By Capt. Peter Drasutis, Louisiana National Guard Public Affairs Office
NEW ORLEANS – The Louisiana Military Department has appointed Dr. Patrick Jenkins as superintendent of the At-Risk Youth Center of Excellence. Jenkins brings more than 20 years of educational leadership and administrative experience to the position, along with service as a Louisiana Army National Guard officer.
Jenkins will provide executive leadership and strategic direction for the Louisiana National Guard Youth Challenge Program, STARBASE and Job Challenge while leading development of the center at Gillis W. Long Center. His priorities include strengthening academic pathways, expanding workforce preparation and educational partnerships, and improving coordination across the department’s youth programs.
“The At-Risk Youth Center of Excellence represents an investment in the future of these programs and, more importantly, in the young people they serve,” said Dr. David Mula, LMD deputy director. “Dr. Jenkins brings the educational leadership, operational experience and strategic perspective necessary to strengthen what is already working while expanding opportunities for our cadets.”
The organizational realignment will retain Youth Challenge’s military-style structure, discipline and life-skills development while strengthening academic planning, diploma pathways, educational partnerships and the assessment of student outcomes.
The Louisiana National Guard intends to maintain Youth Challenge operations at all three existing locations. Building on high school diploma opportunities already established at Gillis W. Long Center and Camp Minden, the department will work to strengthen academic consistency and expand pathways to further education, training and employment.
“The discipline, structure, accountability and life skills at the heart of Youth Challenge will remain central to our work,” said Jenkins. “We will build on those strengths by expanding academic and workforce opportunities and helping every cadet prepare for education, employment or further training.”
Jenkins most recently served as chief operations officer for Jefferson Parish Schools, where he oversaw daily operations and strategic planning for a district serving more than 47,000 students and approximately 6,000 employees. He previously served as superintendent of St. Landry Parish Schools from 2016 to 2023 and was named the 2023 Louisiana Superintendent of the Year.
During his tenure in St. Landry Parish, the district’s graduation rate increased from 66.6% to 82.5%, a gain of 15.9 percentage points. His administration also developed partnerships with Louisiana State University Eunice and South Louisiana Community College that enabled students to earn associate degrees and collegiate technical diplomas while completing high school.
His experience includes leadership in career and technical education, alternative education, dual enrollment, industry-based certification programs, and partnerships with Louisiana businesses and higher education institutions.
A native of Opelousas, Jenkins earned a bachelor’s degree in secondary mathematics education, a master’s degree in administration and supervision, and a doctorate in public policy from Southern University and A&M College. He is a retired major from the Louisiana Army National Guard.