(PUEBLO Colo.) — The Colorado State University Board of Governors unanimously confirmed Armando Valdez as the 16th president of Colorado State University Pueblo (CSU Pueblo).

Valdez will finish current president Timothy Mottet’s remaining two-and-a-half-year term after he announced his retirement earlier this year. Valdez is a former professor at Adams State University, served as the state director for the United States Drug Administration-Rural Development in Colorado, and operates Valdez Land & Livestock, LLC.

“Colorado State University Pueblo delivers quality education, cultural engagement, and economic development to a region that I am so passionate about serving. The faculty and staff at CSU Pueblo are a tremendously talented team. I am honored by the privilege of serving as their next president with the opportunity to continue to grow and develop innovative paths for students, Pueblo, and the entire Southern Colorado community,” said Valdez.