BATON ROUGE –– Brig. Gen. (Ret.) Gary “Mike” Jones, a 28-year active-duty Army Military Intelligence Branch veteran with stints as Commander of Special Forces Command, Commander of Special Operations Command Europe, and Commander of U.S. Army Special Forces Airborne, is honored as the 2025 Alumnus of the Year. Lance Frank, executive vice president, and head of communications for CBS News and Stations and CBS Media Ventures, is the 2025 Young Alumnus of the Year.

They will be inducted into the LSU Alumni Association Hall of Distinction on Friday, April 11, 2025 at the Lod Cook Alumni Center.

Joining Jones and Frank are fellow Hall of Distinction inductees:

• Albert “Brent” Bankston, M.D., Baton Rouge, LA
  • LSU Athletics Team Doctor since 1995
  • 2016 Southeastern Conference Physician of the Year
• U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy, M.D., Baton Rouge, LA
  • U.S. Senator from Louisiana
  • Physician and Co-Founder, Greater Baton Rouge Community Clinic
• Ann Forte Trappey, P.E., Baton Rouge, LA
  • Retired President and CEO, Forte & Tablada, Inc.
  • Vice President of Outreach, Forte & Tablada, Inc.

Tickets to the event can be purchased at https://www.lsualumni.org/hall-of-distinction.

Jones, a Shreveport native, played football and was an ROTC Distinguished Military Graduate at LSU. He trained as a counterintelligence agent in the U.S. Army’s Military Intelligence Branch, was awarded his Green Beret, and served at all levels in Special Forces.

Upon completion of his CIA duties, as Commander of Special Operations Europe Airborne, Jones provided training to more than 25 African nations and successfully staged and deployed forces from Turkey into Northern Iraq during the Iraq War. His last assignment was Commander of U.S. Special Forces Command Airborne, where he was responsible for a 9,700-man Green Beret Force with worldwide responsibility for fighting the global war on terrorism. Jones retired in 2006 and lives in North Carolina, serving as a senior military consultant to Flyer Defense in Los Angeles.

Frank, a Lake Charles native and New York resident, graduated from the LSU Manship School of Mass Communication. He also completed executive education courses at Harvard Business School, Harvard Kennedy School, and the London School of Economics. He serves on the Manship School board of directors.

Frank was named head of communications for CBS News, Stations and CBS Media Ventures in September. In this role, he leads all communications and publicity efforts for every CBS News program and platform, CBS News Digital, CBS Stations, and the CBS Media Ventures portfolio. Additionally, Frank manages the executive communications strategies, media relations, and internal communications for the division's leadership.

“The LSU Alumni Association annually recognizes alumni who have distinguished themselves and the university through their careers, personal and civic accomplishments, volunteer activities, and loyalty to their alma mater,” said Joe Carvalhido, association president and CEO. “These individuals have excelled in all of these areas and exemplify the essence of true Tigers.”

The first LSU Alumnus of the Year award was conferred in 1966, and the Young Alumnus of the Year Award was established in 1999 to recognize alumni who have attained professional prominence early in their careers. Over the years, the LSU Alumni Association has recognized over 400 individuals representing a cross-section of LSU alumni.