Loyola New Orleans Welcomes New Board of Trustees Members
The Loyola University New Orleans Board of Trustees has appointed seven new members who begin their tenure this fall.
“We are honored to welcome these outstanding new members to our Board of Trustees,” said Loyola President Xavier Cole. “Their perspectives, experience, and unwavering commitment to Loyola’s mission will be invaluable to our strategic vision for the university as we advance academic excellence, deepen community engagement, and prepare students to become bold, values-driven leaders.”
Lisa Baudot
Mrs. Lisa Baudot is the Senior Vice President and Chief Investment Officer for Pan-American Life Insurance Group (PALIG), where she oversees a $6 billion investment portfolio spanning 22 countries. She has been with Pan-American for 40 years. In this position, she sits on numerous boards and committees overseeing PALIG’s affiliates. She earned a bachelor’s degree in finance and an MBA from Loyola, where she graduated with honors. She also holds Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) and Fellow Life Management Institution (FLMI) designations. She is a past president of the local Financial Analysts Society and serves on the United Way of Southeast Louisiana Investment Committee and served on the Visiting Committee for Loyola’s College of Business. She has a great passion for her native New Orleans and is a member of the New Orleans Garden Society. She is married to her devoted husband, Jay, and has three grown children.
Rev. Andrew Downing, S.J.
Fr. Andrew Downing, S.J., serves as the Director of Ignatian Programs in the Office of Mission and Ministry at Georgetown University, a role that seeks to promote the practice of Ignatian spirituality across the university community. Before joining Georgetown in 2024, he was committed to similar work at Saint Peter’s University, where he was the Vice President for Mission and Ministry, and at the Pontifical Gregorian University, the Jesuit university in Rome, where he taught as a theology faculty member. Fr. Downing holds a Ph.D. in theology from the University of Notre Dame. In his formation as a Jesuit, he earned a master’s degree in philosophical resources from Fordham University, as well as an M.Div. and S.T.L. from the Weston Jesuit School of Theology. Before entering the Society of Jesus in 1995, he graduated from Yale University with a B.A. in religious studies. Ordained to the priesthood in 2007, he is a member of the USA East Province of the Jesuits.
Sonja Greenbaum
Sonja Greenbaum is a life coach based in Atlanta with a professional background in advertising and media. After earning a B.A. in communication from Loyola in 1994, she worked in a range of roles across the advertising and media industries before transitioning into coaching, where she now specializes in personal development and life transitions. Her leadership experience includes board positions with the Alpha Chi Omega Board of Trustees and the Atlanta Speech School. She has also served in active roles with Scouting America, The Arkady Burdan Foundation, ScreamFree, Ben Franklin Academy, Duke University, and Woodward Academy, fostering community outreach and leading fundraising efforts. A lifelong resident of Atlanta, Greenbaum lives with her husband, Jeff. They have three college-aged children, who are all Division I athletes, as well as two adorable dogs. Outside of her professional and volunteer work, she enjoys music, cooking, and art.
Dusti Jones
Deborah Jones, PMHCNS-BC, MBA, is a founder and the Chief Executive Officer of Psychotherapeutic Services. Mrs. Jones is a board-certified Advanced Practice Psychiatric Registered Nurse with a master’s degree in psychology and an MBA in health services administration. Before founding Psychotherapeutic Services, Mrs. Jones worked in government public health for 13 years, managing and directing various behavioral, addiction, general, and specialized health services. Consequently, she is well versed in both government expectations and provider compliance. She is a national and international speaker on evidence-based behavioral health and co-occurring disorder interventions. As CEO of Psychotherapeutic Services, Mrs. Jones is responsible for all aspects of the organization’s success. Mrs. Jones brings over 40 years of leadership experience in the healthcare field. Mrs. Jones also operates a real estate development business.
Diana Pallais
Dr. Diana Pallais has over 23 years of leadership experience at Microsoft, where she held leadership roles in corporate strategy, product management, marketing, business development and launching the suite of AI offerings. A hallmark of her career has been multi-disciplinary work and a belief that it is possible to serve the public good from a private sector platform. She drove public-private partnerships and global development initiatives, resulting in over 100 partnerships globally that served underprivileged constituencies and public policy goals, all while creating value for Microsoft shareholders. Before retiring in 2025, she was key in leading adoption for Generative AI, guiding and influencing product strategy and change management. She taught government and international political economy at the University of Washington for eight years, consistently earning top teaching rankings. Originally from Nicaragua, Dr. Pallais moved to New Orleans during a civil war in her home country and now lives in Seattle with her wife, Dr. Judy Aks, and their two children. A proud Loyola alumna (political science, ‘91), she also holds a Ph.D. in international political economy from the University of Washington.
Christopher Schouest
Chris Schouest serves as President and Dealer Principal of iTA Truck Sales & Service, L.L.C. (“iTA”), the largest International truck dealership in the state. He also serves as Managing Member of Acadiana Waste Services, L.L.C. and General Counsel for Schilling Distributing Company, LLC., a local beverage distribution company. Mr. Schouest is a member of both the Texas and Louisiana state bar associations, as well as the Lafayette Bar Association. He currently serves as a board member of Idealease of North America, Inc., Young Life of Lafayette, Petroleum Club of Lafayette and is a member of the Young President’s Organization (YPO). Prior to moving to Louisiana, he practiced law in the corporate and securities section of Jackson Walker in Dallas, Texas, and served as in-house counsel for Matador Resources, a Dallas-based oil and gas exploration company. He earned his bachelor’s degree in business administration from Loyola, where he double majored in finance and international business and graduated summa cum laude. He received his juris doctorate degree from the Paul M. Hebert Law Center at Louisiana State University, where he was a member of the Louisiana Law Review and graduated Order of the Coif. He currently resides in Lafayette, Louisiana, and is married to a fellow Loyola alumna, Angie, and has three children.
Toya Barnes-Teamer
As CEO of Teamer Strategy Group, LLC., Dr. Toya Barnes-Teamer brings more than 30 years of experience in administrative management; strategic enrollment management; workforce development; faculty and staff training; leadership searches; board development and training; research, assessment and evaluation; and diversity, equity and inclusion. Dr. Barnes-Teamer also provides expertise in state and system-level higher education research, policy, and cross-sector collaboration. She served as Vice President for Student Success at Dillard University. Prior to her role at Dillard, Dr. Barnes-Teamer served as Senior Vice President for Academic and Student Affairs for the Louisiana Community and Technical College System; Vice Chancellor/Provost for Louisiana Technical College; Associate Director of Admissions for recruitment and enrollment management at the University of New Orleans; and Associate Director of Admissions at Loyola University. Dr. Barnes-Teamer holds bachelor's and master's degrees from Loyola and earned a Ph.D. in higher education administration from the University of New Orleans