| March 11, 2010 COPY BY: Rana McDonald, 806-651-2129, rmcdonald@wtamu.edu Vela Wins in Run-Off Election CANYON, Texas—Tim Vela, a senior speech communication major from Dalhart, will serve as the next student body president at West Texas A&M University after taking 53 percent of the votes in a March 9-10 run-off election. A run-off election was called because voting from the March 2-3 student government election failed to give a simple majority to any of the three candidates running for the student body president position. Vela received 382 votes in the run-off election, and his opponent, Ben Abiola, a junior corporate communication major from Arlington, received 341 votes or 47 percent of the ballots cast. Vela currently serves as student body vice president. He is a member of Alpha Tau Omega and Circle K International. He was named Senator of the Year for 2008-2009 and was the recipient of the Alpha Tau Omega community service award for 2008-2009. As president, Vela will preside over the executive branch of the Student Government, serving as the principal liaison between WTAMU students and the faculty, staff and administration. The president also is responsible for appointing students to University standing committees and is accountable for seeing that all provisions of the WTAMU Constitution are faithfully executed. —WTAMU— | 