The day after Mark Welsh is named permanent president of Texas A&M, he holds his first news conference.
Topics included a university capacity study and other priorities he has had since he became interim president, complementing how A&M students are dealing with the war between Hamas and Israel, and DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion).
Click below to hear the December 13, 2023 news conference with Mark Welsh.
Listen to “Texas A&M president Mark Welsh visits with reporters, December 13, 2023” on Spreaker.
Original story, December 12, 2023:
Texas A&M’s interim president the last four months now has the job on a permanent basis.
Mark Welsh received a unanimous vote during Tuesday’s (December 12) meeting of the board of regents.
Welsh was applauded by those attending the meeting after promising the board and the system chancellor that he will do everything in his power not to let them down.
Chancellor John Sharp said he has rarely seen anybody who has the kind of support from former and current students and from the faculty that Welsh has, and that he looks forward to a great administration under Welsh’s guidance.
The only member of the regents who spoke was chairman Bill Mahomes of Dallas, who congratulated Welsh and said the board is really looking forward to working with him.
Welsh’s father graduated from A&M in 1946. He also has four children and a grandson who are Aggies.
Click below to hear comments from the December 12, 2023 board of regents meeting, followed by a brief visit of local news reporters and Mark Welsh.
Listen to “Mark Welsh named permanent president of Texas A&M University” on Spreaker.
News release from the Texas A&M system:
The Texas A&M University System Board of Regents on Tuesday approved General (Ret.) Mark A. Welsh III as the 27th President of Texas A&M University.
“The board is certain that General Welsh will make a Texas-sized impact as President of our world-class flagship,” Chairman Bill Mahomes said. “His remarkable career embodies Aggie core values. Now his mission is to raise Texas A&M’s national stature in research, education, and student experience.”
Welsh, who has been Interim President since July, was named the board’s sole finalist for President on Nov. 17 at the recommendation of John Sharp, Chancellor of the Texas A&M University System.
“In his first few weeks as Interim President, General Welsh has moved quickly and decisively to reach out to all the stakeholders who hold Texas A&M University dear and near to their hearts,” Sharp said. “We are lucky to have such an experienced leader in our midst who supports our Aggie core values.”
Mahomes added, “Welsh is a collaborative, forward-thinking, servant leader whose contributions will enhance excellence at Texas A&M for generations. The board is pleased to have him as President.”
The board authorized Sharp to negotiate a final employment agreement with Welsh.
Prior to becoming interim President, Welsh was Dean of the Bush School of Government and Public Service since 2016. His service as dean followed a four-decade career in the U.S. Air Force, where he was a fighter pilot, a four-star general and the 20th Chief of Staff of the Air Force.
Additionally, Welsh commanded the U.S. Air Forces in Europe and NATO’s Air Command at Ramstein Air Base in Germany. And he served as associate director of military affairs at the Central Intelligence Agency as well as commandant of the United States Air Force Academy.
Welsh, a 1976 graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy, considers himself an Aggie by association. He grew up in San Antonio. His father, Mark A. Welsh Jr., Aggie Class of ’46, interrupted his studies to serve overseas in World War II. The new president has five Aggie siblings, four Aggie children and a grandson enrolled in the Mays Business School.
After the Board meeting, Welsh released this statement:
“It has been an unbelievable privilege to represent Texas A&M as Interim President over the last few months — one of the greatest honors of my life. I’m grateful to the Board of Regents and Chancellor Sharp for their confidence in me, and I look forward to continuing to work with our incredible faculty, staff, and students to map out the road ahead for Texas A&M. I’m ready to get started.”