Shreveport-Bossier and Barksdale Forward. McElroy has received many awards, including Ernst & Young's 1999 Louisiana Entrepreneur of the Year award in manufacturing, the 1999 Business Leader of the Year award from the Greater Shreveport Chamber of Commerce and the 1997 Small Business Person of the Year award from the Bossier Chamber of Commerce. McElroy and wife Maggie have a son, Ian, and daughter, Lauren.
Murray Viser	Murray W. Viser Murray Viser received his B.S. in business adminstration and B.A. in psychology from Centenary in 1977. He is the president and owner of Viser Investments. His community affiliations include membership on the Governor's Military Advisory Board and past president of the Committee of 100. He serves as treasurer of the 8th Air Force consultation committee, member of the Shreveport Bossier Military Affairs Council and immediate past chair of the Air Combat Command Commander's Group. Viser is also president and chief operating officer of Barksdale Forward and a member of St. Mark's Episcopal Cathedral. He and wife Pat have one daughter, Werner.
Alan Yokem	H. Alan Yokem In 1983, Alan Yokem earned his B.S. in business administration from Centenary and returned to Centenary 10 years later to receive his M.B.A. in 1993. Yokem is the owner and operator of the local car dealership, Yokem Toyota. He serves as a board member of the North Shreveport Lions Club, is a "We Care" team member for Shreveport Bossier Community Renewal and attends Grace Community United Methodist Church. He and wife Kelly have five children: Robert, Charles, Andrew, Thomas and Emily.
	Ex Officio Members
Charles Grubb	Charles C. Grubb Charles Grubb graduated from Centenary in 1968 with a B.A. in government and received his J.D. from Tulane Law School in 1971. Since graduation, he has maintained a private law practice in Shreveport. He served as city attorney for Shreveport from 1978-1982 and 1986-1990. He currently serves as parish attorney for Caddo Parish, Louisiana, and he maintains membership in the State Bars of Louisiana and Colorado. He served for 35 years in the U.S. Army Reserve and recently retired as a command sergeant major. He is currently a member of the Shreveport Rotary Club and president of Centenary's National Alumni Association. Grubb and his wife, Maureen have three children: Jennifer, Julie and Jason. The family attends First Presbyterian Church in Shreveport, where Grubb currently serves as an elder.
Doug Cain	Douglas L. Cain Doug Cain graduated from Centenary in 1971 with a B.A. in religion. He went on to receive his master's of theology in 1975 from Southern Methodist University. An ordained elder in the Louisiana Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church, Cain has pastored United Methodist churches since 1976. During the past 13 years, he served as senior pastor at Natchitoches First United Methodist Church prior to his appointment as Shreveport District Superintendent in June. Cain is involved with the Louisiana Conference Board of Ordained Ministry and Louisiana Conference Russia Initiative. He has served as the Booster Club president of the Natchitoches Neptune USS Swim Team, president of Natchitoches Central Athletic Booster Club and a member of Natchitoches Kiwanis Club. He and his wife, Martie, have three children: Jed, Brian and Mary.
Chris Lavan	Christopher Lavan Chris Lavan is a senior psychology major at Centenary and will serve as Student Government Association president for the 2005-06 academic year. He is a member of the Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity and serves as a resident assistant and Maroon Jackets member. He graduated from St. Louis Catholic High School of Lake Charles, La.

The new trustees will attend their first meeting of the Centenary Board at its next quarterly meeting, scheduled for Oct. 13.

Founded in 1825, Centenary is a private college affiliated with the United Methodist Church.  It offers a strong community that fosters a vibrant intellectual atmosphere, enabling personalized, distinctive experiences for students. Centenary programs follow a simple, yet highly effective pattern — explore, invent, connect. All aspects of campus life encourage students to investigate the unfamiliar, to solve problems imaginatively, and to create connections to the rest of their world. Centenary students are exceptionally well prepared to excel in their personal and professional lives.

For more information, contact Connie Harbuck at 318-869-5101.

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