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Monday, October 13, 2025Holiday Rumor Mill Spins Over Who Will Be Next UNM President: MLG's Name Enters The Mix As She Eyes End Of Her Final Term; Far-Fetched Or Plausible? It comes from one of our longtime and politically connected sources who is starting to take more seriously speculation that MLG could possibly become the next president of the University of New Mexico. As we said, that's quite the jaw-dropper. Read on: For the second time and each time from a completely different source, I was told that the announced retirement of UNM President Garnett Stokes retirement is not voluntary and that Paul Blanchard, the Governor's hand-picked chair of the UNM Board of Regents, has been working hard to convince the other regents that Stokes should be replaced with Michelle Lujan Grisham. That would happen when the Governor's term expires next year. If true, I consider this very unwise for our state and our flagship university. MLG's management style is chaotic and intensely personalized--not a good fit for UNM. Keep your antennae out for any corroborating information about this, Joe, and if it seems to be accurate. Consider the optics: UNM run by MLG, Western NM run by Lt. Gov. Howie Morales and Northern NM College already run by former Attorney General Hector Balderas. Who needs academic administrative experience earned by laboring in the field for years when you can hop on the ex-politician escalator and ride to the top in style? Lt. Gov. Morales has long been mentioned a s a possible new WNMU president. An interim president is in place there after scandal deposed his predecessor. A search is underway for a permanent president and that could be Morales who is from Silver City where WNMU is based. The gig pays north of $400,000 in salary and benefits. UNM President Stokes has announced that after eight years as president she will retire in July 2026. MLG's final Guv term ends Dec. 31 of '26. MLG MOVIDA? MLG does not have a Ph.D which is usually the case for a college president but not mandatory and ignored in the past when it comes to tapping prominent political leaders for the job.
The pay for the UNM president job is nothing to sneeze at. Stokes is making $675,000 a year in salary plus perks that include a housing allowance, car, health insurance, travel and a retirement match. Maybe we buried the lead. With that kind of lucrative pay and leadership status up for grabs, it could be right up MLG's alley--but could it be too controversial for UNM to swallow? Interesting stuff from that Alligator. We'll certainly keep our antenna up for any developments. Okay, now back to your holiday. This is the Home of New Mexico Politics. |
 
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