This year's recipients are Albuquerque Journal columnist, Jim Belshaw, attorney, Briggs Cheney, President of the Santa Fe Wells Fargo offices, Michelle Coons, Chairwoman of the NM Public Regulation Commission, Lynda Morgan Lovejoy, and the CEO of Exagen Corporation, Waneta Tuttle.
The Zia Awards are given to alumni living in New Mexico who have distinguished themselves in philanthropic endeavors, public office, service to the University, community and volunteer activities, business or professional fields, or who have made a contribution to education.
During the same breakfast, the UNM Mortar Board Honorary will also present its Lobo Award.
The Lobo Award is presented to a UNM alumnus who has given outstanding personal service to UNM or for special achievement in a career that reflects credit on the University.
A Vietnam veteran, Belshaw is in his 28th year at the Albuquerque Journal where he has worked as a reporter, copy editor, assistant city editor, feature editor, and for the past 24 years, as columnist. He is a co-author of the non-fiction book “Closing the Chart – A Dying Physician Examines Family, Faith and Medicine,” by Dr. Steven D. Hsi, with Jim Belshaw and Beth Corbin-Hsi.
The book, published by the University of New Mexico Press, is the recent recipient of a $10,000 grant from Pfizer, Inc. to be used for the purchase of books for incoming medical students at the UNM School of Medicine. The book currently is being used in the curricula of four medical and nursing schools.
The Associated Press Managing Editors and the New Mexico Press Association have recognized Belshaw, who graduated from UNM in 1973, for his work as a columnist. The Arc of New Mexico and Adelante Development Center, and the New Mexico chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union have also honored him.
Trained and experienced as a mediator and arbitrator, Cheney, who has been a lawyer for more than 30 years, has served as counsel for Sheehan, Sheehan & Stelzner, PA, for the past 11 years. He specializes in litigation with emphasis in the areas of the defense of professionals (non-medical), insurance, commercial litigation, complex cases and mass tort litigation.
He has received numerous awards during his distinguished career including: “Best Lawyers in America” (5x's), State of New Mexico, Distinguished Service to the Bar Award (2005), State Bar of New Mexico – Outstanding Service to the Bar Award (1994), and State Bar of New Mexico – Outstanding Contribution to the Bar (1992) and Outstanding Lawyer of the Year, Albuquerque Bar Association (1992).
Cheney has also served on numerous American Bar Association committees, and many community and UNM-based boards and committees. He earned his BBA in 1969 and his juris doctorate in 1972.
Michelle Coons ('83 BABA)
Coons is currently president of Wells Fargo Bank, Santa Fe, a position she has held since 1999. She has overseen the growth of the bank from $25 million to more than $400 million due to the bank mergers of Wells Fargo, Norwest, First Security and the Bank of Santa Fe.
Coons is responsible for business development, community development, public relations, overall management and the profitability of the markets in northern New Mexico including Santa Fe, Pojoaque, Espanola, Los Alamos and Taos.
Coons graduated from UNM's Anderson Schools of Management with a BBA in Finance/General Management in 1983 and the New Mexico School of Banking, also at UNM, in 1986. She was inducted into ASM's Hall of Fame in 2003 and was named as a Power Broker by the New Mexico Business Weekly in 2002, 2003 and 2005.
Grisham is the secretary in the State Department of Health, the largest department in state government, with more than 3,800 employees and an approximate budget of $440 million. Grisham directs the governor's health policy and develops policy in concert with stakeholders, legislators and the executive branch related to mental health and substance abuse.
She has served in other state agencies as secretary in the aging and long-term services department and as director of the New Mexico State Agency on Aging. Grisham has also served as director and staff attorney for the Lawyer Referral for the Elderly Program.
She earned her law degree from the UNM School of Law in 1987 and a bachelor of University Studies with a concentration in engineering, and a minor in public administration in 1981.
Lynda M. Lovejoy was elected commissioner to the New Mexico Public Regulation Commission in 1999 and is currently serving a second four-year term. During her tenure at the PRC, she served as chairwoman of the commission three times. A former New Mexico State Representative, Lovejoy served 10 years in that capacity. She has more than 20 years in administration with the responsibility of implementing administrative principles, procedures and practices.
Known for her many achievements, Lovejoy has been featured in numerous articles including: “influential Native American Woman” in November 2003 (New Mexico Woman Magazine) and as one of New Mexico's top 100 power brokers by NM Business Weekly. In 1992, she received the Governor's Award for being one of the top-30 New Mexico “Women of the Year.”
Lovejoy earned a bachelor of science in Public Administration and is currently pursuing an MBA.
Waneta Tuttle ('67 BS, '70 MS, '73 PhD, '85 MBA)
Tuttle is the chief executive officer of Exagen Diagnostics, Inc., which is currently developing genomic marker tests for disease prognosis and therapy management. Over the past 16 years, she has served as start-up CEO for four different companies with innovative technologies and approaches for life sciences and health care.
Tuttle held various positions of increasing responsibility, including vice president and chief operating officer, during a 23-year career at Lovelace Medical Foundation. She has served and has also been instrumental on the Board of Directors of the Science and Technology Corporation at the University of New Mexico.
Tuttle earned her Ph.D. in biology with a concentration in physiology and holds an M.B.A. from the Anderson Schools of Management at UNM, where she has also been inducted to the Anderson Schools Hall of Fame.
Only UNM degrees indicated here.
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