SANTA FE, N.M. — Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham of New Mexico has called for the immediate resignation of the board of regents at Western New Mexico State University due to findings of financial mismanagement and overlooked accountability, as revealed in documents released on Thursday.
In a letter addressed to the five-member regent board, Lujan Grisham emphasized the necessity for new leadership, stating that it was essential to create a “clean slate” for the Silver City-based university to restore its operational stability and prioritize the needs of its students once again. Notably, the chair of the board had already resigned on Tuesday.
This situation unfolds alongside the resignation of Joseph Shepard, the university’s president. An investigation conducted by the state auditor highlighted failures among top officials and regents to meet their fiduciary obligations concerning university finances.
Concerns over Shepard’s spending practices began to emerge in 2023, focusing on expense reports related to international travel, the purchase of luxurious furniture, and his spouse Valerie Plame’s use of a university credit card. Plame, who previously worked as a CIA operations officer, had also campaigned for New Mexico’s 3rd Congressional District during the 2020 Democratic primary but did not succeed.
The arrangement reached for Shepard’s departure guarantees him a future academic position, a six-figure salary, and a significant one-time payout of $1.9 million. This arrangement has come under scrutiny from the State Ethics Commission, while state Attorney General Raúl Torrez initiated an investigation into whether the regents fulfilled their financial responsibilities.
On the academic front, university faculty expressed their discontent by endorsing a vote of no confidence against the board of regents. They also called on state officials to intervene and revoke Shepard’s compensation package.
Professor and faculty senate president Phillip Schoenberg remarked that the vote represented a vital public declaration of the faculty’s loss of faith in their leadership. He expressed appreciation for the governor’s initiative aimed at replacing the regents, underscoring the demand for “responsive and decisive leadership.” Schoenberg anticipates that the remaining four regents will resign before Friday.
University administrators did not respond to calls or emails inquiring about the potential for further resignations within the board.
Shepard took office as president in 2011, having previously served for 16 years in numerous administrative positions at Florida Gulf State University.
Western New Mexico State University has a storied history dating back to the 1890s, prior to New Mexico achieving statehood, although its name has been altered several times over the decades.
