AG Balderas selected as Northern New Mexico College's new president

Nov. 19—Outgoing New Mexico Attorney General Hector Balderas has been selected as Northern New Mexico College's next president.

After a monthslong search, the college's board of regents selected Balderas in a unanimous vote Thursday.

"I am honored that the regents, faculty and staff will partner with me as we take Northern New Mexico College into the future, building on student success and institutional development," Balderas said in a statement Friday.

Balderas has served as New Mexico's attorney general since 2015 but will give up the role this year after term limits prohibited him from seeking reelection.

NNMC has been without a permanent president since January, when former college President Rick Bailey left the institution. After the search for Bailey's successor initially stalled due to staffing changes, NNMC contracted higher education leadership hiring firm AGB Presidential Search to assist in the process.

In October, Balderas was listed among four finalists for the role, including New Mexico Higher Education Deputy Secretary, and former NNMC professor, Patricia Trujillo; Vice President of Academic Affairs at Dalton State College in Dalton, Ga., Bruno Hicks; and Southern Illinois University Professor of Applied Psychology Yueh-Ting Lee. Another finalist, Dr. David L. Johns, president of Ferrum College in a Virginia city of the same name, withdrew from the search in October.

Although she was not selected as president of NNMC, Trujillo said she was proud to interview for a position of such stature in her native Española and hopes her candidacy will inspire other women of color to seek out important roles in their communities. She wished NNMC the best of luck in its next chapter.

Lee and Hicks did not respond to requests for comment Friday.

Earlier this fall, all four finalists visited NNMC's campus and spent two days interviewing with students, faculty, staff, alumni and community members, said Michael Martin, president of the college's board of regents.

Martin said Balderas, who grew up in Wagon Mound, connected well with stakeholders across NNMC's campus.

"I was impressed with his interviews with the community. When he was here for the two days, he identified very strongly with the students of Northern. ... I think he'll be a very good leader for us," Martin said.

Jake Arnold, executive director of the NNMC El Rito campus advocacy group La Sociedad Venceslao Jaramillo, approved of the regents' choice of Balderas as the college's next president.

"All I can say about the regents' appointment is: Job well done," Arnold said. "We are extremely satisfied with the choice of Hector Balderas. We think, of all the candidates for that position, he was far and away the best."

The board will now open negotiations with Balderas to determine the newly selected president's duties, compensation and benefits, the college stated in a news release Friday afternoon. Once negotiations are complete, the board will hold a special session to formally approve the contract and confirm Balderas' new role.