President Welty sees high value in Fresno’s Leading Young Professionals.

A local community advisory committee added a new member to its ranks.

Fresno State’s President John Welty appointed Stephen Sotomayor to the University Advisory Board last week.

As a board member, Sotomayor will provide the school’s president with advice on university issues and serve as a link to the community, Welty said in an e-mail interview.

“The board is often able to share perspectives from the community which are important for us to consider,” Welty said.

Welty explained that Sotomayor’s connection to Fresno’s Leading Young Professionals (FLYP), where he served as the board chair, is important to the university. The organization is designed to attract and retain young professionals to the Fresno area.

“[From FLYP,] I thought we could get good advice and they would also be able to articulate how the university could better serve this population, especially at the graduate level,” Welty said.

John Boogaert, the chair of the advisory board, said the connection to FLYP is important. He said the connection will aid the board as it tries to get the state to place a higher priority on education during the budget crunch.

“We are trying to become an advocate for the university,” Boogaert said.

Boogaert said Sotomayor has already been an asset to the board.

Sotomayor, the youngest member on the board, currently serves as the Chief of Staff for Fresno city council member Andreas Borgeas. In an e-mail interview, Borgeas voiced his approval of Sotomayor’s appointment.

“I commend Dr. Welty for including members of the young professional community on the Advisory Board, and I believe Stephen’s experience has been and will continue to be a valuable asset to the board,” Borgeas said.

Sotomayor served in the Army and was deployed to Germany and Iraq, and attained his bachelor’s degree from the University of Arizona. He also received the Bronze Star Medal while serving as a captain in Baghdad.