DENTON — Gov. Rick Perry has appointed Joleesia Berry of Dallas as the new student regent for Texas Woman’s University. She is TWU’s first African-American student regent and will serve a one-year term expiring May 31, 2014.
“I join the board in welcoming Joleesia as our new student regent,” said Sue Schrier Bancroft, chair and presiding officer of the TWU Board of Regents. “I know that she will serve the needs of TWU students well and do an excellent job representing her peers.”
Ms. Berry, 21, is a junior business administration major on the TWU Denton campus. A noted student leader, she served as president of the TWU Student Government Association for 2012-2013 and president of the TWU Student Senate for 2011-2012. She also was a TWU Student Senator, a student representative for the Undergraduate Council and a member of the National Residence Hall Honorary Association. In addition, she has been a student representative for the TWU Student Code of Conduct Committee since 2011. She graduated from the High School for Health Professions at the Yvonne A. Ewell Townview Center in Dallas in 2010.
“I feel privileged to be the ‘voice’ of the students,” Ms. Berry said. “I want the board to be aware of what the student body needs and wants.”
Ms. Berry will attend her first board meeting as the TWU student regent June 7 at the
TWU T. Boone Pickens Institute of Health Sciences-Dallas Center. She is replacing TWU student regent Adriana Blanco of Fort Worth.
In 2005, Gov. Perry signed legislation mandating that each public university board of regents include one student member. Student regents have the same powers and duties as the other members of the board, with the exceptions of voting and being counted to determine a quorum.
