Texas Tech Board of Regents member Mark Griffin officially stepped down from his post this week following his public support of Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, R-Texas, for the gubernatorial election in 2010.
Griffin originally was appointed by Gov. Rick Perry to the Tech Board of Regents in 2005.
Griffin said after introducing Hutchison at a political rally at the Frazier Alumni Pavilion in August, a rift was created between Perry and himself.
“I determined it would be in the best interest of the institution,” Griffin said. “I didn’t want to put the institution at risk politically by remaining on the board. Sometimes these things happen in political circles.”
He said he was not able to comment on future plans for returning to the university, but he valued the outstanding people with whom he has served at Tech.
“It has been a real honor and privilege to serve an institution that is one of the best in the state, if not nation,” Griffin said.
Texas governors appoint members of the board of regents for Tech, according to the Texas Education Code. The terms for regents expire three at a time on odd-numbered years, and the term for a regent lasts six years.
Spokespersons from Perry’s office did not return phone calls from The Daily Toreador seeking comment on this story.
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