Promoting High-Quality, Affordable, and Accessible Post-Secondary Education for New Mexicans

The New Mexico Association of Community Colleges (NMACC) is a 501(c)3 non-profit educational organization. Our mission is to support member colleges in their efforts to provide New Mexico citizens high quality, affordable, and accessible post-secondary educational opportunities.

Community Partnerships

NMACC serves the nine branch campuses of Eastern New Mexico University, New Mexico State University, and the University of New Mexico. Accomplishing our mission requires collaboration and teamwork among community college faculty, staff, and students, with financial investment from New Mexico taxpayers. Engaging legislators and residents within the communities we serve is vital to the success of our students.

Research shows that the factor most closely correlated with upward mobility in our society is the level of educational attainment. As long as educational achievement keeps up with technological gains, more jobs will be created.

Our Work

As an association, NMACC serves as a vehicle for promoting the community college mission in the state of New Mexico by:

  • Coordinating the exchange of creative ideas and common experiences across branch community colleges in New Mexico
  • Compiling, analyzing, and distributing information that is relevant to community college issues and activities
  • Informing NM Higher Education priorities, policy, and practice in collaboration with other NM institutions of higher education
  • Supporting intentional interactions between NMACC members and other institutions of higher education in the state
  • Providing information to legislative bodies, state agencies, and elected officials to inform their decision-making
  • Representing such concerns and positions in relevant forums before public bodies

These efforts help address the barriers to education many in the state face, as well as help develop economic opportunity and fuel job creation in New Mexico.

Executive Director Position Overview

The association shall have an executive director to serve as the chief executive officer of the organization, and as such will carry out the policies and directions of the association and the Board of Directors including administration of the bylaws.

While the bylaws outline key employment details of the position (hiring, authority, evaluation), what follows summarizes major duties and responsibilities.

Duties and Responsibilities

Organizational Management

In collaboration with the NMACC Board of Directors,

  • Carry out the mission of NMACC;
  • Research and recommend goals and objectives for the organization;
  • Implement programming that supports the organization’s goals and objectives;
  • Execute appropriate business transactions in a timely fashion;
  • Maintain business records;
  • Ensure organizational tax filings are completed in a timely manner;
  • Develop and maintain organization website and publications;
  • Liaise with executive directors from the New Mexico Independent Community Colleges and Council of University Presidents on issues impacting higher education in New Mexico and other, related activities (e.g., “unified legislative priorities,” Higher Education Day in Santa Fe).

Membership Services

In collaboration with the NMACC Board President,

  • Use technology effectively to plan, schedule, and organize meetings of the NMACC Board of Directors, the NMACC Executive Committee, and any association subcommittees;
  • Conduct campus visits at least once every three years (in coordination, if possible, with institutional governing or advisory board meetings).

Government Affairs

In collaboration with NMACC Board of Directors,

  • Assist members in planning legislative positions;
  • Build and maintain relationships with New Mexico legislators;
  • Attend relevant legislative committee hearings and meetings during the legislative and interim sessions;
  • Participate in and monitor legislative activity and communicate information about NMACC issues and colleges to legislators and legislative committees as appropriate and timely;
  • Interact with relevant state agencies to advance the NMACC mission;
  • Attend, participate in and monitor legislative activity and communicate relevant information about legislative priorities and activities to the NMACC Board as appropriate and timely.

In collaboration with NMACC Board of Directors

  • build and maintain relationships with staff members and leaders of relevant state agencies;
  • attend, participate in and monitor agency activity, and communicate information about NMACC issues and colleges to state agencies as appropriate and timely;
  • attend, participate in, and monitor state agencies, and communicate relevant information from state agencies to the NMACC Board.

In collaboration with NMACC Board of Directors,

  • Build and maintain relationships with staffs of federal agencies;
  • Monitor federal legislative and other activity that has the potential to impact higher education, in general, and community colleges, in particular;
  • Communicate any relevant information to NMACC Board.

Research

  • Conduct fiscal analyses appropriate to New Mexico’s community colleges.
  • Encourage and assist others such as state agencies to conduct research useable to New Mexico community colleges.
  • Stay abreast of major developments in higher education, in general, and community colleges, in particular, and communicate with the NMACC Board.

Note: Regular travel is an integral part of the role.

The description listed above outlines the general parameters for the Government Affairs part of the position. See “NMACC Expectations of Legislative Activity in New Mexico” for listing of specific tasks between, during, and after legislative sessions.

Evaluation

  • The NMACC Executive Director is responsible to the NMACC Board of Directors. An evaluation will be conducted annually in a fiscal year cycle. (See 2019 NMACC Bylaws, section IX.)

Expectations for Executive Director Re: Legislative and State Agency Activity

Between Legislative Sessions

  • Provide general information about NMACC and member colleges to legislators and staff of state agencies.
  • Compile specific information from member colleges for legislators and staff of state agencies and transmit.
  • Track developing policy issues that may impact member colleges including work done by interim committees and other higher education associations.
  • Set up opportunities for member presidents to present for legislative interim committees when appropriate.
  • Keep presidents of member colleges informed of developments during interim.

During Legislative Sessions

  • Provide general information about NMACC and member colleges to legislators and staff of state agencies.
  • Compile specific information from member colleges for legislators and staff of state agencies and transmit.
  • Using tools that already exist with member colleges/systems (e.g., legislative tracking processes or documents) to track legislation that may impact higher education institutions.
  • Track developments on legislation that may impact member colleges (e.g., capital outlay requests or jr. bill requirements).
  • Track on presidents’ presence in Santa Fe and arrange for meetings with legislators and staff as appropriate for NMACC agenda.
  • Keep presidents of member colleges informed of developments during legislative sessions.

Immediately Following Legislative Sessions

  • Follow up on actions taken by Governor.
  • Assess impact of legislative activity based on unified priorities.
  • Conduct a debrief of the session with member presidents—actions, implications, etc.
  • Immediately start working on priorities for the following year.

NMACC Officers

President:

President:

Sabrina Ezzell, Ph.D.Chancellor University of New Mexico
Gallupsezzell@unm.edu

VICE President:

VICE President:

Ryan Trosper,  ED.S President Eastern New Mexico University RoswellRyan.trosper@enmu.edu

Secretary-Treasurer:

Secretary-Treasurer:

Marlene Chavez-Toivanen,  Ph.D. Campus Executive & Academic Officer  New Mexico State University - Grantsmarchave@nmsu.edu

Past President:

Past President:

Monica F.Torres, Ph.D. Chancellor ENMU Systems Community Collegesmforres@nmsu.edu