OPINION: CNM Governing Board shapes college's direction

Colleges and their communities are unique. Each has distinct student demographics, workforce needs, economic conditions and cultures. That’s why, for 60 years, Central New Mexico Community College has been best served by an independent, locally elected Governing Board — not a centralized statewide governing system that a former New Mexico university president recently advocated for in a Journal op-ed.

Local governance allows CNM to stay agile, responsive and deeply connected to our students, employers and community. A statewide system, by contrast, would add layers of regulation, slow decision-making and impose one-size-fits-all policies that don’t reflect the diverse needs of New Mexico’s regions.

At CNM, our Governing Board members live in the districts they represent — from Rio Rancho to the South Valley, the North Valley to the Northeast Heights. Their local knowledge ensures that student, employer and civic voices help shape the college’s direction. A centralized body in Santa Fe would dilute those voices and weaken accountability.

Local boards act quickly. When local employers need training programs, we launch them. When technology advances, we adapt our curriculum. When students need more support, we expand services. Innovation happens where governance is closest to the community. Statewide systems often move too slowly to keep up with real-world needs.

That’s not to say CNM operates in isolation. We value strong relationships with the governor, Legislature and state agencies. We partnered with the New Mexico Economic Development Department, for example, on the new film production training center at the Rail Yards, designed to grow our state’s booming film industry.

We also collaborate with other colleges across New Mexico, as well as our regional K-12 school districts and community partners, with strong Governing Board support. Through the Collaborative for Higher Education Shared Services, we’ve teamed up with other New Mexico colleges to streamline technology systems and we’re currently implementing a new student information system that will improve student success statewide.

In partnership with Rio Rancho Public Schools, we launched a dual credit career technical education high school called RioTech earlier this year. The powerful collaboration provides high school students with college-level instruction from CNM faculty in high-demand trades and technology fields, in their high school environment.

Next summer, our partnership with Explora will lead to the opening of Brillante, a trailblazing model of early childhood education that will not only invest in high-quality childhood development, but also a well-trained early childhood educator workforce and much-needed child care services for CNM student parents and community members.

This month, CNM will become the first community college in the country to create and launch a Quantum Technician Bootcamp — a fast-track program developed with Sandia National Laboratories to prepare a workforce for the emerging quantum industry. Because of CNM’s regional and national reputation for being responsive and innovative in addressing workforce needs, CNM was invited to become a member of Elevate Quantum, a consortium of organizations in New Mexico, Colorado and Wyoming, devoted to establishing the Mountain West as a global leader in quantum economic development. Our Quantum Technician Bootcamp will connect New Mexicans to high-paying careers in New Mexico, while also being replicated by other community colleges in Colorado and Wyoming.

In response to another statewide workforce need, CNM just opened the state’s premier skilled trades education and training facility to help fill critical workforce gaps in construction, advanced manufacturing and other trades — another project made possible by local governance and deep community ties.

Most importantly, local boards are accountable. Residents can engage directly with elected board members and have their voices heard. That accountability ensures decisions reflect the needs and aspirations of our community.

As CNM celebrates its 60th year, we know that our strength comes from our independence. Local governance has allowed us to innovate, partner and lead — while staying aligned with statewide economic goals. A statewide governing system might sound efficient, but in practice it would stifle innovation, reduce accountability and weaken the vital connection between colleges and their communities.

This November, four CNM Governing Board seats are up for election. I encourage voters to learn about the candidates and choose leaders who best reflect their values.

For six decades, an independent governing board has made CNM a state and national leader in community college education and training. It has enabled us to change lives, build community, strengthen our workforce and power economic growth for both central New Mexico and the state as a whole.

That’s a powerful and proud legacy, built on independence, innovation and accountability to our community.