Board Of Directors

Before becoming CNM President, Ms. Hartzler was CNM’s Vice President for Finance and Operations and has been at CNM since 2015. She has served the public sector for more than 25 years in education, government, and policy roles. Since 2011, Ms. Hartzler has played a significant role in shaping postsecondary education in New Mexico, first with the New Mexico Legislative Finance Committee, and later with CNM.

President Hartzler earned her Juris Doctorate from the Columbus School of Law at the Catholic University of America. She earned her Master of Education Degree from the University of Virginia with highest honors; and she earned her Bachelor of Arts Degree, cum laude, from Saint Mary’s College in Indiana.

She is a member of the New Mexico, Indiana (inactive), and District of Columbia Bars.

Dr. Becky Rowley has taught English at Clovis Community College since 1993, as a full-time faculty member from 1993-1999, and as an adjunct from 1999 through the present. In 1999, she became Vice President for Educational Services and in 2002 Executive Vice President. The Clovis Community College Board of Trustees appointed her the fourth president of CCC in 2011.

As a faculty member, Dr. Rowley focused on distance education, particularly with dual credit high school students. As academic/student services vice president, her interests centered on the integration of instruction and students services and on workforce development. She currently serves on the Eastern Area Workforce Development Board and as a consultant/evaluator for the Higher Learning Commission.

Dr. Rowley earned a bachelor’s degree in English and Latin from Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska, a master’s degree in English Literature from the University of Virginia, and a Ph.D. in English Literature from the University of New Mexico in 1996. Dr. Rowley is also an avid marathon runner.

Dr. Charles Nwankwo was unanimously elected the fifth President of Clovis Community College (CCC) on October 16, 2019. He assumed office in February 2020. Before CCC, Dr. Nwankwo has twenty-four years of broad experience in three community college districts in the states of Arizona, Louisiana, and Texas.

In Arizona, Dr. Nwankwo worked at Chandler Gilbert Community College, a member college of the Maricopa Community College District. There, he served in various leadership roles, including Vice President of Technology and Business Partnerships, and Vice President of Academic Affairs (interim).

In Louisiana, he served as the Chief Information Resources and Technology Officer for SOWELA Technical Community College with responsibility for the following: online education, Center for Excellence Learning and Teaching, Library and Learning Resources, Institutional Research, and Information Technology. He was a member of the team that helped rebuilt SOWELA after the devastating Hurricane Rita of 2005 and also achieved that College’s first regional accreditation through SACS.

Charles is passionate about community college education, with its access mission, student success, and commitment to equity for all students. Throughout his career in community college, Charles has collaborated with businesses, community organizations, and other educational institutions to advance relevant workforce and academic programs that promote workforce and economic development. He has served on the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) Commission on Academics and Student Success, and participated in AACC Workforce Development Institute; White House Summit on Educational Excellence for Minority Students, and various chambers of commerce.

Charles holds a Ph.D. in Education Administration, with an emphasis in Community College Leadership, from the University of Texas-Austin, MS degree in Environmental Science, and a BS in Environmental Biology from University of Houston-Clear Lake.

The Board of Regents unanimously appointed Dr. Joseph Shepard the 15th President of Western New Mexico University (WNMU) on April 27, 2011. Dr. Shepard assumed the office on July 5, 2011 and now leads the Silver City campus, as well as learning centers in Deming, Gallup, Lordsburg and Truth or Consequences.

Prior to arriving at WNMU, Dr. Shepard served over 15 years in senior-level leadership positions at Florida Gulf Coast University. Throughout his years at FGCU he held the positions of Chief Student Affairs Officer, Chief Business Officer, and Chief Financial Officer. Among his many responsibilities, Dr. Shepard was one of the founding leaders in helping to build the State of Florida’s 10th university. When Dr. Shepard arrived at FGCU, there were no students, no classes, no athletics, no on-campus housing, no policies and no infrastructure. By Dr. Shepard’s departure in 2011, FGCU had grown to over 460 faculty with a total workforce of nearly 2,000 that served nearly 13,000 students.

Dr. Shepard has also remained active in the classroom and with research. His teaching areas have been at both the graduate and undergraduate levels in quantitative methods, public finance and business leadership. He has also taught internationally in Mexico.

Dr. Shepard earned his Ph.D. in Public Administration specializing in public finance from Florida International University. He earned a Master of Business Administration degree in Finance and Banking where he specialized in international finance from the University of North Texas and a Bachelor of Science in Math Education from Northern Arizona University.

He has been married to his wife, Marcela, for 21 years and has two children. He is fluent in Spanish and enjoys mountaineering, backpacking, canoeing, fishing, golfing, and racquetball.

Dr. Toni Hopper Pendergrass joined San Juan College as President in 2012.

Prior to San Juan College, Dr. Pendergrass served as the Vice President for Learning at San Jacinto College, South Campus in Houston, Texas. Before San Jacinto College, she served as Interim Vice President of Academic Affairs and Student Success at El Centro College in Dallas, Texas, as well as the Executive Dean of Communications, Mathematics, Developmental Students, and Teacher Preparation. She earned her Ph.D. in Educational Administration with a specialization in Community College Leadership from the University of Texas at Austin. She also holds a Master of Science degree in Agricultural Economics and Economics and a Bachelor’s Degree in Agricultural

Economics and Business, both from New Mexico State University.

Dr. Pendergrass began working in community college administration in 1995. She understands and embraces the community college philosophy and is committed to continuing to advance student success, community  partnerships and economic development. In addition to serving on the New Mexico Independent Community College Board, Dr. Pendergrass also is a member of the following: Higher Education Research and Development Institute (HERDI), Center for Legislative Energy and Environmental Research University Advisory Board (CLEER), San Juan College Foundation, Four Corners Innovations, Four Corners Economic Development, Four Corners Economic Development Foundation, Four Corners Educational Council for Student Success, San Juan Safe Communities, Leadership San Juan, Farmington Chamber of Commerce, Farmington Rotary Club, and the 30 th Street Education Center. Dr. Pendergrass was the Chair Academy’s 2006 International Exemplary Leader Award and received the 2014 Excellence for Student Achievement Award presented by the New Mexico School Boards Association in cooperation with the Farmington Board of Education. In addition, Dr. Pendergrass led the effort of San Juan College being selected as one of 13

community colleges to participate in the American Association of Community College’s Pathways 2.0 program.

Dr. Pendergrass and her husband Doug have three children.

Major General Jerry Grizzle, PhD, United States Army National Guard (Retired), became the 19th President/Superintendent of New Mexico Military Institute on July 1, 2009.

General Grizzle graduated in 1976 from Southwestern Oklahoma State University with a BS in Accounting. He received his MBA from Central State University and his Ph.D. from Oklahoma State University. Previously, General Grizzle was the President/CEO of Orbit Finer Foods, Skolniks, CD Warehouse, and most recently AMS Health Sciences in which he was fully responsible for all aspects of business development in a highly competitive marketplace. Prior to his tenure with CD Warehouse, he was Vice President/Treasurer of Sonic Industries.

General Grizzle started his military career in 1971 as a Private and retired as a Major General in 2005. General Grizzle was appointed Commander of the 45th Infantry Brigade (Thunderbirds) of the Oklahoma National Guard, where he was responsible for all matters affecting the combat readiness of the command. Immediately after the attacks of September 11, 2001, Major General Grizzle entered active federal service and took command of the Department of Defense Joint Task Force – Civil Support (JTF-CS), the only unit in the Department of Defense responsible for the planning and execution for the response to any possible Weapons of Mass Destruction attack within the United States.

General Grizzle and his wife, Shawn, a former high school Biology teacher, have two children and three grandchildren.

Dr. Barbara M. Medina comes to the Office of President at Northern New Mexico College with a background in teaching and administration. 

She is a graduate of Coronado High school (Gallina), taught at St. Catherine’s Indian School (Santa Fe), and completed her masters degree at St. John’s (Santa Fe). She has been actively involved in language and literacy for diverse populations, cultural and linguistic diversity, and school reformat district, state and national levels. 

She began her career serving students in a rural migrant summer program then as a social studies classroom teacher and Coordinator of Secondary Second Language Programs. After completing her doctorate in Educational Policy at the University of Colorado, Boulder, she became a professor and Department Chair of Teacher Education at Adams State College, Alamosa, CO. Recruited to serve as Director of Language, Culture, and Equity at the Colorado Department of Education she then became Assistant Commissioner. 

Her accomplishments include the renegotiation of the modified consent decree with the U.S. Office of Civil Rights for the Denver Public Schools, work as a consultant with the Interstate Migrant Education Council, development and implementation federal grants, and membership in a National Academy of Science research group. She was an Associate with the Migration Policy Institute-Washington DC.

Dr. Medina’s board service includes the Christine Duncan Heritage Academy Board, the Colorado Association of School Executives and Education Specialists, the Colorado Association of Bilingual Education as well as the City of Denver’s Denver Human Rights Council and Latino Commission. 

Dr. Edward Martinez has been president at Luna Community College since June 21, 2021. Dr. Martinez is fully committed to Luna students, faculty, staff and the community.  One of his priorities is to ensure that Luna students and the institution thrive in partnership with the service area. Prior to becoming president at Luna, Dr. Martinez was a Special Assistant to the President at New Mexico Highlands University where his responsibilities were: work with diversity and equity issues; work on special assignments in advancement and alumni relations; sustain NMHU operations related to programming at the Rio Mora National Wildlife Refuge and Conservation Area and special projects as assigned by the president in federal grant fund raising and in matters related to university strategic planning and accreditation, community relations, board relations, faculty relations, budget and finance and government relations. From 2016 to 2020, Dr. Martinez served as Vice President for Strategic Enrollment Management at NMHU, where he addressed retention issues by developing long-term strategies through innovation, listening, inclusivity, collaboration, transparency and data analysis. Dr. Martinez oversaw the offices of financial aid, recruitment and admissions, student relations, academic support, the Native American Center and the International Education Center. Dr. Martinez is the founding director of ARMAS (Achieving in Research, Math, and Science Center) at NMHU, which is designed to engage, provide comprehensive support and retain students through graduation in the STEM area. Dr. Martinez has extensive experience in grant writing where he brought in over $14,000,000 and has facilitated numerous partnerships with community organizations, other colleges and universities and federal and state agencies. Dr. Martinez has also been a faculty member in the STEM area at NMHU and served as the chair of the Department of Natural Resource Management. Dr. Martinez earned his Ph.D. in Environmental and Natural Resources Sciences from Washington State University in 2000.  

Dr. Derek Moore is a student-centered leader who was recently appointed as President at New Mexico Junior College. Dr. Moore previously served as Vice President for Student Services at South Arkansas Community College. He provided vision and leadership of enrollment management, student success, student support services, athletics, along with several state and federal grant programs. He was responsible for seven direct reports, including three deans. Prior to SouthArk, Dr. Moore was Associate Vice Chancellor for Student Success at Arkansas State University Mid-South, where he led student retention and engagement efforts of the college.  He was Director of Academic Advising and Career Services at the University of Arkansas Community College at Morrilton, where he also served as chair of the college’s student retention committee, along with chairing the college’s diversity committee.  

Dr. Moore serves as an advisory board member of HERDI Innovate (Higher Education Research and Development Institute), and Innovative Educators. He was a founding board member of TYFY, Two-Year First Year. Dr. Moore’s commitment to the community includes being a past president of the El Dorado Rotary Club. He also served as a board member of the El Dorado-Union County Chamber of Commerce, El Dorado Boys and Girls Club, and Hope Landing, Inc. Dr. Moore also volunteered at Hugh Goodwin Elementary in El Dorado assisting second graders with improving their literacy skills. 

Dr. Moore earned a Doctor of Education in Community College Leadership from Morgan State University in Baltimore, MD; a Master of Public Administration from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock in Little Rock, AR; and a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff in Pine Bluff, AR. Dr. Moore is a graduate of the Executive Leadership Institute, which is conducted by the League for Innovation in the Community College.

Dr. Moore has been married to his wife, Pinkie, for 28 years.  They have two adult sons and two daughters-in-law, along with one granddaughter.  

Dr. Gregg Busch comes with nearly 40 years’ experience as a chief executive officer in the private, public, nonprofit sectors and, with more than 20 years, in higher education leadership and administration. He is a community college alum and a scholar, researcher, author, a seasoned culturally-inclusive community college leader, and recognized local, state, national, and international authority on student success, access, and community college leadership. Throughout his community college experience he has served as an adjunct instructor, full time assistant professor (recognized three times as Professor of the Year, twice recipient of Distinguished Professorships, and ranked among the top 2000 professors worldwide by Cambridge University), discipline coordinator, program coordinator, dean of academic and student affairs (two institutions), lead for accreditation and strategic enrollment management, chief diversity officer (three institutions), dean for articulation and transfer, dean of the honors college (two institutions), chief academic officer, vice president for instruction, vice president for dual enrollment, vice president for guided pathways, and an elected member of the board of trustees of a community college. He is a national leader of educational reform having led statewide initiatives to improve student success, access, reduce student debt, and close the equity gap for minority students. He currently serves on the adjunct faculty for St. Leo University instructing doctoral candidates in doctoral program for higher education and administration, guiding research for doctoral candidates in writing dissertations, and building upon the contemporary literature of issues facing higher education and community colleges in particular. He is the co-founder, chief operating officer, and senior consultant of The Busch Professional Group, LLC and has consulted with numerous colleges on improving student success and a variety of issues facing higher education today.

He is originally from a very rural community, much like Tucumcari, in West Virginia and has focused much of his research and publications on leadership of rural community colleges. He was a former Vice President at Pima Community College in Tucson, Arizona and experienced with minority-serving institutions, especially Hispanic-serving institutions.  In addition to his leadership on the PCC West Campus, he was responsible for college wide implementation of guided pathways, expansion of high school partnerships, and development of concurrent enrollment.  On the PCC West Campus, he oversaw the Centers of Excellence for Fine Arts, Nursing, Allied Health, and Athletics.  Prior to arriving at Pima, he served six years as an academic dean and dean of the honors college at North Central State College in Mansfield, Ohio where he also served as the campus diversity officer and assisted in the development of on-campus housing for community college students. He served three years as Dean of Arts and Sciences at Washington State Community College in Marietta, Ohio where he received national recognition for his college-wide leadership of assessment and accreditation.  He is a 2020 and 2021 nominee for the Global Top 100 Leaders in Education Award from the Global Forum for Education and Learning and the recipient of the national award for Teaching and Leadership Excellence from NISOD.

He was the founding State Team Lead for Educational Reform through Complete College America (where is also a national student success content expert) for Arizona and worked with government leaders along more than 20 college and university leaders to improve success for more than 400,000 Arizona students. He has a long history of working with government leaders at all levels and twice represented community colleges with Congress in Washington, DC to improve STEM opportunities for women and girls and to help shape the congressional agenda for community college education. He is also a member of the Peer Review Corps of The Higher Learning Commission which is responsible for the regional accreditation of Mesalands Community College.

He has spoken at various state, regional, and national leadership and higher education conferences developed and published the Community Capitals Framework for Improving Student Success, a model growing in popularity for colleges to more fully integrate resources with a proven result of increased student success and a 3-D Model for Rapid Implementation of Project Management.  He holds a Master of Science degree from West Virginia University, School of Medicine, where he also specialized in epidemiology, pandemic studies, and crisis management. He has additional post graduate studies in Sociology and Clinical Psychology from Marshall University Graduate College and a Doctor of Education from West Virginia University in Higher Education Administration and Leadership.  

His wife, Mary Beth, is his high school sweetheart and a consultant and former community college dean and vice president for workforce and economic development and a statewide leader of workforce development in both Ohio and West Virginia. He is the proud father of Nicholas, a tenured community college political science professor, and Grace Faulkner, a coordinator of infectious disease and epidemiology. But of all of his experience, he still claims that he is most proud to Pap to his three grandchildren, Max and Harper Busch and Althea Faulkner.