William "Bill" LaForge is the new president of Delta State University.

The College Board voted unanimously Thursday in a meeting in Cleveland to appoint LaForge as Delta State's eighth president, succeeding John Hilpert. The vote comes after LaForge met with campus groups.

LaForge is a 62-year-old Washington, D.C., lobbyist and former president of DSU's alumni association.

He is a Cleveland native and his father was a DSU history professor.

LaForge is a former chief of staff to U.S. Sen. Thad Cochran. He has taught part-time college classes for 30 years and been a visiting law professor in Russia, Poland and Bulgaria. But he HAS never worked full time for a university.

LaForge earned a law degree from the University of Mississippi and master of laws from Georgetown University.