Our WNMU President, Dr Joseph Shepard, is a truly nice guy. He is a very friendly, outgoing, gregarious and charismatic person. He has done a number of good things over the last decade to enhance and benefit our University. Unfortunately, he has several serious character flaws. A major one is greed. He believes that he is entitled to lavishly spend public money to benefit himself, his wife, and some of his associates.

I had high hopes that, after having been exposed earlier this year for having misused taxpayer money for luxury overseas travel for himself, his wife, and several members of the Board of Regents, and for purchasing very expensive furniture for his University residence, Joe might have turned over a new leaf and would make an honest attempt to use public money wisely. Unfortunately, Joe seems to be a slow learner.

At the last Board of Regents meeting, a number of revised University policies were approved with no discussion of their contents. It turns out that this included two University travel policies that, if not revoked by the State, will further enrich the Shepard family.

The first one makes the President's Spouse or Domestic Partner "a non-salaried public officer whose "supervisor" is the Chair of the Board, or their designee". In effect, this policy gives Dr Shepard's wife, who has no relationship to WNMU, an official status and eligibility for taxpayer reimbursement of her travel expenses when she accompanies her husband on University-related trips. In my opinion, this is clearly misuse of public funds and may possibly be illegal.

The second one sets a $275 per night limit on reimbursement for hotels within the United States. However, if two University travelers stay in the same room, they will be reimbursed for the full cost of the room with no limits. Thus, Dr Shepard and one of his VPs could choose to share the Presidential Suite at a Marriott and be fully reimbursed. It also allows for University personnel to travel business class for flights over ten hours in length, meaning all overseas trips.

Dr Shepard is a very well-compensated public servant. His salary, bonuses and extremely generous benefits will total almost half a million dollars of taxpayer money for this coming year. His wife, Valerie Plame, is herself a multi-millionaire, having had several successful book deals as well as a movie made about her. Despite their combined wealth, Joe believes that the taxpayers of New Mexico should pay his wife's travel expenses whenever she accompanies him on his University-related trips. His greed knows no limits.

The reason that no one on the University payroll will speak out against Joe is self-preservation. Joe has, on many occasions, exacted severe retribution against anyone who criticizes or disagrees with him. The University employees have to put their future ahead of their desire to tell the truth. I have had numerous staff members and professors relate to me incidents of abuse, but only on condition of anonymity.

Finally, the Board of Regents, who should be supervising Dr Shepard's activities and protecting the taxpayers money, are either not interested in doing their jobs, or are also involved in Joe's shady activities. Joe has a great little money-making enterprise here at WNMU. He will be difficult to remove from office, with the current Board of Trustees rubber-stamping everything that he does. As the saying goes, it is good to be King.

Mark S. Donnell

Silver City, NM