After a week rife with campaigns and debates, the Student Government Association (SGA) announced the newly elected executive board and senate. SGA revealed the election results on Friday, filling four seats on the executive board and 20 seats in the senate.
Even though SGA hosted campuswide elections from April 8-9, most members vying for executive board positions ran unopposed. As a result, the positions of president, secretary and treasurer were filled before last week’s elections.
Senior communications major Jadyn Maloney will replace David Hernandez as the new SGA president. During the Hernandez administration, Maloney served as the SGA secretary. Maloney also acted as Speaker of the House for the College of Art, Education and Sciences (CAES) during the 2022-2023 school year. Before becoming Speaker of the House, Maloney got her start as a freshman senator for CAES.
In her platform speech, Maloney spoke about how her experiences in SGA over the past three years prepared her for the presidency. She reflected on transforming from a freshman senator into a student body leader.
“For years, I knew that this position was something I would put every ounce of dedication towards but did not see it in me,” Maloney said. “… I would not be standing here without the friends and peers who have continuously poured into me as a senator and executive officer.”

Maloney will pass the mantle of SGA secretary to senior pre-pharmacy major Samaria Spears. Spears has served in the SGA senate since fall 2022, earning a seat in the College of Pharmacy as a freshman senator. She headed the Department of Promotions, organizing events catered to students’ needs.
Incumbent Cassidy Walton reran for the treasurer’s seat. A senior finance major, Walton was previously chosen as the Speaker of the House for the College of Business and Social Sciences (CBSS) before ascending to the office of treasurer.
“When I first came into this role, it was my goal to have an excess of funds at the end of the year to be able to carry into our next academic year,” Walton said. “Sitting here today, I can proudly say that has been accomplished.”
The vice president’s office remained the only contested seat on the executive board. Junior construction management major Lizzie Moon and junior chemistry major Hannah Habisreitinger both campaigned for the vice presidency.
Before the election, Moon entered SGA as a freshman senator and became the committee head for Student Life and Welfare this year. As the head of Student Life and Welfare, Moon created initiatives that targeted student engagement.
Habisreitinger also joined the senate during her freshman year, working as an at-large senator. She eventually became the Speaker of the House for CAES before being appointed by President Hernandez as an executive assistant. As Hernandez’s assistant, Habisreitinger worked directly under Hernandez, networking with university officials and student body members.

After voting ended on Thursday, the SGA Election Commission declared Habisreitinger as the new SGA vice president. Habisreitinger stated that her connections with students, faculty and organizations on campus will help her be a successful vice president.
“At the end of the day, I feel that I have a very deep understanding of what this campus needs and how to enhance your experience here at ULM,” Habisreitinger said.