Board of Directors

Dr. Barrett is chairman and president of BASIS Charter Schools, Inc., an operator of charter schools in Arizona, Louisiana, Texas, and Washington, DC. He is a leading advocate for improving education in the United States and has been involved in the creation or leadership of numerous organizations working in this field. Dr. Barrett retired as chairman of Intel Corporation in May 2009. He joined the company in 1974 as a technology development manager. In 1992, he was elected to Intel’s board of directors and was named chief operating officer in 1993. Dr. Barrett became Intel’s fourth president in May 1997 and chief executive officer in 1998. He was named chairman of the board in May 2005.

Dr. Barrett earned a BS, MS, and PhD, all in materials science, from Stanford University between 1957 and 1964. After graduation, he joined the Stanford University Department of Materials Science and Engineering, and remained there until 1974, rising to the rank of associate professor. Dr. Barrett was a NATO Postdoctoral Fellow at the National Physical Laboratory in the United Kingdom from 1964 to 1965 and was a Fulbright Fellow to the Technical University of Denmark in 1972. He is the author of over forty technical papers dealing with the influence of microstructure on the properties of materials and wrote a textbook on materials science, The Principles of Engineering Materials (1973).

Dr. Barrett chairs Change the Equation, a national science, technology, engineering, and math [STEM] initiative; and the National Forest Foundation. He is vice chair of Science Foundation Arizona, co-chairs the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Advisory Board, and is a board member of Achieve, Inc., an education reform organization working to raise academic standards and graduation requirements; K12 Inc.; Society for Science and the Public. He served until 2009 as chairman of the United Nations Global Alliance for Information and Communication Technologies and Development, which works to bring computers and other technology to developing parts of the world.

Ms. Monique Scott Spaulding is both a businesswoman and community leader. As the franchise owner of Jani-King of Baton Rouge, Ms. Spaulding has been able to pursue her passion of helping others achieve their dreams. Since 1998, she has grown her business into one of the top Jani-King franchises in the region, winning multiple sales and Franchise of the Year awards. Ms. Spaulding’s commercial cleaning franchise specializes in educational, health care and industrial facilities. Before Jani-King, Ms. Spaulding was the resource pool manager at General Health Systems, where she provided staff for hospitals, school districts and medical practices, and picked up business and management skills. As a business leader, Ms. Spaulding has had the opportunity to serve on several boards and organizations to give back to the community and encourage entrepreneurship on a wider scale. She is a staunch advocate for education, children and the arts and believes that education and hard work are key to success.

Donnie Miller is an accomplished leader and dedicated professional currently serving as the President & CEO of the Ascension Parish Chamber of Commerce.

Prior to this position, he brought a wealth of experience in education reform, economic development, and community leadership. As Chief Program Officer for the Baton Rouge Alliance for Students, he demonstrated a strong commitment to education and youth empowerment, providing strategic leadership in key areas such as project management, government affairs, electoral programming, and fundraising, all aimed at enhancing the educational landscape for the future leaders of Baton Rouge. His previous work with the Baton Rouge Area Chamber showcased his ability to drive regional economic growth by fostering collaboration, innovation, and sustainability. There, he played a crucial role in driving economic development initiatives, collaborating closely with local partners, and managing efforts to assess economic growth in the Capital Region. His ability to identify new project opportunities has greatly contributed to the region’s economic prosperity and sustainability.

Donnie earned his Bachelor of Arts  in Communications from Louisiana State University (LSU), as well as a Master of Science in Leadership & Management and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Nova Southeastern University.

Eboni Thompson Buchanan, MHSA, currently serves as the Vice President, Physician Services at Woman’s Hospital, where she manages the operations of Woman’s Hospital employed physician group, the physician practices, and the medical staff office. Previously, she worked for MedStar Health as the Women’s and Infants’ Services department administrator, overseeing the strategic direction and operations of all inpatient and ambulatory services of one the largest women’s health divisions in the DC/Maryland/Virginia metropolitan area. Eboni also served as an Operations Manager with MedStar House Call Program, managing day to day operations of a homebound geriatric program. Additionally, Eboni worked for Holy Cross Health, a member of Trinity Health, as an Administrative Fellow and a Physician Practice Manager, where she managed two geriatric internal medicine practices, one of which she opened. She is a member of several organizations including, American College of Healthcare Executives, National Association of Health Service Executives, and Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority. Eboni currently serves on the alumni boards for both the University of New Orleans and the University of Michigan School of Public Health Department of Health Management and Policy. A native Louisianan, Eboni graduated from the University of New Orleans and the University of Michigan’s School of Public Health.

Damien Watt is an environmental and regulatory attorney with over two decades of experience spanning chemical manufacturing, energy infrastructure, and oil & gas operations. As Executive Director of Regulatory Affairs and Legal Counsel for the Louisiana Mid-Continent Oil and Gas Association (LMOGA), he leads legal and policy initiatives that shape the future of Louisiana’s energy sector—advocating for regulatory clarity, protecting industry interests, and guiding environmental strategy at the state level.

Damien brings a rare and valuable intersection of science, law, and business to his work. He holds a B.S. in Chemistry, an M.S. in Environmental Management from Arizona State University, and a J.D. from Southern University, where he is also a licensed attorney in Louisiana. He is currently completing his MBA, further strengthening his multidisciplinary approach to problem-solving and strategic leadership.

Before joining LMOGA in 2022, Damien spent 22 years in the midstream and petrochemical industries, gaining hands-on experience from the field to the boardroom. His work today reflects a commitment to precision, purpose, and meaningful impact—whether he’s advocating at the Capitol, shaping regulatory policy with LDEQ and LDENR, or mentoring the next generation of environmental and legal professionals.

Leea Reese Russell is an accomplished arts educator and administrator with a career spanning teaching, leadership, and advocacy. Now serving as Executive Director of the Louisiana Division of the Arts, she leads statewide efforts to enhance arts engagement. Her previous roles include Director of Arts Education and Accessibility for the division and Chief Programs Officer at the Arts Council of Greater Baton Rouge.

A former dancer and dance educator, Leea spent a decade teaching in the East Baton Rouge Parish School System. She brings expertise in community development, grant management, and cross-sector collaboration to expand arts access. Leea holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Theatre and Dance from Northwestern State University and a certificate in Arts Management from the University of Massachusetts Amherst.

Leea has served as a grant panelist for the Alabama State Arts Council and the National Endowment for the Arts, presented workshops for organizations such as the National Guild for Community Arts Education, the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies, and the Kennedy Center Partners in Education. She serves on the boards of the Louisiana Partnership for the Arts, South Arts, the LSU Museum of Art, and the Louisiana Folklife Commission. Her work remains focused on uplifting and enhancing the rich cultural legacy that defines Louisiana.

Dr. Nima Farasat received his Ph.D. in Power Electronics and Electrical Drives from the University of Nevada, Reno in 2014. That same year, he joined the Division of Electrical & Computer Engineering at Louisiana State University (LSU) as an Assistant Professor. He currently serves as the Division Associate Chairman and holds the title of Entergy Louisiana Associate Professor in Power Engineering.

Dr. Farasat’s research focuses on the modeling and control of power electronic converters, with applications in renewable energy systems and electrified transportation. His areas of expertise include:

• DSP-based control of energy conversion systems and power electronics applications
• Design of power electronics circuits for renewable energy and distributed generation
• Electric motor drives and electric/hybrid/fuel cell electric vehicles
• Reactive power control, harmonics, and power quality compensation systems (e.g., active power filters, dynamic voltage restorers)

A dedicated researcher and author, Dr. Farasat has published extensively on topics ranging from comparative studies of series and cascaded Z-source matrix converters to modulation techniques aimed at reducing common-mode voltage in Z-source ultra sparse matrix converters.

Beyond his academic and research activities, Dr. Farasat is deeply committed to outreach and education. He frequently delivers talks to inspire and guide aspiring engineers, covering core areas such as power systems, control, electronics, communications, and computer engineering.

Dr. Farasat also plays an active role in the broader engineering community. He serves as an Associate Editor for the IEEE Transactions on Industry Applications and contributes to the technical committees of two flagship IEEE conferences: the Applied Power Electronics Conference & Expo (APEC) and the Energy Conversion Congress & Expo (ECCE).