This week’s Washington State University Board of Regents meeting will be the first for three incoming members: Fé LopezGaetke, Mary Nam, and Student Regent Nicole Anthony. A fourth new regent is expected to be selected soon by Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson.
Welcoming four new members of an 11-member governing body requires experienced regents to step up, helping their incoming peers get up to speed quickly and providing mentorship, according to Doug Picha, who was elected chair of the WSU Board of Regents earlier this year.
The potential challenges are far outweighed, however, by the positives of having these new members joining the board.
“The benefits are clear,” Picha said. “Whenever you bring anyone new onto a board like this, they’re bringing a fresh perspective and lens, asking questions that may never have been asked.”
He continued, “By bringing their own lived experiences to this role, I think that they will bring change that is really refreshing and helpful to the board.”
Each new member will bring with them wholly different life and career experiences. LopezGaetke, an attorney, serves as co-director of an organization dedicated to improving public health and safety outcomes for underserved communities. Nam joins the board after more than two decades in the Seattle media market. And Anthony is the first student regent to represent Global Campus and is doing so while working for a youth development organization.
Anytime a regent leaves the board, a certain amount of institutional knowledge is lost. It is therefore imperative that new members are provided with information about how the university functions and its myriad responsibilities as the state’s land-grant institution.
“You need that perspective and knowledge of history in order to fulfill our obligations as regents,” Picha said.
Heading into his first year as chair, Picha said he is feeling buoyed because of the work already undertaken by President Betsy Cantwell and her leadership team.
He pointed to the leadership team’s design of our six strategic pillars which focuses on such things as academic excellence and modernization and student recruitment and retention. It’s also key that WSU continues to monitor the funding outlook on the state and federal level.
On a more philosophical level, Picha said it’ll also be important for WSU to combat public skepticism about the value of a higher education. This will be best done by demonstrating the tangible benefits to earning a degree. The benefits of earning a college degree aren’t just for the individual; it also impacts families as well as the communities they will call home.
“The big picture for WSU is to maintain its strengths, as well as the vitality and momentum we have.” Picha said. “We’re on a great pathway.”
Serving his first term as vice-chair of the board is Howard Wright, who was appointed by Gov. Ferguson in 2025. Immediate past chair Jenette Ramos and previous chair Lisa Keohokalole Schauer’s terms on the board are set to expire at the end of September, though Picha has already written a letter to Ferguson asking for them to be reappointed.
The board is next scheduled to meet on the Pullman campus Sept. 17-18. More information about the WSU Board of Regents is available online.
