by Mark Schaaf
Daily Lobo
Jo Ann Stringfield said 23 years as an attorney for the U.S. Air Force would bring the necessary experience to the University counsel position.
She was the first of three candidates to interview at a forum Monday at the SUB.
Stringfield, interim senior associate University counsel, said the position would allow her to serve the University after coming to UNM less than a year ago.
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"I really am an idealist, and it is important for me to give back," said Stringfield, who serves as lead attorney for the Research and Technology Law group at UNM.
The University counsel works closely with the president and the Board of Regents and is responsible for managing the University's legal department.
The position deals with a variety of institutional issues, Stringfield said, which could range from medical malpractice to copyright exemptions.
While in the military, Stringfield served as an U.S. Air Force judge advocate. She represented the Air Force and Department of Defense in civil, criminal and other courts and commissions, handling many complex issues for the military, she said.
She highlighted a few of them Monday, which included an issue of accepting gifts, an infant homicide trial, and a look at officer discipline in the aftermath of a suicide. She said in several of the 13 places she worked, her criminal docket was the busiest in the region.
According to her rÇsumÇ, Stringfield also earned the rank of colonel, which is limited to the top 1 percent of active-duty officers.
Stringfield worked in other countries, like Korea and England, before coming to Kirtland Air Force Base in 2000.
It was there, after years of moving around the country, that she and her family decided to make New Mexico a permanent home.
"It was time to move on to something else," Stringfield said.
She also shared her vision for the counsel office, saying she wants it to be informational and helpful. Increasing outreach efforts, she said, could include getting out to more forums and better methods of explaining misconduct policies to students.
No students attended, and three audience members, citing a working relationship with Stringfield and lack of knowledge of the other candidates, declined to comment.
Two other candidates are also scheduled to interview at the SUB. They include Kirk Miller on Thursday at the Spirit/Trailblazer Room and Patrick Apodaca on Monday at the Fiesta Room A & B. The sessions run from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m., and all UNM students, faculty and staff are invited to attend.
A 10-member committee selected the three finalists after conducting a national search last summer. The position opened after Nick Estes, who served as University counsel for 18 years, retired in 2004.
Acting President David Harris will recommend the final selection, which will then go to the Board of Regents for approval. The regents should act on the recommendation at their April meeting.
