JANUARY 13, 2005

Three New Members Appointed to the Mesa State College Board of Trustees

Grand Junction, CO -Gov. Bill Owens has appointed three new members, Norman Franke, Glen Gallegos and Celeste Colgan, to the Mesa State College Board of Trustees. These individuals will replace outgoing trustees Jamie Hamilton, Jim Wexels and Carol Nesland.

"We will miss the leadership provided by Jamie, Jim and Carol and for the insight they provided as Mesa State College transitioned from being governed by the Trustees of the State Colleges of Colorado to having its own independent board," said Lena Elliott, Mesa State College Board of Trustees chair. "However, I'm confident that our new members will bring many positive attributes to the table and that their experience will further strengthen the college."

Franke, a Grand Junction resident, is the regional president of Alpine Bank. In addition to having served on the Mesa State College President's Advisory Committee, he is the past chair of the Grand Junction Chamber of Commerce, past president of the Grand Junction Symphony, the honorary fund raising chairman for Ice Skating, Inc. and a member of the Junior College World Series baseball committee. Franke also serves as a board member for the Grand Junction Economic Partnership and is active in the Grand Junction Rotary. He holds a bachelor's degree in business administration from Fort Lewis College and is a graduate of the Colorado Graduate School of Banking at the University of Colorado-Boulder.

"Mesa State College is one of our greatest assets and is vital to continuing the positive growth of Mesa County and the Western Slope," said Franke. "I look forward to the challenges ahead in making this institution one of the very best."

Gallegos, also a Grand Junction resident, is the president of business operations for The Gallegos Corporation, a specialty stone and masonry construction company. In addition, he also served as an educator, coach and administrator in regional schools for nearly 20 years. Among his many community and educational activities, Gallegos has co-chaired the Mesa County Minority Action Council and served on the boards of Partners, the Latin-Anglo Alliance and the Colorado Association of Secondary School Principals. Gallegos holds an associate's degree from Mesa State College, a bachelor's degree in social studies and English from Western State College and a master's degree in education administration from the University of Northern Colorado. He is currently pursuing a doctorate from the University of Denver.

Colgan, a Denver resident, is a self-employed consultant on higher education academic matters and the intermountain coordinator for the American Council of Trustees and Alumni for teacher preparation reform. She formerly served as a senior fellow for the National Center for Policy Analysis, vice president of administration and human resources for the Halliburton Company and director of the Wyoming Department of Commerce. Colgan was also an adjunct English professor at the University of Wyoming and the chair of the Division of Language and Literature at Casper College. Her recent contributions to education include telling stories to children at Denver's Park Hill Elementary School through the Spellbinders program. Colgan holds bachelor's and master's degrees in English from the University of Wyoming and a doctorate in English Literature from the University of Maryland.

"I was a teacher and administrator at a college much like Mesa State College and have several years of experience in federal grant making to colleges and universities," said Colgan. "Working as a member of the Mesa State College Board of Trustees will be a challenging use of my life-long interest and long experience in higher education."

"Like their predecessors, to whom I express my sincere gratitude for their dedication and service, these three individuals have a tremendous commitment to the success of Colorado's higher education system and, specifically, to Mesa State College," said Tim Foster, president of Mesa State College. "I've had the privilege of working with each of them in the past and know that they will be valuable assets to the Mesa State College Board of Trustees."

Franke, Gallegos and Colgan's terms begin Jan. 2005 and continue through 2009. Having been appointed by Owens, they will participate as voting members at the Jan. 19 Board of Trustees meeting in Denver.

"Colorado's colleges and universities succeed because of good leadership and responsible stewardship," said Owens. "Norm Franke, Glen Gallegos and Celeste Colgan's experience and knowledge make them superb additions to the Board of Trustees for Mesa State College."

For more information, contact the Publicity Coordinator at 970.248.1371. Additional information on the Mesa State College Board of Trustees is also available at www.mesastate.edu/trustees/index.htm.

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