After scandal and uncertainty, governor appoints four new WNMU regents

SANTA FE — Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham on Thursday appointed four new Western New Mexico University regents, more than two months after demanding the resignations of their predecessors.

The four appointees include former Republican state Sen. Steven Neville of Aztec, who did not seek reelection last year, and John Wertheim of Albuquerque, an attorney and former state Democratic Party chairman.

The other two appointees are Keana Huerta of Hurley and Joseph Reed of Albuquerque.

The appointment of the new regents comes with less than two weeks left in the 60-day legislative session.

A Lujan Grisham spokeswoman said Thursday the governor has directed the Senate Rules Committee to start the confirmation process for the four regent appointees without delay.

“The Governor’s Office conducted an exceptionally rigorous vetting process for these appointees during a busy 60-day legislative session,” Lujan Grisham spokesperson Jodi McGinnis Porter said. “Each candidate was subjected to comprehensive due diligence specifically focused on proven financial management expertise and demonstrated accountability credentials.”

For the last year and a half, the Silver City campus has been beset by an ethics scandal involving former board members, the university’s president, Joe Shepard, and his wife, ex-CIA agent Valerie Plame. The scandal, involving over $360,000 in wasteful public spending, led to Shepard resigning with a $1.9 million payout approved by the former board.

The parties are currently embroiled in a lawsuit with New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez.

Four of the five former board members resigned in early January at the insistence of Lujan Grisham. The student regent, Trent Jones, kept his position to fulfill his duties as the university treasurer.

All four appointees will have to be confirmed by the state Senate in order to be seated as regents, but Senate Rules Committee chairwoman Katy Duhigg, D-Albuquerque, pledged earlier this session to prioritize WNMU regent hearings upon the governor’s appointment.

A confirmation hearing for Neville is scheduled for Friday, while confirmation hearings for the other three appointees are set to take place Monday, Duhigg told the Journal.

Jack Crocker, WNMU provost and acting interim president, said in a prepared statement Thursday that the campus community “welcome(s) our new regents and look forward to ... the insights and leadership they bring.”