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Louisiana Gov.-Elect John Bel Edwards, who has identified higher education funding as one of his top priorities, announced members of his Higher Education Transition Committee charged with finding ways to stabilize and boost revenue to support colleges and the students who have had to mitigate cuts with tuition hikes, and his appointees include Taylor Porter Partner Preston Castille, member of the firm’s Executive Committee and National President of the Southern University Alumni Federation.

Said Edwards in a press release: “Disinvesting in higher education is not the pathway to progress for our state. It has been proven time and again that education is our greatest long-term economic generator. Among my top priorities is to make college more affordable for students and stronger in our state. This committee will be tasked with putting forth recommendations to get this done.”

State funding for higher education has been cut $700 million since 2008. Edwards has committed to increasing funding to 80 percent of the Southern Regional Education Board's per-student average in the next four years. He has also committed to improving the student-to-state cost share to a 50-50 mix as one step in improving affordability for students.

Kim Hunter Reed, a principal at HCM Strategists, a policy and advocacy firm based in Washington, D.C., has been named chair of the committee. Reed previously served as executive vice president for the University of Louisiana System, chief of staff at the Louisiana Board of Regents and in the administration of two Louisiana governors.

Other members include: Sheryl R. Abshire, Chief Technology Officer, Calcasieu Parish Public Schools; Jane Arnette, executive director, SCI; Preston Castille, national president, Southern University Alumni Federation; Mike Clary, business manager, finance secretary, I.B.E.W. Local 995; Lisa Cooper, assistant professor, LSU Shreveport; Lola Dunahoe, CEO, The Mary R. Gallaspy Trust & Northwestern State University Foundation; Tom Enmon, president, Jani-King Gulf Coast;

Barry Erwin, president and CEO, Council for a Better Louisiana; Carolyn Hargrave, professor, provost emeritus and vice president for academic affairs and technology transfer, Retired, LSU System; Valerie Holliday, associate professor, Baton Rouge Community College; Paul Howard, business manager, Local 241; Grambling Mayor Edward R. Jones; Renee Lapeyrolerie, client services leader, CDM Smith Calvin Mackie, Managing Partner, Channel ZerO Group, LLC; Ron Maestri, retired athletic director and coach, University of New Orleans; James Maurin, founder and past chairman, Stirling Properties; Huey L. Perry, retired professor, Southern University; Sean Reilly, CEO, Lamar Advertising Company; Phillip Rozeman, recent chair, Blueprint Louisiana; Joe Savoie, former Louisiana Commissioner of Higher Education and current president, University of Louisiana at Lafayette; Joshua Stockley, associate professor, University of Louisiana at Monroe; and Roland Toups, chairman and CEO, Turner Industries.

At Taylor Porter, Castille is engaged primarily in business litigation and transactions and assists clients with matters involving the Louisiana Legislature, the Louisiana Public Service Commission, and other state and local governmental entities. He also serves as outside general counsel to numerous private, public, and governmental entities. 

Castille is active in various education-related organizations including New Schools for Baton Rouge and several charter school organizations. He served on the Greater Baton Rouge Area Chamber of Commerce Business Advisory Committee. He was a member of the Chamber’s 1997 Leadership class and was selected in 2000 by the Baton Rouge Business Report as one of Baton Rouge’s “Top Forty Under 40” community and business leaders. Castille was a member of the 2012 Louisiana Leadership class sponsored by Council for a Better Louisiana (CABL).

Castille is an adjunct professor of law. He began his career as a law professor in 2001 at LSU Law School teaching Pretrial Litigation Practice and taught there for eight years. In 2003, he began teaching at Southern University Law School and teaches Louisiana Civil Procedure I & II and Evidence.

In 2011, Castille served as President of the Baton Rouge Bar Association and President of the Louis A. Martinet Legal Society from 1998-2000. He served on the Board of Governors of the Louisiana State Bar Association from 2001-2004 and as a member of the House of Delegates from 2009-2012.  He currently serves as a member of the National Conference of Bar Presidents.