Meet the Trustees
Stephen A. Valdez, Chair
Manager, City Market - Alamosa
La Jara, Colorado
reappointed January 11, 2010
Term expires Dec. 31, 2013
B.S. Adams State College
Steve Valdez is manager of the Alamosa City Market, where he began working more than 20 years ago while still in college. City Market recognized his valuable leadership with the Superior Service Golden Key Award in 2003. He also owns and manages Valdez Farm and Ranch.
Mary Griffin
Vice Chair
Griffin and Associates
Boulder, Colorado
Reappointed December 7, 2012
Term expires Dec. 31, 2016
J.D. from the University of Colorado School of Law B.A. in History fromColorado University.
Mary Griffin has spent the last 17 years of her career in Human Resources in the high-tech sector along Colorado's Front Range. Presently she has her own Human Resources consulting firm in Boulder, Griffin and Associates.
She holds a J.D. from the University of Colorado School of Law and a B.A. in History, also from C.U. Griffin is a fifth generation Coloradan, and has long been active in state and local politics.
Paul Farley
Assistant United States Attorney
Centennial, Colorado
Appointed December 7, 2012
Term expires December 31, 2016
J.D. University of Denver College of Law
B.A. University of Colorado
Paul Farley has been with the United States Attorney's Office in Denver since 2006. Previously, he served for five years as the Deputy Executive Director of the Colorado Department of Personnel & Administration, where he was the chief operating officer of the cabinet department responsible for the state civil service system, facilities, real estate, and archives, as well as business services ranging from telecommunications and computing to financial accounting, purchasing, insurance and risk management. From 1991 to 1999, he served as Colorado Deputy Attorney General, where he was responsible for the representation of a dozen cabinet departments, including education, higher education, human services, and labor, and the administration of the state peace officer certification program.
From 2002 to 2012, the Governor appointed and reappointed him to the State Judicial Performance Commission, where he served as chair for the last six years. His familiarity with the Alamosa area includes climbing the Crestones, Blanca Peak, and other notable points in the Sangre de Cristos. In his spare time, he enjoys playing music, church activities, and traveling with his family. He and his wife Leslie have been married for 30 years, and have three grown children.
Liane "Buffie" McFadyen
Director, Corrections U.S.A.
Pueblo, Colorado
Appointed January 4, 2011
Term expires Dec. 31, 2014
M.A. Adams State College
B.A. Adams State College
A resident of Pueblo West, McFadyen was a Colorado state representative for House District 47 from 2003-2010. Her service included chairing both the Capital Development Committee and the Transportation and Energy Committee. She is now executive director of Corrections USA, a national non-profit that advocates zero tolerance for for-profit incarceration.
She earned a B.A. in psychology and an M.A. in secondary counseling from Adams State in 1991 and 1993, respectively. A fiercely loyal alumna, McFadyen says she "bleeds green." While a student, she was a six-time All-American indoor and outdoor track athlete and was elected Homecoming Queen.
Arnold Salazar
Executive Director - Colorado Health Partnerships, L.L.C.
Alamosa, Colorado
Appointed January 11, 2010
Term expires December 31, 2013
Mr. Salazar has a long and extensive experience in Colorado in the field of community mental health. He began his career at the San Luis Valley Mental Health Center after completing his graduate work at the University of Michigan. He directed the center for 10 years prior to organizing SysCare LLC a managed care company offering mental health services. In 2005 he became CEO of Colorado Health Partnerships. Colorado Health Partnerships includes 8 non-profit community mental health center providers, and ValueOptions, a for profit management services provider. Colorado Health Partnerships contracts with the Department of Health Care Policy and Finance, the state agency for the Medicaid mental health risk contract.
LeRoy Salazar
Rancher, Farmer, Engineer, Management Consultant
Manassa, Colorado
Appointed April 5, 2010
Term expires December 31, 2015
M.S. Colorado State University
B.S. Colorado State University
LeRoy Salazar is currently a rancher, farmer, engineer and consultant. From 1982 - 2000 he was president and CEO of Agro Engineering, Inc. He has served as a member of the Colorado Agricultural Commission, as director of Citizens for Colorado Water and has also served on the North Conejos School District Board of Education with several years as its president. He is vice president of the Hope for Children Foundation and is also a board member at the San Luis Valley Federal Bank. He holds a Master's and Bachelor's degrees in agricultural engineering from Colorado State University earned in 1977 and 1974 respectively.
Charles Scoggin, M.D.
CEO of Sagemed, Inc.
Boulder, Colorado
Reappointed January 11, 2010
Term expires Dec. 31, 2013
M.D. University of Colorado School of Medicine
B.S. Colorado State University
Charles Scoggin is chairman, president, and CEO of Sagemed, Inc., a company focused on creating awareness of new and innovative health care products and services. He has held the positions of professor of medicine at the University of Colorado and head of the Adult Human Genetics Section of the University of Colorado. He also serves as vice chairman of the Center of the American West. He received his M.D. from University of Colorado School of Medicine in 1970 and a B.S. in chemistry from Colorado State University in 1966.
Valentin "Val" Vigil
Owner, Vigil & Company, LLC
Accounting and Real Estate
Thornton, Colorado
Appointed December 14, 2011
Term expires Dec. 31, 2015
B.A. Adams State College
Val graduated from Adams State College in 1971 and is the
third from his family to graduate from Adams State. He served in the Colorado State Legislature from 1999-2006
and during that time he served for eight years in the Finance Committee, as
chairman for two years; eight years in the Appropriations Committee; and six
years in the Legislative Audit Committee, as chairman two years. He also
served for two years as the Assistant Minority Leader.
Val currently is in the City Council for the City of Thornton (6th largest city in Colorado). In addition he runs his Accounting and Real Estate business and has for the last 38 years. He is an advocate for education and volunteers many hours at the local schools as guest speaker or as a motivational speaker. He is in much demand to speak on immigration issues, as he was the first legislator in Colorado to introduce the in-state tuition legislation in 2000 and reintroduced it three additional years and is considered an expert in this topic.
Tim Walters
President, Walters and Associates
Alamosa, Colorado
Reaapointed January 4, 2011
Term expires Dec. 31, 2014
B.S. Adams State College
Born and raised in Pueblo, Colorado, Tim Walters is a 1973 graduate of Adams State College, where he was a four-year starter for the Adams State College Football team, "the Indians." Tim received a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Business Administration with minors in both Psychology and Physical Education.
Always involved with the community, Tim has been a city council person for the city of Alamosa, planning commission member, past president of the Adams State College Booster Club, and a member of the committee that changed the "Indian" mascot to the "Grizzlies" in 1995. Most recently, Tim has been a member of the work group for the development of sub district four and the Water Wells Rules and Regulation committee for the San Luis Valley.
Tim is considered one of the most tenured higher education trustees in the State of Colorado. He has been a member of the Board of Trustees since 1997. The seven member 1997 board governed the College System of Colorado and consisted of Adams State, Mesa State, Metropolitan State and Western State. In 2002 this board was dissolved, and each institution developed its own board of trustees. Tim has been the vice chair since 2002 and the chairman of the Adams board from 2005 to 2010.
Tim values the relationships he has made as a Trustee. His "greatest frustration over the years of being a trustee has been the politics, and my greatest and most regarded opportunity has been the students, faculty and other individuals I have met over my tenure."
Tim is married to Peggy, his wife of 35 years. Peggy received her BA and MA from Adams State. Tim and Peggy have two children, Penny and Drew. Penny graduated with her BA from Adams State, and Drew graduated from the United State Air Force Academy. Drew is in the Air Force with the rank of Major. Penny is mom to Ryker and Emry, and she wrangles them on a daily basis. Drew is married to Nicki (Byers) a 2003 graduate of Adams State and they have three children, Gracie, Braden and Kolten.
Tim started his own real estate appraisal business in 1978 and continues to be the principal in Walters and Mullins in Alamosa, Colorado. Tim's interests are exhibited by the organizations of which he is a member: American Quarter Horse Association, Colorado Cattlemen's Association, Life Member of the following organizations, Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, NRA , Ducks Unlimited and the Colorado Bowhunters Association.
Carol Guerrero-Murphy Ph.D.
Faculty Trustee
Professor of English
Alamosa, Colorado
Elected January 1, 2011
Term expires June 30, 2013
Ph.D. and Masters degrees from Denver University
B.S. University of Wisconsin
Dr. Guerrero-Murphy began her appointment as a faculty member at Adams State College in 1995. She came to ASU from Roanoke College where she was a tenured professor and director of creative writing; she and her family missed the west and, having taken classes at ASU in the 1970's, she leapt at the opportunity to return home to ASU and the region. She is now a full professor, having served as department chair for the Department of English, Theatre, and Communications for nine years.
She is the author of the WILLA (Women Writing the West) award winning collection of poetry Table Walking at Nighthawk (2007) and many national journal publications. She leads creative writing workshops off campus. At ASU, in addition to full time teaching, she currently chairs the Common Reading Experience committee and is part of the CELT (Center for Equity in Learning and Teaching).
Her interests are books and all things interdisciplinary; off campus, she shows her passion for animals, travel (urban and wild), books, and her family. Her Master and Doctorate degrees in English are from Denver University; she has a B.S. in Education from the University of Wisconsin through the Wisconsin Indian Teacher Corps.
Meagan Smith
Student Trustee
Major: Business Advertising
Chicago, IL
Elected April 2012
Term expires June 30, 2013
Meagan Smith is originally from Chicago Illinois where she attended the International Academy of Design Technology to study interior design for three years. Currently she is seeking a Bachelor's degree Business Advertising and a Minor in Mass Communications.
Meagan also serves as the Vice President of External Affairs for Adams State University Associated Students and Faculty, President of Black Student Union, office assistant in the Office of Equal Opportunity, and works as a student ambassador to lead campus tours. Her goal is "to ensure that every student's voice is heard and to make their experience at Adams State University beneficial."
