University of New Mexico Regent Jamie Koch announced today that he will retire from the Board of Regents effective Dec. 31, 2015. Koch, a longtime New Mexico public servant, has been a member of the UNM Board of Regents for 13 years. Most recently he has served as chair of the Finance and Facilities Committee and the Lobo Development Corporation.

“I would like to offer my sincerest thanks to Regent Jamie Koch for his life-long service to The University of New Mexico and our state,” said UNM President Bob Frank. “In his 13 years as a Regent, his vision for a better UNM has guided many successful endeavors. He has been a persistent and effective advocate for transparency, fiscal accountability, and economic development.”

In recent years, Koch has shown strong leadership in financial oversight and has championed reforms designed to increase the number of graduates at the university and decrease the number of years it takes students to earn their degree.

“It has been my pleasure to serve along side Jamie Koch as a Regent at The University of New Mexico,” said fellow Board member Rob Doughty. “Jamie has left an impressive legacy after 13 years on the board, and served with clarity of purpose and pride. His departure will leave some big shoes to fill, but his commitment to UNM is a lasting inspiration and what it means to be a Regent.”

Vice President for Athletics Paul Krebs attributed the dramatic improvement in the graduation rates of student-athletes at UNM directly to the Student Athlete Success Center, stating that is “the most lasting, most significant, and most important part of his legacy in athletics.”

Koch’s ties to UNM run deep. He arrived at UNM on an athletic scholarship to play football and wrestle his sophomore year. The Albuquerque Journal declared, “There has never been a youngster with more spirit or more determination." These traits have carried over throughout his lifetime.

Koch, who is the former president of Daniels Insurance, holds a Bachelor of Arts in Education from UNM. Previously, he served as a state legislator in the House of Representatives for six years, the New Mexico Game and Fish Board for 10 years and was an original author of the New Mexico Inspection of Public Records Act (IPRA).

Frank called Koch “a true Lobo,” and went on to say that “although he has announced his resignation as a Regent, I look forward to his continued involvement with and support of UNM.”