By Elizabeth Clarke, LCU News
PINEVILLE, La. (LCU News) – Louisiana Christian University has announced Jana Lucky as its executive director of enrollment management.
Lucky brings more than 30 years of experience in collegiate enrollment and recruitment, retiring in 2023 from Northwestern State University as director of enrollment management.
“We are thrilled to welcome Jana Lucky to Louisiana Christian University as our new executive director of enrollment management,” said LCU President Mark Johnson. “Jana brings a wealth of experience, a deep understanding of this region, and a passion for students that shines through in everything she does. Her data-driven approach, combined with her ability to put a personal touch above a transactional one, will be invaluable as we strengthen our enrollment strategies and reimagine the future of LCU.”
A Shreveport native, she earned her bachelor’s degree in journalism with a public relations emphasis from Northwestern State in Natchitoches. She began her career as a recruiter for the university, then moved up through the ranks of enrollment management. Lucky, in 2003, earned her master’s degree in student personnel services with an emphasis in administration.
After her 2023 retirement, she worked briefly for the non-profit organization Career Compass, helping students prepare for college, prior to being approached about the position at LCU.
“I want people to be excited about coming here,” Lucky said. “I’m excited already.”
Lucky said one of her initial focuses is on student retention, in particular from the freshman to sophomore year. She will focus on recruiting students who are a good fit for the university.
“We want the right match,” she said. “We don’t want to just increase enrollment for them to leave after a year. I want LCU to be all it can be.”
Lucky’s goal is for every high school senior in the state of Louisiana to know about LCU.
“We are out here and a possibility,” she said, “and what we provide is different.”
Lucky said she attended a Girls in Action camp at LCU when she was a child and remembers what a special place it was. She wants every high schooler in the state to have some frame of reference when it comes to the university, and she and her recruitment team plan to hit all the college fairs across the state with information about LCU.
Another important goal, Lucky said, is to get more alumni involved in hosting events and sharing their own experiences at the university.
“There’s no better salesperson,” Lucky said, “than one who came here and loved it and wants to give back.”
