NATCHITOCHES – Northwestern State University will induct seven new members into its Alumni Hall of Distinction, the Long Purple Line as part of the annual Homecoming celebration Oct. 3-4. The inductees are Richard Keith Bergeron of New Roads, the late Robert Crew, Jacque Crew of Shreveport, Dr. Marcus Jones of Winnfield, Angela Lasyone and Lee Posey of Natchitoches and Christine “Chris” Weaver of Lafayette.
The inductees will be honored at a luncheon on Friday, Oct. 3 at noon at the Natchitoches Events Center. Tickets are available at https://northwesternstatealumni.com/long-purple-line-2025/.
Northwestern has honored 159 alumni with induction into the Long Purple Line.
Bergeron was regional chairman for Capital One Bank and its predecessor, Hibernia National Bank and market president for Shreveport/Bossier City. He was responsible for all retail banking operations in north Louisiana and east Texas. He also managed the bank’s contributions, sponsorships and marketing efforts. He coordinated the merger of six acquired banks in various markets in Louisiana and Texas. Under his leadership, the bank became the largest in the market.
His community involvement included chairing the Biomedical Research Foundation, the Independence Bowl Foundation, the United Way Campaign for Northwest Louisiana and the American Heart Association Heart Walk. Bergeron was on the board of the Shreveport Chamber of Commerce, The Committee of 100 Shreveport, the North Louisiana Economic Development Partnership, the American Heart Association Shreveport and Alliance for Education.
A 1974 graduate of Northwestern, he served on the NSU Foundation Board and was board president. Bergeron was on the Dean’s Executive Advisory Board for the College of Business and was named to the College of Business Hall of Distinction in 2000. He established the Keith and Julie Bergeron Endowed Scholarship and was responsible for establishing the Capital One Endowed Professorship in the School of Business. Bergeron also assisted Northwestern by hosting numerous new student recruiting events.
Robert and Jacque Crew were friends from the beginning, childhood sweethearts and dated through high school, but their life and courtship developed through their mutual love for Northwestern. After high school graduation, they attended Northwestern State College with each earning bachelor’s and master’s degrees. Wanting the full college experience, they each pursued an active social life on campus. Jacque Crew joined Sigma Sigma Sigma Sorority and was very involved in her chapter. Robert Crew was a member of the NSC ROTC battalion, marched with the ROTC Black Knights Drill Squad and was a champion badminton player.
For 30 years, the couple pursued their education dreams. Robert Crew worked for the Department of Education in the Teacher Certification Bureau. Robert Crew served as interim assistant state superintendent of education several times. Jacque Crew spent those years teaching kindergarten and gifted classes.
Robert Crew was appointed executive assistant to the president at NSU in 1997. Jacque Crew taught at the NSU Lab school and St. Mary’s Catholic School. When she was asked to serve as Sigma Sigma Sigma’s chapter advisor, she very willingly accepted the honor knowing the time and dedication it would demand. Over 20-plus years, Jacque Crew attended the Sunday night chapter meetings, all recruitment events, socials, formals and national conventions in addition to being available when one of the members needed her help. For her service and in tribute of her love for her sorority, Jacque Crew received the Golden Violet Award from Tri Sigma for 50 years of service. The living room in the Tri Sigma sorority house was named after Jacque Crew for her tireless effort to recognize the dream of a new home for her sorority girls. She was also honored by NSU’s chapter of Pi Kappa Phi Fraternity as an Honorary Rose in 2018. Robert Crew was initiated into the Pi Kappa Phi Fraternity as an alumnus initiate.
Robert Crew was instrumental in making many changes on campus to improve the beauty of Northwestern’s historic campus and enhance safety for students, faculty, staff and campus visitors. Robert Crew was a widely acclaimed photographer for more than 40 years. To recognize his passion and achievement in the field of photography, the Robert G. Crew Endowed Scholarship is awarded each semester. Upon his retirement, the School of Creative and Performing Arts named the photography studio in his honor.
Robert and Jacque Crew have been honored with the Nth Degree Award from NSU and have been inducted into NSU’s Hall of Distinguished Educators.
Jones is an accomplished higher education executive with over two decades of leadership, teaching and legal experience. He currently serves as chief operating officer and senior vice president of Legal Affairs for the University of Louisiana System, where he oversees strategic, operational, legal and compliance functions across nine universities. His career reflects a deep commitment to advancing higher education through collaborative leadership, international engagement and operational excellence.
From 2021 to 2024, Jones served as president of Northwestern State University, where he was the institution’s 20th president. Prior to that, he held several key leadership roles at NSU, including executive vice president for University and Business Affairs and vice president for University Affairs. A longtime faculty member, he also taught courses in business law, international business and economics, and played a central role in expanding the university’s global outreach and partnerships.
Jones holds a Juris Doctor from Southern University Law Center, a Master of Science in International Business and Trade from Grambling State University and a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from NSU. He also studied international business and economics at the University of Plymouth in England through a student exchange program and is a proud member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity.
Lasyone earned a degree in business administration at NSU in 1986 and was a member of Phi Mu Fraternity. She has spent her career working in her family’s business that began as a meat market and evolved to become a landmark restaurant in north Louisiana and a catering business recognized throughout Louisiana and the U.S. Lasyone’s Meat Pie Restaurant has been in business for more than 50 years. Their world-famous meat pies have drawn attention to Natchitoches through magazine and book articles, national and international newspapers features, radio and television highlights, appearing in Southern Living, The New Yorker, Gourmet Magazine, Calvin Trillin’s book “Third Helpings,” The Houston Chronicle, Chicago Tribune, The New York Times, newspapers from France, Italy and Spain, CBS’ On the Road with Charles Kuralt and ABC’s Good Morning America.
Angela Lasyone and her sister Tina have been dedicated supporters of NSU over the years and established two scholarships in memory of their parents, Jo Ann and James Lasyone, awarded to students seeking careers in travel/tourism and culinary arts.
She was one of the charter inductees into the Hall of Distinguished Hospitalitarians established by NSU’s Northwestern’s Hospitality Management and Tourism program.
Lasyone has continued her involvement with Phi Mu by serving as president of Kappa Iota Chapter of Phi Mu House Incorporated and as a member of the Alumni Board.
Posey is a successful Natchitoches businessman who devoted nearly 30 years to public service. He was a two-term mayor of Natchitoches from 2012 to 2020 and a member of the Natchitoches City Council from 1988-2008.
As mayor, Posey worked to improve the quality of life in Natchitoches. He completed the Downtown Riverbank Project which included amphitheater seating and a pavilion and stage area to allow the community to enjoy Cane River. During his administration, PARC Natchitoches was constructed for a variety of local and state sports events. PARC also provides a walking trail, fishing and children’s playground facilities. He also initiated and organized the Texas and Pacific Railway Depot Restoration.
A 1974 graduate of Northwestern, Posey was president of NSU Booster Club and served as NSU Foundation president for 10 years. He was chair of NSU Centennial Celebration in 1984.
The Posey family has a long history at Northwestern as four generations of the family have attended the university. Along with his family, Lee Posey helped set up the Allen and Mary Lee Posey Scholarship to assist Northwestern students pursuing mental, behavioral or allied health studies.
Weaver was selected as the Louisiana Teacher of the Year in 1981 while teaching at Woodlawn High School in Shreveport. After 13 years in the classroom, Weaver was named principal at the Caddo Career Center and later at Woodlawn High.
She was assistant superintendent of Vocational Education and director of Vocational Education at the Louisiana Department of Education and served as executive director of the Workforce Commission and the Workforce Development Liaison/School-to-Work Liaison in the Louisiana Governor’s Office.
Weaver has been an active supporter of Northwestern since graduating, attending university activities and events and assisting the university in professional activities.
Weaver was an inductee into the NSU College of Education and Human Development’s Hall of Distinguished Educators and received the Nth Degree in honor of her service to others. She was an active member of the NSU School of Education Advisory Committee for more than 20 years. Weaver established the Pat Weaver Fund for Educational Enhancement in 2022 in honor of her late husband to enhance learning, research, travel and/or professional development to meet the needs of the School of Education
She earned a bachelor’s degree in marketing education and a master’s in education at NSU. Weaver did additional graduate work at Northwestern and the University of North Texas.
Photo
Shown are 2025 Long Purple Line inductees, top row from left, Richard Keith Bergeron of New Roads, Jacque Crew of Shreveport, the late Robert Crew, bottom row from left, Dr. Marcus Jones of Winnfield, Angela Lasyone and Lee Posey of Natchitoches and Christine “Chris” Weaver of Lafayette.
