Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger appointed a Sacramento State student to the California State University Board of Trustees.

Curtis Grima, senior government journalism major and vice president of Academic Affairs for Associated Students Inc., was appointed to a two-year term on the board as a student trustee, according to a Jan. 25 press release.

“I am very excited and honored to serve on the California State University Board of Trustees… Over the past four years, I have been an active participant in student government on our campus and I am anxious to make a positive impact at the state-wide level,” Grima said.

In the first year of his term, Grima will be a non-voting member of the board. He will be a voting member during his second year of his term.

As a student trustee, Grima is expected to attend the seven CSU Board of Trustee meetings held annually, as well as various subcommittee meetings. He will receive a $100 per diem for attending the meetings. The first trustee meeting will be held March 11 in Long Beach.

Grima’s appointment is well deserved, said Pat Worley, ASI executive director. She said she cannot think of a more ideal individual to get the appointment, given his knowledge and interest in issues important to students.

Grima is expected to evaluate every piece of legislation before the board to see if it causes a conflict of interest with his ASI duties, Worley said. Serving as ASI vice president of Student Affairs and as a member of the CSU Board of Trustees is not seen as a conflict of interest.

The 25-member Board of Trustees includes two student trustees, one voting, one non-voting, who serve staggered two-year terms. When the voting student trustee’s term ends, the non-voting trustee becomes the voting member.

Candidates for the student trustee position are recommended to the governor by the California State Student Association (CSSA), following an application and interview process conducted by CSSA.Members of the CSSA could not be reached for comment.

Grima is the second Sac State student to be appointed to the board in the past five years. Eric Guerra, former ASI president, was named a student trustee in 2003.

ASI is proud that it not only has a current ASI board member appointed as a student trustee, but also that it had a former ASI president serve on the Board of Trustees in the past few years, Worley said.

Grima served as ASI chief of staff and secretary of state affairs.

Todd Wilson can be reached at [email protected].