The New Mexico Senate has confirmed Rico Gonzales and Marisol Olivas to serve on the New Mexico State University Board of Regents.

Gonzales, El Paso Electric's regional vice president for New Mexico, and Olivas, a graduate student at NMSU, were nominated to serve as NMSU regents by Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham. Gonzales succeeds Dina Chacón-Reitzel, who recently completed her term on the board. Olivas succeeds Garrett Moseley as the board's student regent.

Gonzales, a seasoned public policy and communications leader, has more than two decades of experience in legislative and regulatory strategy. In his current role at El Paso Electric, he leads government affairs and community engagement efforts across multiple states.

Gonzales has experience negotiating impactful legislation, such as the Energy Transition Act, and developing economic development strategies for southern New Mexico and El Paso. He previously served as the director of state legislative affairs for NMSU and the New Mexico Department of Agriculture, roles in which he successfully secured significant funding for statewide improvements.

Gonzales, who earned a bachelor's degree in history from NMSU, also brings expertise in public relations, corporate advocacy and nonprofit development.

"I look forward to working with my fellow regents, President Valerio Ferme and Secretary Jeff Witte of the New Mexico Department of Agriculture," Gonzales said. "I wanted to thank Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham for this opportunity. We are going to continue to grow Aggie Nation to be the leading university in the state and region."

Gonzales' term runs through Dec. 31, 2030.

Olivas is pursuing a master's degree in agriculture with an emphasis in agricultural business. She previously earned a bachelor's degree in agricultural economics and agricultural business from NMSU in 2024.

Olivas has a deep passion for agriculture, stemming from her days as a 4-H youth in Valencia County. At NMSU, Olivas has become a student leader in the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences. She has served as an ACES mentor to incoming freshmen and an ACES ambassador who helped promote the college across New Mexico. She is a member of NMSU's National Agri-Marketing chapter, which won NAMA's national title in 2023.

Olivas received an assistantship through the Young Agri-Scientists program to support her thesis research on succession planning for farmers, ranchers and rural business owners. The Young Agri-Scientists program is designed to recruit future scientists in agriculture, food and natural resources.

"I am deeply honored to be the next NMSU student regent. This is a huge responsibility, and I am eager to serve all students at New Mexico State University to the best of my ability," Olivas said. "I intend to put my best foot forward and be of service to facilitate positive change and shape NMSU to be the best that it can be. Go Aggies!"

Olivas' term runs through Dec. 31, 2026.

Olivas and Gonzales join Ammu Devasthali, Christopher Saucedo and Deborah Romero as members of the NMSU Board of Regents. For information about the board, visit https://regents.nmsu.edu/index.html.
 
The full article can be seen at https://newsroom.nmsu.edu/news/new-mexico-senate-confirms-two-new-nmsu-regents/s/5227ac78-5739-4b6e-bfa7-26c05b0e734f