As Legislature debates improving university boards, NM Gov names brother as NMHU student regent

Patrick Lohmann, Source New Mexico

This article was originally published by Source New Mexico.

While the Legislature debates several bills aimed at reforming New Mexico university governance, including the selection process for the boards overseeing them, New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham has continued putting forward her picks to go before the state Senate for confirmation hearings.

One of them, Gregory Lawrence Lujan, is her brother. If confirmed by the Senate, he’ll become the student regent at New Mexico Highlands University in Las Vegas, N.M. In a statement to Source New Mexico, the governor said she encouraged her brother to apply. 

“I asked him to serve because I know he’ll do an outstanding job for New Mexico Highlands University. He’s exactly the kind of person we want in these roles,” she said through a spokesperson. 

Lawrence, in a brief interview with Source on Friday, declined to comment at length, but confirmed he was up for the two-year stint as student regent.

Student regents have the same voting powers as other board members, but they must first apply to the university president, who makes a recommendation to the governor’s office. Other aspiring regents apply directly to the governor’s office. The gig is unpaid, though they do get per diem for travel.

Highlands President Neil Wolff did not respond to a request for comment about why he chose Lujan. Current Highlands regents told Source New Mexico they didn’t know Lujan, whom they described as being in his 60s, was a student until the governor named him. 

Board Chairman Bill Garcia told Source he’s since learned Lujan has been a student for a couple of years, and regent Frank Sanchez said he sees no reason why Lujan wouldn’t be a great regent. 

“He’s a student, apparently a good student, so I think he’s just as qualified,” Sanchez said. “If he has those qualifications, I don’t see why he’d be eliminated from the process.”

The governor said her brother is on the Dean’s List, gets straight As and “brings real-world experiences to the position.” She also said he embodies the purpose of the Opportunity Scholarship Fund, which provides free tuition to undergraduates statewide and is “helping college students of all ages achieve their educational goals.”

The governor’s brother is among 14 regent picks the governor has announced in a news release or sent to the Senate for consideration since early January. 

Sens. Jeff Steinborn (D-Las Cruces) and Harold Pope (D-Albuquerque) have sponsored a joint resolution that proposes a constitutional amendment requiring the governor to select regent picks from a list provided by a nominating committee at each university. 

Student regents would not be affected by the amendment, Steinborn said, because they have their own process outlined in the state constitution. He said he’s withholding any judgment about the governor’ brother until hecomes up for confirmation. 

“The constitution creates a special process for the student regent,” he said. “That’s the important thing to look at: Was the process followed?”

Lawmakers and the New Mexico Attorney General have taken aim at university governance following a spending scandal at Western New Mexico University. There, the regents approved of a $1.9 million payout to outgoing university president Joseph Shepard, who is accused of wasteful spending. Several regents resigned in the aftermath.

Attorney General Raul Torrez’s office did not respond to a request for comment about Lujan’s appointment. 

Other bills aim to increase transparency and accountability in university spending, require regents to have fiduciary responsibility and require regents to undergo financial training. 

If Lujan is confirmed by the Senate, he’ll serve as student regent until Dec. 31, 2026. It’s not clear when his confirmation hearing is set. The governor called on the Senate to confirm him. 

“I know Greg will make Highlands University proud through his service,” she said in the statement. “I look forward to the New Mexico Senate’s confirmation of Greg and our other outstanding regent nominees during the 60-day legislative session.”

Patrick Lohmann is a reporter for Source New Mexico.