Dan Arvizu announces last day as NMSU welcomes interim chancellor. Here's what we know
LAS CRUCES – The Chancellor has left the building – and a new one has entered.
Dan Arvizu, 72, announced he'd be stepping aside almost three months before his contract expires. The New Mexico State University Board of Regents announced in December they would not renew Arvizu's contract before it expired in June.
"I believe accelerating this transition will allow the university to put its full focus on finding our next permanent chancellor," Arvizu said in a statement. "This separation is truly mutual."
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NMSU's Associate Vice President for Marketing and Communications Justin Bannister said Arvizu was unavailable for comment regarding his departure. Shortly after Arvizu published his final dispatch, NMSU disseminated a news release announcing former president of NMSU Jay Gogue would be interim chancellor.
Here's what we know about the change in leadership and transition.
Who's the new boss?
The Board of Regents confirmed Gogue, 76, as interim chancellor at a meeting Friday morning.
"The Board of Regents appreciates all Chancellor Arvizu has done for our university," said Ammu Devasthali, chair of the NMSU Board of Regents, in a news release. "As we thank him and wish him well, we, at the same time, welcome Jay and Susie Gogue back to Las Cruces."
Gogue holds a Ph.D. in horticulture from Michigan State University and bachelor's and master's degrees in horticulture from Auburn, according to the news release. According to publicly available work history, Gogue was a scientist with the National Park Service for 13 years before beginning a career as an academic administrator in 1986. Gogue worked as vice president at Clemson University until 1995. That year, he became provost at Utah State University until 2000.
Gogue then served as NMSU president from 2000 to 2003. Afterward, Gogue became president and chancellor of the University of Houston system from 2003 to 2007, then president of Auburn University from 2007 to 2017, and again from 2019 to 2022.
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"(My wife) Susie and I have had a blast at Auburn the past 10 years," Gogue said, according to a release from Auburn. "We're not going anywhere, but we decided it's time to step down as president next year and begin the next phase of our lives."
What's next for Arvizu and NMSU?
Bannister confirmed to the Sun-News that Arvizu would be compensated for his remaining contract period. Arvizu earned between $500,000 and $650,000 per year, depending on if he achieved specific pay incentive benchmarks.
Details about Gogue's contract was not available at the time this article was published.
The regents also selected WittKieffer, an executive search firm, to gather candidates for NMSU's next leader. According to a news release, WittKieffer will identify candidates and conduct initial screenings and evaluations. At the outset of that process, WittKieffer will present the candidates to the regents.
"The board plans to begin hosting listening sessions and gathering input from stakeholders around the state in the coming weeks," Bannister said in a release.
Justin Garcia covers public safety and local government in Las Cruces. He can be reached via email at JEGarcia@lcsun-news.com, via phone or text at 575-541-5449, or on Twitter @Just516Garc.
This article originally appeared on Las Cruces Sun-News: Dan Arvizu announces last day as NMSU welcomes interim Jay Gogue
