by Katy Knapp
Daily Lobo
Don Chalmers, an Albuquerque businessman who owns three car dealerships, was appointed to the UNM Board of Regents on Thursday.
Gov. Bill Richardson said he chose Chalmers because of his business experience and commitment to the community.
"I wanted a business leader, and a leader with a strong philanthropy background," Richardson said. "It's important to balance the board of regents with educators, business leaders and political leaders."
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Chalmers' involvement with the University and his partisanship are a couple reasons he was appointed.
"There was a Republican spot open, and I'm a Republican, and I presume I fit the qualification," he said.
Richardson said Chalmer's political affiliation was a major factor in the final decision.
"I like to respect the bipartisanship of the regents," he said.
The New Mexico Constitution states there can be no more than four members on the board of regents from one single political party. There are four Democrats, two Republicans and one independent on the board.
Chalmers is replacing Republican Doug Brown, who is now serving as interim State Treasurer.
Chalmers owns Don Chalmers Ford in Rio Rancho along with two other car dealerships in Santa Fe and Albuquerque. He is also active in many other organizations, including the United Way of Central New Mexico, Quality New Mexico and the Explora museum.
He also serves on the Health Sciences Clinical Operations Board, and is vice chairman of the UNM Foundation, a nonprofit fundraising organization.
Chalmers, who must be confirmed the by the New Mexico Senate during the legislative session in January, said he has not put much thought into what he will do first when he begins his six-year term on the board next month.
"I do not have an agenda," he said, but funding research at the University is a top goal.
"Beyond that, I understand the importance of the University is economic development," he said.
Issues of diversity have come up during other regent nominations in Richardson's term. There are two women on the board, Sandra Begay-Campbell, an American Indian, and student regent Rosalyn Nguyen, an Asian-American.
Chalmers said he is committed to diversity, and he will bring that quality to the board.
"I know that my thinking will be different from others and that's good," he said. "Diversity of ideas is the most important diversity we can have."
Richardson and Jaime Koch, president of the UNM Board of Regents, agreed.
"Well, I do believe the board has diversity," Richardson said, pointing out his appointments of Nguyen, along with regents Raymond Sanchez and Jack Fortner, who are both Hispanic.
"I think I wanted diversity on the board of regents, and my next appointment I will try to reflect that," he said.
Chalmers, who was appointed to the New Mexico Commission of Higher Education in 2003, said he has always been involved in higher education.
He was also involved in public education in Oklahoma during the mid 1990s, when he served on a local school board, he said.
"I would never put myself up as an expert," he said about his knowledge of education policy, but it is still important to him.
"Obviously, education is one of those foundational blocks that we need to grow our state in the proper way," Chalmers said.
Chalmers moved to New Mexico from Tulsa, Okla., about 10 years ago. He has a bachelor's in marketing from the University of Oklahoma.
Koch said he is looking forward to seeing Chalmers on the board in January.
"He's great. I know him very well," he said. "I think he's going to be a tremendous asset to the board of regents. He's going to be a very good replacement for Doug Brown, which is difficult to do, but he'll bring a business sense to the regents. We'll have fun with him."
