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For Associated Students of the University of New Mexico Sen. Rachel Williams, the third semester’s the charm.
The ASUNM Senate elected Williams as the student government’s president pro-tempore Wednesday night. The president pro-tempore is the third-highest position in the organization after the president and the vice president.
Williams, who was reelected for a second senatorial term in November and is now serving her third semester at ASUNM, snagged the position from Sen. Colt Balok during the blind ballot election.
Williams said she is excited to work with her fellow senators during this semester. She said she aims to work with the senate to improve the organization’s community outreach.
“It’s really exciting to know that the senate has confidence in me to take on a position that has to take these outreach hours that are brand new and to best implement them with this University,” she said. “It’s going to be exciting to take in their passion and their fervor.”
Williams, who served as the chair of ASUNM’s Finance Committee last semester, followed in the position after former ASUNM Sen. Tyler Crawley.
As pro-tempore, Williams will act as the head senator and oversee ASUNM’s three committees. She said she aims to work with the committees to improve the visibility of ASUNM.
“I want to strengthen the image of ASUNM,” she said. “A lot of people don’t know what ASUNM is and what the senate does. As pro-tempore, I want to work with the committees to know how each one is doing that.”
Balok, who also ran for the position, said he congratulates her for her new leadership position.
“The senate has the decision and they wanted Rachel as the pro-tempore, so I’m happy she got it,” he said. “She’s going to do a great job with it.”
Balok said he will be willing to work with Williams this semester on improving community service projects of ASUNM, as well as on increasing the body’s outreach hours. He said also wants to make the senate more efficient by tightening relationships among senators.
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And he said he is confident he and Williams and he can continue their work in tandem, he said.
“I was her vice chair at the finance committee last year, and we had a pretty good leadership,” he said. “I’m going to work with her to actually do some team-building activities in the senate.”
Balok will continue to serve with the Finance Committee this semester.
