The Governors State University Board of Trustees welcomed Harish Rayalapati as the new student trustee at the Aug. 19 Committee of the Whole Meeting. The board also held an election for new officers.

Rayalapati replaces Lluvia Hernandez-Aguirre, who served as the student trustee for two years before graduating in the spring.

The board voted to replace Angela Sebastien as chair after she decided to step down. James Kvedaras will now chair the board. Trustee Stacy Crooks was elected to replace Kevin Brookins as vice chair. Karen Nunn was elected secretary. Kvedaras previously served as the board secretary. 

During the meeting, Sebastien said that nominating trustees for the officer positions was a process. The trustees were asked if they were interested in serving as officers and if they could take on the additional responsibilities associated with the positions.

The nomination process happened behind closed doors, and in keeping with state laws, the vote for new officers was conducted through a secret ballot. After the election, the board voted unanimously to approve the new officers. 

According to the university website, the Governors State University Board of Trustees should have eight members. The Governor of Illinois appoints seven trustees who serve for six years, and the student body elects one student member for a one-year term. The current board has one vacant seat. The board is responsible for the governance of the university.

The GSU website has agendas and meeting minutes, videos of past meetings, and dates for future sessions.