By Frost McGahey
One witness from the Special Audit Report:
“I sat on the edge and the sofa fell, I fell on the floor…there was a time when that sofa actually had a concrete block under it. This should not be what a President’s home looks like.”
On multiple occasions, State Auditor Joseph Maestas attacked Dr. Joseph Shepard for “lavish spending”. SearchlightNM continued the campaign focusing on $16,000 for a couch.
From Searchlight: “Our reporting revealed that, among other things, Shepard had used nearly $28,000 of taxpayer money to buy luxury furniture from Seret and Sons, a Santa Fe store known for exotic pieces and high price tags.” The pieces mentioned were a couch and built-in cabinets.
The Beat obtained permission to visit the President’s house which was vacant at the time awaiting the new interim president moving in. This reporter was startled to find not one $16,000 couch, but three couches. These and the built-in cabinets were the only furniture present.
The couches were covered with a southwestern design and added class to the residence. This type of couch is hard to find. After an online search, no similar couches could be found.
The built-in cabinets were tastefully done and ready to showcase art objects. The Shepards had significantly improved the look of the president’s residence by spending $27,740 on quality furniture.
WNMU’s annual budget is $53 million. If the CEO of a corporation had spent this amount on furniture, no one would bat an eye. Also, Shepard and his wife extensively entertained at the president’s house. Over the course of 8 years, he increased the WNMU foundation from $8 million to over $26 million.
The results of Shepard’s hard work can be seen in the various improvement projects, which to name a few included:
Light Hall Theater Renovation
Patio by Light Hall
Pool Renovation and Operation
Harlan Hall Science Building
College Street improvement and landscaping
Renovating the derelict Mustang fountain
The Special audit did say, “The President could have purchased non-custom furniture for the Presidential Residence.” (Couches from Ashley Furniture probably wouldn’t have been conducive to cajoling donors out of millions of dollars.)
One of the regents forced out by Governor Grisham said, “I never want to hear the words lavish or couches again! The degree of style and warmth in the president’s house brought in every part of the university community, as well as potential donors, politicians, intellectuals, writers, and artists. A waste of money? Look at the Foundation. Look at the camaraderie on campus. The campus-perish the thought- fun!*
To be continued ….
(Editor’s Note: Joseph Maestas is being sued by Dr. Shepard.)
State auditor slams lavish spending at Western New Mexico University. Will leaders face any consequences? | Searchlight New Mexico
*Guest Editorial, Silver City Daily Press, January 2, 2025, "Don’t let controversy taint Shepard legacy," Mary Hotvedt, Ph.D., former chair of the WNMU Board of Regents
