Photo: Lt. Gov. John Sanchez

Silver City, NM – Lieutenant Governor John Sanchez will be the keynote speaker for the fall commencement ceremony at Western New Mexico University (WNMU) on Friday, December 12, at 2:30 p.m. in the Fine Arts Center Theatre.

Some 265 degrees will be conferred during the ceremony including certificates, associate, baccalaureate and master degrees.

John Sanchez has served as Lieutenant Governor since January 2011 and was reelected to a second term on November 2, 2014.

Lieutenant Governor Sanchez was born and raised in Albuquerque. Prior to being elected to statewide office, he served as councilman for the Village of Los Ranchos and as a member of the state House of Representatives. In 2005, he was recognized as one of the Top 40 Influential Hispanics in the country.

With his wife Debra, Lieutenant Governor built and opened Right Way Roofing, a 30-year old successful small business that has twice been honored as Small Business of the Year.

Lieutenant Governor Sanchez is an active member of the National Lieutenant Governor's Association (NLGA) and currently serves as the West Regional Chairman. As Lieutenant Governor, he serves on several boards and commissions including the State Board of Finance; the Military Base Planning Commission; the Mortgage Finance Authority; the Spaceport Authority; and the Community Development Council.

Western New Mexico University has served the people of the state of New Mexico and its surrounding areas as a comprehensive, regional, rural, public coeducational university since 1893 and serves a student body diverse in age, culture, language and ethnic background.