Baton Rouge Community College (BRCC) Chancellor Dr. Willie E. Smith announced several
key leadership appointments for the institution.
“I am pleased to announce these new leadership additions and promotions at Baton Rouge
Community College,” said Dr. Smith. “I look forward to the expertise and knowledge
they will bring to these positions. I am confident that these leaders will help to
continue advancing our academic programs, teaching excellence, as well as student
support and success initiatives.”
The leadership appointments, including the following:
Sarah Barlow, Ph.D.
Provost / Vice Chancellor for Workforce and Student Development
For over 12 years, Sarah Barlow, Ph.D. has served BRCC in roles in both Academic and
Student Affairs, most recently serving as the Vice Chancellor for Academic and Student
Affairs.
After earning her BA and MA in English from the University of Toledo in Toledo, OH, Dr. Barlow moved to Louisiana to continue her education at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. There she taught classes and focused on studies in Creative Writing, Composition Theory, Women’s literature, and American literature, and earned her Ph.D. in English in 2010. She began teaching full-time at Baton Rouge Community College that fall. As a faculty member, Dr. Barlow became the chair of the Faculty Senate Assessment Committee, a Faculty Senator, a General Education Committee Member, and a Faculty Mentor.
In 2014, Dr. Barlow became the Chair of the English and Humanities Department where she served 40 full-time and adjunct faculty in multiple disciplines. Dr. Barlow joined the Student Services team at BRCC in 2018 as the Executive Director of Enrollment Management and Student Services and continued this work as the Assistant Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs in 2019 with responsibility for leading and coordinating the operations of the Student Affairs units including Enrollment Services, Admissions, the office of the Registrar, Financial Aid and Veterans Affairs, Advising, Counseling and Disability Services, Recruitment and Outreach, the Dean of Students Office, the Office of Student Life, the Career Center, and the TRiO/Upward Bound grants.
In 2020, Dr. Barlow began serving as Vice Chancellor for Academic and Student Affairs where she worked to unite the goals of Academic and Student Affairs and align them with the mission of the college to be the preferred provider of talent.
Pilar Blanco Eble, Ed.D.
Vice Chancellor for Institutional Advancement and
Executive Director, BRCC Foundation
Pilar Blanco Eble, Ed.D. comes to BRCC with over 20 years of higher education experience.
Her most recent role at the University of Louisiana was Senior Director of Donor and
External Relations. She was part of a team which raised a record $56 million in gifts
last fiscal year. Dr. Eble previously served as the Associate Director of International
Programs at the University of Minnesota, Morris. She also worked in Advancement at
the University of Mississippi and Tulane University in New Orleans, where she worked
for the Alumni Association and the Annual Fund.
Dr. Eble’s experience in university advancement has been dynamic, involving comprehensive
campaigns, external and donor relations, major gifts, principal gifts, annual giving,
and alumni engagement.
Dr. Eble earned her doctorate in higher education administration and bachelor's degree
from the University of Louisiana, and her master’s degree from the University of Mississippi.
She is married to Michael Eble, and has four children, Ben Michael, Eli, Miles and
Oliver. Dr. Eble is an active member of her community and currently serves as Vice
Chair for Ellevate Louisiana. She is a member of the Episcopal School of Acadiana’s
Parent’s Club and serves as Senior Class Captain. She is also a Board member of the
Lafayette Chapter of Habitat for Humanity.
Howard Veeder
Interim Dean of Technical Education
Howard Veeder has 15 years of experience in Adult Education and eight years of experience
in developing and delivering workforce training. He holds a BS in Dietetics and MA
in Education Technology with an emphasis on distance education. He is an NCCER certified
Craft Instructor and Master Trainer responsible for training and certifying NCCER
skilled craft instructors.
Veeder was a board member for the Greater Baton Rouge Literacy Coalition and currently serves on the North Baton Rouge Industrial Training Initiative curriculum committees for electrical and pipefitting training. He also serves on the West Baton Rouge Career Academy Advisory Committee.