UNM will soon have a new member on the Board of Regents.
Gov. Susana Martinez appointed Jacob Wellman to the student regent post Monday.
Wellman said the appointment is an honor.
“I was shocked and really excited,” Wellman said. “My parents are probably overwhelmed and shocked as well.”
For Wellman, the process to become the next student regent began last fall. He said he applied to ASUNM, and the organization recommended him to the Office of the President. Dr. Paul Roth, who served as interim president, interviewed him before recommending Wellman to the governor’s office.
To complete his confirmation process, Wellman must find a senator to sponsor him before the Senate Rules Committee. If approved by the committee, he will be voted on the full Senate for confirmation before he can take the seat as UNM’s student regent.
“I look forward to working as a liaison between students, the regents and the governor,” Wellman said.
Wellman is an undergraduate pursuing a B.A. in political science. He is involved in UNM’s budget and cost-containment measures as a member of the President’s Strategic Advisory Team. He also serves as an undergraduate representative to the Student Fee Review Board and has served as ASUNM attorney general and chief of Staff.
Wellman interned with policy group Think New Mexico, where he was involved in policy research to end public corruption and institute smaller middle and high schools across the state.
Think New Mexico Representative Fred Nathan said Wellman is committed to the University.
“Jake is pretty modest and goes about his business,” he said. “He is extremely talented.”
Kristina Fisher, another Think New Mexico representative, said she was impressed with Wellman’s performance.
“He is committed to public service,” she said. “He helped with our grassroots organization.”
University President David Schmidly said in a statement he is confident Wellman will help the University as the student regent.
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“His dedication to representing and advancing the interests of the UNM community has provided him with a strong working knowledge of our University, and his demonstrated leadership and experiences will enable him to serve our community well,” Schmidly said.
