By Elizabeth Clarke, LCU News
PINEVILLE, La. (LCU News) – Louisiana Christian University will hold a Presidential Gala, Oct. 1, to celebrate its 120th anniversary and kick off a 5-year capital campaign.
“The gala is about bringing people home,” said Vice President for Institutional Advancement Beth Palmer. “Whether you graduated last spring or 50 years ago, there’s a place for you.”
There are more than 5,000 LCU alumni in the Central Louisiana region and more than 15,000 across the state.
“My heart is full as the 10th president of Louisiana Christian University, as we celebrate 120 years of faith, education, and service in Central Louisiana, a milestone made meaningful by our alumni and the people who carry this legacy forward,” said President Mark Johnson. “Thanks to our team’s tireless work, I look forward to welcoming our university family and friends to the Presidential Gala for music, performances, heartfelt alumni honors, and a fantastic evening of laughter, connection, and memories we’ll cherish for years to come.”
The gala will be held during the university’s Homecoming week festivities.
The event will also start the university’s 5-year capital campaign to Restore, Rebuild and Reimagine, a vision of Johnson.
“The purpose is to strengthen the campus and prepare the next generation of students for
lives of purpose and service,” Palmer said.
A $1.2 million grant has been received to start the capital campaign, which has a goal of raising $12 million.
The 2026 Distinguished Alumni and Hall of Fame inductees will also be honored during the gala.
This year’s Distinguished Alumni are Lance Maxwell, Deborah Curtis Eutsler, Alonzo “Buzz” Kelley and Tommy Bankston.
Alexandria native Maxwell, class of 2000, serves as the deputy chief of staff for legislative affairs for Gov. Jeff Landry. He previously served as assistant attorney general and legislative director for the Louisiana Department of Justice. Eutsler graduated from Louisiana College in 1975 in education. She has stayed true to her calling in life and is the principal of the prestigious John Curtis Christian School in New
Orleans.
Kelley, a 1957 graduate and native of Pineville, devoted his professional career to serving Louisiana’s elderly through the ownership and operation of long-term care facilities. As a pioneer in the nursing home industry in Central Louisiana, he combined sound business leadership with a commitment to compassionate care for older adults.
Bankston, class of 1957, played football and baseball at LC. He was inducted into the university’s Hall of Fame in 1999. After a career in education, serving as principal of Winnfield Senior High School from 1950-1975 and superintendent of Winn Parish Schools from 1975-1980, he entered the nursing home industry. In 1986, Bankston became managing partner and president of Care One Management Company, which owned and operated eight nursing facilities in north Louisiana. He also served as president of the Louisiana Nursing Home Association from 1998-2000.
The Hall of Fame inductees this year are Jason Tinsley and Savannah Settle.
Tinsley was the women’s basketball coach from 2010-2014, one of the best runs in the program’s history. During his time as coach, the team won 78% of its games. He compiled an 89-25 record. LC won three American Southwest Conference East Division Championships, qualifying for the NCAA Division III National Championship Tournament three times, and guided the program to its first NCAA DIII Tournament win. The Wildcats were in the Top 25 for 28 weeks during his tenure, reaching its peak as the number 14- ranked team in Division III.
Settle played on the Wildcat softball team from 2015-2018 and was a First Team All-ASC selection for all four years. She finished her career with a 56-32 record.
The gala will be held at Alexandria Convention Center, located at 2301 N. MacArthur Drive in Alexandria. Dinner will begin at 6 p.m.
Individual tickets are $100. Table sponsorships are also available for $1500 (silver sponsor) and $2000 (gold sponsor). To purchase tickets or sponsor a table, contact Beth Palmer at 318-487-7118 or via email at beth.palmer@lcuniversity.edu. Information about Homecoming activities can be found on the university’s website.
Gala sponsors include Louisiana Baptist Convention and Executive Director Steve Horn, Procter & Gamble, the City of Pineville, Louisiana Rep. Mike Johnson, John Lewis and SEJ Services, Ricky Barksdale and SiteLogiQ, the Mabry and Halle families, Deborah Randolph and the Central Louisiana Chamber of Commerce, Wynn Ware and Heart of Louisiana, Tom David and Pan American Engineers, Bill Tudor and Alliance Design and Sen. Jay Luneau.
