SILVER CITY, NM – The Western New Mexico University Board of Regents met virtually on Wednesday, June 25, 2025. Present at the meeting were Regents Steven Neville, John V. Wertheim, J. Dean Reed and Keana Huerta.
The meeting began with Chair Neville inviting Provost and Acting President Dr. Jack Crocker to give a report. Crocker ceded some of his time to Chief Information Officer Michael Acosta, who updated the regents on the efforts to recover from the cyber incident. Acosta noted that desktop computers were being rebuilt and that voicemail would be available soon.
Crocker then explained to the board what the university is doing to support the community in the face of the Trout Fire, including housing personnel from the New Mexico State Police, New Mexico National Guard and the American Red Cross.
Regent Wertheim reported on the personnel committee's process of selecting an interim president for the university. Wertheim said that the committee had worked with the Association of Governing Boards to identify candidates, and then interviews were conducted in a two-phase approach that eventually included all of the board members as well as university administrative leadership.
In response to a motion from Wertheim, the Board of Regents voted to authorize the personnel committee to negotiate and execute a contract with Dr. Christopher Maples to serve as interim president.
Maples, who earned his Ph.D. in geology from Indiana University, served as president of the Oregon Institute of Technology, and he also has experience as an interim president and interim chancellor. "He shares a lot of background with our own students," said Wertheim. Maples left college to join the United States Army and then later returned to school and went on to earn graduate degrees. In addition to his leadership experience, Maples is also an accomplished academic with numerous publications.
Wertheim noted that the role of interim president is different from that of a permanent president. The interim president, he said "is there to lay down the foundation for the success of the permanent president."
