Staff Report
UNM-Los Alamos and the Los Alamos Daily Post will co-host a “UNM-LA Advisory Board Candidates Forum” on the college campus later this month.
The public is invited to attend the forum, which will feature Position 1 incumbent Ron Dolin and challenger Michelle Hall in the only position contested among the three seats coming up in this year’s race.
The forum will take place 7-8 p.m., Wednesday, Jan 30 in Building 2, Room 230 at UNM-LA.
Below, candidates share brief details of why they decided to either seek reelection or run for the first time to serve on the UNM-LA Advisory Board for the next four years:
Incumbent Ronald M. Dolin – Position 1:
Ron Dolin works at Los Alamos National Laboratory and is seeking reelection in Position 1, which is the only contested position in this year’s election.
“UNM-LA is a valued community institution facing many challenges including the financial challenges caused by a combination of increased operating costs and decreased state funding and the academic challenges caused by a constantly changing student demographic seeking increasingly sophisticated college courses. As the senior member of the UNM-LA Advisory Board, I understand the context of past decisions and why previous actions succeeded/failed. I am running for re-election to the UNM-LA Advisory Board to continue contributing to the college’s growth and stability and to provide the knowledge and insight necessary to help guide UNM-LA through its many challenges.” -Ron Dolin
Challenger Michelle K. Hall – Position 1:
Michelle Hall owns Science Education Solutions, Inc., a small research and development company invested in promoting science and technology literacy. She is running for Position 1 against incumbent Ron Dolin.
“Higher education is the cornerstone to our past and future economic success in Los Alamos County. UNM-LA has been providing high quality instruction, certificates and degrees that serve a wide range of student needs, but too often is flying “under the radar” and thus is underutilized and under developed. I have collaborated with a number of their faculty and staff and find them all to be highly qualified and dedicated to their students and this community. I would like to help the institution become better integrated into the educational and economic engine across our community and region in ways that will ensure greater prosperity for all.” -Michelle Hall
Incumbent Micheline Anne Devaurs – Position 2:
Micheline Anne Devaurs works at Los Alamos National Laboratory. She is seeking reelection to a second four-year term and is running unopposed for Position 2.
“I am running for the UNM-LA Advisory Board for a second term because I believe that education is key to improving our community – repeatedly studies show that education is at the base of solving all societal challenges. UNM-LA is a resource, which our community could use more beneficially, and I would like to continue to assist in that effort. Having been involved in both a UNM-LA strategic planning effort and mill levy proposals, I would like to see those to completion in a second term. I also think a vibrant higher education campus is vital to our town, and further recruitment/retention of individuals to our community. Finally, I believe in community service and enjoy interacting with other leaders in Los Alamos.” -Micheline Anne Devaurs
Candidate John Hofmann – Position 5:
John Hofmann is retired from a career with Honeywell. He has served on and led several local boards including United Way, Leadership Los Alamos, Art in Public Places Advisory Board and the Kiwanis Club of Los Alamos. He is running unopposed for Position 5.
“I understand that long time board member Nelson Hoffman will not be seeking reelection. Nels has provided a great service to the community and to UNM-LA over the years and his wisdom and energy will be missed. I don’t know that I could ever fill Nels’ shoes but I have a passion for education and strong desire to ensure the long term sustainability of UNM-LA in our community, so I decided to ask for the voters’ support to sit on the UNM-LA Advisory Board for next four years.” -John Hofmann
