Secretary for Academic governance

Teresa Cuellar is the Secretary for Academic Governance at Michigan State University, where she works closely with faculty, students, and university leadership to support shared governance. In this role, she helps guide the work of university-level committees, ensures processes run smoothly and transparently, and fosters collaboration across MSU’s academic community.

Prior to joining MSU, Teresa held leadership roles in the Michigan Senate, including Director of Internal Affairs. She also brings extensive federal experience from her service in the offices of U.S. Senators Debbie Stabenow and Gary Peters, where she managed scheduling, events, and constituent engagement. Her professional background further includes corporate operations experience with Amazon.

Teresa earned her Bachelor of Arts in Interdisciplinary Social Science with a specialization in Chicano Latino Studies from Michigan State University. She is the recipient of MSU’s César Chávez Award and remains actively engaged with the university’s alumni and Latino communities.

DEPUTY SECRETARY FOR ACADEMIC GOVERNANCE

Nick Reynolds is the Deputy Secretary for Academic Governance, where he works closely with the Secretary to support shared governance at MSU. In this role, he provides support to the Secretary of Academic Governance to help guide the work of university-level committees, ensure processes run smoothly and transparently, and foster collaboration across MSU's academic community.

Prior to this role, Nick served in University Advancement as an Endowment Integrity Analyst, where he helped draft gift agreements and provide compliance guidance regarding gift language to various university constituencies. He has also served as a staffer and intern at both the federal and state legislative levels and has also worked in the non-profit realm in housing assistance programs.

Nick earned his Bachelor of Arts in Political Theory and Constitutional Democracy from James Madison College at Michigan State University, a Juris Doctor from the Roger Williams University School of Law, and a Master's of Public Administration from Central Michigan University.

Coordinator

John-Marc Ormechea (they/he) helps manage the office's day-to-day operations, organizing materials for elections to governance bodies, supporting the Secretary and Deputy Secretary with new member orientation, tracking items as they progress through academic governance, and maintaining the office’s document archives.

Prior to this role, John-Marc served as an Admissions and Scholarship Assistant in the College of Veterinary Medicine, providing administrative support to the Admissions and Scholarship teams within the Office of Student Engagement and Success and the Committee on Student Admissions. In that position, they coordinated meetings, prepared agendas, took minutes, and helped facilitate new member orientations by updating materials, distributing resources, and ensuring equitable access to information. 

John-Marc recently completed a Master of Arts in Ministry at United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities and will soon complete their Master of Arts in Theology and Religion. Their graduate studies deepen the ethical foundations that inform their work in academic governance, student support, and inclusive engagement at MSU.

Assistant to the Secretary for Academic Governance

Orville earned his bachelor's degrees in Political Science and Ethnic Studies from the University of Utah, followed by a master’s degree in Student Affairs Administration at Michigan State University. Orville is currently a doctoral student in the Higher, Adult, and Lifelong Education program at Michigan State University

With experience supporting and advocating for students from marginalized communities, Orville has served as a Multicultural Student Success Coordinator at the community college level and as a College Admissions Coach for the American Indian College Fund.

Orville aims to keep growing professionally and learn within various higher education contexts. He aspires to continue serving first-generation and underrepresented students and to take on leadership roles as he advances in his career as a scholar-practitioner.