Washington State University alumni Fé LopezGaetke and Mary Nam have been appointed to the university’s Board of Regents by Gov. Bob Ferguson. Both appointments will take effect June 9.

“Fé and Mary have been true advocates for Washingtonians for decades,” Gov. Ferguson said in an announcement Tuesday. “I’m confident they will provide steady leadership on the WSU Board of Regents.”

The board is the university’s governing body whose broad responsibilities are to supervise, coordinate, manage, and regulate the WSU system. The Board of Regents consists of 11 members, one of whom is a student and one of whom is a faculty member.

LopezGaetke is the co-executive director at Purpose. Dignity. Action. (formerly Public Defender Association). She was previously the director of diversity, equity and inclusion at the Law School Admission Council, where she helped identify the effective strategies and policies for helping diverse students gain admission to law school.

“Growing up in Central Washington, I know that so many in my community look to WSU as an accessible and important opportunity to further their education,” LopezGaetke said. “Additionally, my professional development path has afforded me the unique lens of surveying local and national educational trends and impact to underrepresented communities that can help inform Washington State University’s strategic direction. I look forward to working together to continue moving WSU into innovative sustained growth that is accessible to all who attend.”

LopezGaetke previously served as the first director of Seattle’s Community Police Commission, where she advocated for marginalized communities on issues of police reform.

She is a past president of the Latina/o Bar Association of Washington and OneAmerica.

LopezGaetke, a child of former farmworkers, is from Central Washington and is a WSU graduate. She currently lives in White Center with her family. She started her bachelor’s degree at WSU’s main campus and finished her degree at the Tri-Cities campus. She earned her law degree at Seattle University School of Law.

Nam is an Emmy Award-winning news anchor and journalist who spent more than 20 years at Seattle’s KOMO-TV. When she joined KOMO in 2003, she found herself among numerous fellow WSU graduates, carrying on a proud tradition of Edward R. Murrow College graduates joining the industry. In March, after 26 years, she retired from local news.

“I’m very excited to join the WSU Board of Regents,” Nam said. “The education and experience I received at WSU changed my life — my four years in Pullman led to a 26-year career in broadcasting. Whatever you’re drawn to, WSU can create a path toward success.  Students today face both new possibilities and challenges, and I’m honored to join at a pivotal time in the changing landscape of higher education. I thank Governor Ferguson for this opportunity. And I look forward to working with such a passionate and dedicated Board.”

Nam has worked with numerous non-profits, including the Make-A-Wish Foundation, Seattle Children’s Hospital and Food Lifeline. She also previously volunteered with King County Senior Services’ Sound Generations and served as a youth mentor with the VOICE Mentor Program.

Nam and her husband, Eric, are WSU graduates. They look forward to the Apple Cup in Seattle this year, she said, and “Cougar football in the Palouse with our two sons is a fall highlight.”

The appointments of LopezGaetke and Nam fill two recent vacancies on the Board. The Governor will soon announce a third appointment to fill the vacancy due to the passing of former state Sen. Sam Hunt.

WASHINGTON (7News) — Several loaded Glocks and other illegal guns were seized by law enforcement during a 24-hour enforcement period across Washington, D.C.

The enforcement spanned from June 6 to June 7, and involved members of the D.C. Safe and Beautiful Task Force and U.S. Park Police (USPP).

A loaded Glock 19 was seized during a traffic stop on Clara Barton Parkway, and a loaded Glock 43 was found during a different traffic stop in Northwest D.C., USPP said.

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In addition, a handgun was seized from a person in Anacostia Park. Three guns, including an AR-style pistol, were taken during a traffic stop near Benning Road.

Another gun was recovered and multiple arrests were made during a traffic stop on the Baltimore-Washington Parkway, USPP said.

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“Every illegal firearm removed from our communities is a potential act of violence prevented,” USPP Chief Scott Brecht said.

The enforcement was carried out under President Donald Trump’s Operation Make D.C. Safe and Beautiful.

“Under @POTUS’ DC Safe & Beautiful order, we are REDUCING violent crime and REMOVING illegal weapons from our nation’s capital!” U.S. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum wrote in a social media post.

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — A Washington woman died in a single-vehicle crash on Friday on Hwy 26, Oregon State Police announced.

The crash occurred just after 10:30 a.m. near milepost 7.5 in Clatsop County.

Investigators say that Brittany Lute, 30, was traveling eastbound on the highway in a Nissan Kicks when she crossed into the westbound lane and struck a utility pole.

She was declared dead at the scene.

“Lute is not believed to have been wearing a seatbelt at the time of the crash,” OSP said. “Impairment is believed to be a contributing factor in the crash.”