Xavier University of Louisiana has appointed Mr. Ron Brade as Senior Vice President of Administration and Chief Operating Officer. In this newly created role, Mr. Brade will coordinate areas of the university, including infrastructure, security, communication, physical and financial sustainability, and risk with delegated authority from the president.

Prior to his appointment with Xavier, Brade was the Associate Vice Chancellor for Strategic Sourcing & Chief Procurement Officer at the University of North Texas (UNT) System. In this role, he provided strategic direction, leadership and supervision of strategic sourcing, the Historically Underutilized Business (HUB) Program, contract management, credit card services, and accounts payable functions across the system’s member institutions in Denton, Dallas, and Fort Worth. Most recently, Brade led the transformation of UNT System’s procurement infrastructure, including the automation of its procure-to-pay processes.

Before joining UNT System, Brade retired as a member of the Senior Executive Service, having spent 29 years working in the federal government. While he completed his federal career as the Associate Center Director for NASA’s Ames Research Center in Silicon Valley, California, his federal career included center and agency-level leadership responsibilities covering Human Capital, Procurement, IT, Strategic Infrastructure, and Protective Services. In addition to NASA, Brade worked for other federal agencies, including the Central Intelligence Agency at the National Reconnaissance Office and the National Institute of Standards & Technology. 

“I look forward to leveraging my expertise at Xavier as it enters a second century of providing academic excellence to our students,” said Brade. “This is an exciting time for me to join the university as it goes through a period of growth and expansion. I could not be more excited about contributing to Xavier’s rich legacy under the leadership of President Verret and alongside Interim Provost Giguette and the other esteemed members of the President’s Cabinet, faculty and staff.”

Xavier University of Louisiana President Reynold Verret stated, “I welcome the arrival of Ron Brade as SVP.  This expands the capacity of our leadership team and allows me to focus on the recently launched Capital Campaign and our work towards a Medical School.”

Brade is a native of South Boston, VA, and received his bachelor’s degree from Virginia Tech and his master’s degree in ppublic administration from The George Washington University. He is married to Angela LaCroix, and they have three children: Bianca (24; Hampton University ‘21), Beau (21; University of Maryland ‘23), and Brielle (16).  His wife’s family has three generations of proud Xavierites as well.

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About Xavier University of Louisiana  

Xavier University of Louisiana, America’s only historically Black and Catholic University, is ranked among the top three HBCUs (historically Black colleges and universities) in the nation. Recognized as a national leader in STEM and health sciences, Xavier produces more African

American students who graduate from medical schools each year than any other university in the United States. Additionally, Xavier’s College of Pharmacy is also among the top producers of African American pharmacists in the country.  

Established in 1925, by Saint Katharine Drexel and the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament as a place for African American and Native Americans to receive quality education, Xavier has since expanded its programs in art, business, education, biological sciences, chemistry, pharmacy and political science. More recent additions in robotics, bioinformatics, engineering, data science, neuroscience and genetics, in addition to new STEM-based master’s programs, have provided Xavier students (2815 undergraduates and 787 graduates) an unbeatable combination of traditional classroom study, hands-on research, service-learning opportunities and life experiences. Xavier students collaborate with world-renowned faculty, who are experts in their fields, to produce award-winning research and notable work. The winning Xavier formula is to provide students with a well-balanced curriculum and an environment that nurtures their intellect and feeds their souls, thereby facilitating a more just and humane society for all. For more information about Xavier University of Louisiana, visit us online at www.xula.edu or contact Regi Reyes at (504) 520-5240 or rreyes@xula.edu.