Lt. Gov. Diane Denish told a group of UNM business students Thursday to uphold, above all, their integrity in business and beyond.
Denish spoke to a crowd of 40 students in the Kiva Auditorium. Delta Sigma Pi, a business and economic fraternity, sponsored the event.
"We, as public servants, have a responsibility to come to groups, especially at the university level, and talk to them about what we think is happening in the public sector," Denish said.
Marcos Gonzales, Delta Sigma Pi's vice president for professional activities, said he asked Denish to speak to the fraternity to inspire its members and stimulate recruitment.
Twenty-nine members and 20 pledged members are expected to join the fraternity next semester, said Kristin Turner, the fraternity's senior vice president.
Denish said she regrets not going to graduate school after getting a bachelor's degree in political science from UNM.
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She said her transition into the business world was easy, because she grew up in a family of entrepreneurs. Both her father and uncle were small business owners, and she ran a market research and fundraising company until 2002, when she ran for governor with Bill Richardson.
"I came out of a culture that said, 'Whatever you do in life, work through it yourself,'" she said. "Whether it's a hotdog stand or a big company, it's always great to own your own business."
American culture has yet to grant women the same status as men in the business world, she said.
"Sometimes women do get looked at differently than men," Denish said. "Especially when they're starting out on their own, even though women are the fastest-growing segment of the small business population in New Mexico and in the country."
Denish said the main lessons she learned in business are to do what you love and love what you do, build on your strategic assets and treat everyone with respect.
"One thing my uncle used to say to me is, 'Treat the janitor the same way you treat the CEO, because the janitor may end up being the CEO one of these days and everybody deserves the same level of respect,'" she said.
Gonzales said Denish came as a friend of his family. She is a friend of his father, Democratic state Rep. Roberto Gonzales.
"Hopefully (Denish's talk) will bring more attention to our group," Gonzales said. "Maybe people who thought about joining will join next semester."
Denish's talk frequently veered into the November election and politics generally.
"This is an important election year - some say the most important in our lives," Denish said. "This is a year where we have a responsibility for people who are not likely to vote - for talking to people outside of their comfort zone, to encourage them to take advantage of the power of the vote."
Denish said the election is an opportunity for Americans to move on from the memory of the 2000 election.
"Half the country believes the president was elected, half believes he was selected," she said. "We need to get beyond that so the country can really move forward."
