By Craig Gautreaux, LSU AgCenter

Three icons of Louisiana agriculture were inducted into the Louisiana Agriculture Hall of Distinction during a ceremony at L’Auberge Hotel in Baton Rouge on Thursday, Mar. 24.

The new inductees are former director of the Louisiana Cooperative Extension Service and current chancellor of LSU Alexandria Dr. Paul Coreil, of Alexandria; long time Louisiana Radio Network farm broadcaster Don Molino, of Baton Rouge; and Jim Monroe, of Pineville, the former assistant to the president at Louisiana Farm Bureau, where Monroe worked for 47 years.

A joint effort of the LSU AgCenter, Louisiana Radio Network, Louisiana Farm Bureau Federation, the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry, the Louisiana Agriculture Hall of Distinction honors individuals who have made significant contributions to agriculture or agriculture-related industries. Previous inductees have represented farming, ranching, forestry, aquaculture, education, and agribusiness.

Coreil started his career as a Sea Grant agent in Cameron and Calcasieu Parishes in 1978. In 1998, he moved to private industry, serving as wetlands administrator for Burlington Resources. He returned to the LSU AgCenter as the assistant director of environmental programs and was named extension director in 2001.

Coreil retired as extension director in 2013 and became the interim chancellor of LSU of Alexandria. After one year, he retired from this position.

One of Coreil’s biggest accomplishments was his work in wetland resources. Coastal land loss has long been a problem in Louisiana, and he worked with private landowners, industry, and government agencies to help implement strategies to slow land loss. Coreil often had to serve as a liaison between the groups to help explain some of the regulations and stipulations that were being instituted to mitigate coastal erosion.

In 2019, Coreil emerged from retirement to begin a second stint as chancellor of LSUA. He has made increasing enrollment and student retention, developing new degree programs, and modernizing the campus his top priorities.