Norman Francis
AGE: 76
OCCUPATION: President of Xavier University of Louisiana
NUMBER OF TIME COVERS: 0
PREVIOUS APPEARANCES ON THE TIME 100: 0
PRO: Longest-serving college president in the nation and chairman of the Louisiana Recovery Authority, the agency in charge of planning the rebuilding of Louisiana after hurricanes Rita and Katrina. Recent recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
CON: The Louisiana Recovery Authority has been only mildly effective in orchestrating the reconstruction, and public criticism of it is believed to be one reason why Governor Kathleen Blanco (who created the board) recently announced she would not seek a second term this fall.