Across the country, colleges and universities are dramatically increasing their federal lobbying efforts as they face complex policy environments, shifting funding streams, and rising national competition. Recent reporting shows that some of the nation’s top universities collectively spend tens of millions of dollars each year on lobbying in Washington—an investment that ensures their priorities are heard in federal policymaking. Highlands is now joining that national trend, but from a very different place and with a very different purpose: to make sure rural institutions and rural students are not left out of decisions that shape higher education.
New Mexico Highlands University has launched its most comprehensive federal outreach effort in school history. Under the leadership of President Neil Woolf and Vice President for Government Relations David Lepre, and with support from federal lobbyist Nick Crockett, Highlands is establishing a consistent, year-round presence in Washington for the first time. Because state funds cannot be used for federal lobbying, this work is supported through the NMHU Foundation—a structure widely used across public higher education and one that allows Highlands to participate responsibly and transparently in federal engagement.
This expansion is more than procedural. Highlands is approaching its federal work with a clear set of priorities tied directly to the needs of New Mexico. The university is growing programs in nursing, behavioral health, and rural health care to respond to critical workforce shortages. Its Energy Independence Initiative is building new capacity in renewable energy training, grid resilience, and sustainability. With New Mexico experiencing some of the most destructive wildfire seasons in its history, Highlands is strengthening its leadership in forestry, watershed restoration, and wildfire science. And following NMHU’s recent designation as a Carnegie R3 research institution—a milestone for a rural, regional university—the campus is expanding opportunities for applied research that directly benefits the communities it serves.
Housing and infrastructure also remain central concerns. Las Vegas and surrounding communities face acute shortages that affect students, faculty, and employers. Federal partnerships can help accelerate housing development and improve the region’s ability to recruit and retain talent.
The timing aligns with a period of major momentum for Highlands. Enrollment is rising, athletic facilities are being modernized, and the NMHU Foundation’s endowment—managed on behalf of the institution—is positioned to grow from $12 million to $54 million. At the same time, the Highlands Elevated comprehensive capital campaign recently launched its public phase after securing more than 90 percent of its goal during the silent phase, marking one of the strongest periods of philanthropic growth in university history.
What distinguishes Highlands’ work in Washington is not its scale but its perspective. The university is not attempting to match the massive lobbying operations of elite institutions. Instead, Highlands is deliberately using federal engagement to amplify the voices of rural, first-generation, and Hispanic-serving communities—voices that are often underrepresented in federal higher education policy.
Nick Crockett’s role is central to that effort. His work ensures Highlands has the professional presence necessary to build relationships with federal agencies, congressional offices, and national partners. In a landscape where institutions with far greater resources routinely advocate for their interests, having a federal lobbyist is not a luxury for Highlands; it is a tool for fairness, visibility, and parity.
Highlands enters Washington with priorities tied directly to New Mexico’s needs: expanding rural and behavioral health programs; growing renewable-energy capacity as Highlands pursues becoming the first institution of its kind to produce its own energy; strengthening forestry, wildfire science, and watershed restoration; and advancing federal partnerships to address acute housing shortages affecting students and the local workforce. The university is also promoting its recent Carnegie R3 research designation, which reflects its expanding research activity and new doctoral programs.
By stepping into Washington with purpose and professionalism, Highlands is ensuring that the needs of rural New Mexico are represented at the federal level. The university is not trying to be the loudest voice in the nation’s capital. It is trying to be the one that ensures rural students are not forgotten when national decisions are made.