近距离内射合集

Did the University of New Mexico let a golden opportunity fly by when choosing the five finalists who will compete to run the state鈥檚 flagship university?

Albuquerque鈥檚 business community seems to think so.

Some business leaders said they were disappointed after billionaire businesswoman Meg Whitman, 69, was not chosen as one of five finalists to become the next UNM president following a national search that received dozens of applicants from across the country.

Whitman 鈥� former president and CEO of eBay and Hewlett-Packard and former U.S. ambassador to Kenya 鈥� was eliminated before reaching the final round of interviews.

Whitman did not respond to emails for comment.

In a May 6 letter sent to UNM, commercial real estate company NAIOP New Mexico wrote that the university was not embedded enough in the business community, adding that Whitman would have bridged the gap with her entrepreneurial experience. 

鈥淚t is within this broader context that NAIOP New Mexico was disappointed to see former ambassador Meg Whitman not advance as a finalist,鈥� NAIOP chairman Prakash Sundaram wrote.

鈥淲e continue to believe she would have brought a different level of connectivity, credibility and ambition to the role and hope there is an opportunity to reconsider her,鈥� Sundaram added.

In April, UNM announced that Ashwani Monga, Elizabeth 鈥淟iz鈥� Watkins, Eric Link, Dr. Steven Goldstein and Eric L. Barker were selected as the top finalists to run New Mexico鈥檚 flagship university.

All five candidates have a background in higher education as provost, vice president or vice chancellor and hold a Ph.D. in their respective fields. Whitman does not hold a Ph.D. and does not have a professional background in academia, though some university president come from outside academia.

For example, Janet Napolitano served as secretary of Homeland Security and Arizona governor before running the University of California from 2013 to 2020.

Mitch Daniels, former Purdue University president, served as Indiana governor from 2005 to 2013, while former University of Iowa president Bruce Harreld was a former International Business Machines Corp. and Boston Market executive.

Whitman previously was involved in two controversies that became a major talking point during her 2010 run for California governor, though none of these incidents prevented the U.S. Senate from confirming her to be ambassador to Kenya.

In September 2010, Whitman was accused of firing her housekeeper, Nicandra Diaz Santillan, after she was questioned for hiring an undocumented immigrant while being against illegal immigration. 

Whitman denied any knowledge of Diaz Santillan鈥檚 lack of citizenship and later said in an that she was sad when she fired Diaz Santillan and said the situation was a 鈥減olitical stunt.鈥�

Diaz Santillan鈥檚 lawyer said that Whitman knew that her employee was undocumented.

In an earlier controversy, Whitman was accused of shoving an eBay employee and cursing at her in June 2007. Whitman denied the allegations and said she physically guided the employee, Young Mi Kim, out of the conference room.

Kim threatened to sue but the matter was settled out of court for an estimated $200,000, according to The. 

鈥淪ince founding 505 SVF (Sports Venture Foundation) we have experienced UNM and NM leadership deliberately and negligently thwarting our efforts to support UNM athletes, UNM and the State," said  SVF helps New Mexico college athletes monetize their name, image and likeness.

鈥淣ot granting Whitman an interview would be a new level of incompetence not imagined,鈥� Roth said.

The local business community was frustrated when they learned that Whitman was no longer a presidential contender and questioned the hiring process, stating that UNM missed an opportunity to take the school in a new direction.

Ben Cloutier, spokesperson for UNM, said the university is conducting a rigorous, national search guided by a committee. He would not confirm or deny that Whitman had applied for the job.

鈥淚nformation relating to applicants or nominees for the position of president is confidential, and therefore, the University will not confirm or deny the candidacy of any individual other than the five finalists that were announced on April 17, 2026,鈥� Cloutier said.

In a May 5 letter of reconsideration to UNM, Ernie C鈥檇eBaca 鈥� president and CEO of the Hispano Chamber of Commerce 鈥� and chair of the board Casey DeRaad urged the committee and the regents to give 鈥淲hitman鈥檚 candidacy their highest consideration.鈥�

鈥淭he future success of UNM is critical to New Mexico鈥檚 long-term economic prosperity,鈥� the letter states. 鈥淲hitman鈥檚 combined experience in business and public service uniquely positioned her to lead our flagship university.鈥� 

In an article titled 鈥溾�� posted to UNM鈥檚 website, the school outlined the criteria they sought when choosing the next president.

Those qualifications included experience in the administration of large organizations, experience working with a governing body and 鈥渁n earned terminal degree with a record of distinguished research, teaching, and scholarly activities commensurate with an appointment as a full professor,鈥� according to the website.

UNM stated that the next president will possess 鈥渕any, if not all鈥� of the qualifications.

The Board of Regents will make a final decision after the campus visits are complete, according to Cloutier. 

Nakayla McClelland covers crime and breaking news. Reach her at nmcclelland@abqjournal.com or at 505-823-3857.