Posts Tagged ‘Margie Huerta’

Article courtesy of the Las Cruces Bulletin, by Samantha Roberts

Union Pacific, which recently began construction of an all-new rail facility outside Santa Teresa, announced a $100,000 donation to Doña Ana Community College as part of Las Cruces Day in Santa Fe during a press conference Monday, Jan. 30, at the Roundhouse in Santa Fe.

The donation, which Zoe Richmond, UP director of public affairs, said was given to DACC to use as the institution sees fit. However, the underlying message at the press conference was creating jobs to sustain UP’s new intermodal facility.

“Doña Ana Community College is excited to be the recipient of such generosity from Union Pacific,” said DACC President Margie Huerta. “We plan to use the funds for scholarships and workforce development to ensure our students have the knowledge needed to qualify for the jobs this new facility will bring to the region.”

There were several key players who helped make the donation a possibility, including Sens. Cynthia Nava and Mary Kay Papen, Rep. Mary Helen Garcia and New Mexico Economic Development Secretary Designate Jon Barela as well as Mesilla Valley Economic Development Alliance CEO Davin Lopez and Border Industrial Association Executive Director Jerry Pacheco and Juan Massey.

“Union Pacific and Doña Ana Community College is an example of a great private-public partnership,” Lopez said. “We are proud to be a part of this.”

“Right now, we are moving 4.1 million cubic yards of dirt,” Richmond said about developments in Santa Teresa. “We hope this donation strengthens our long-term commitment to southern New Mexico.”

As another part of Union Pacific’s commitment to grow New Mexico, Richmond said seven of the 10 subcontractors working on the project are from New Mexico, which translates to 66 percent of $40 million that has been spent in the Land of Enchantment. The intermodal facility is expected to be completed by 2015, bringing in 600 permanent high-paying jobs.

“The average employee will be making $100,000 in wages and benefits,” Richmond said. “We like to say where we have rails, we have ties.” Richmond said UP chose DACC as a recipient because “DACC is a neighbor” and she is looking forward to a good working relationship with the community college.

“Thank you for your generosity,” Huerta said during the press conference. “The Greater Las Cruces Chamber of Commerce as well as many others have given their help and been so supportive – Davin Lopez, Jerry Pacheco, Juan Massey, (Rep.) Terry McMillan.

“Donations like this will have an immediate impact on southern New Mexico. Developing the workforce in southern New Mexico is critical, and this gift of $100,000 is a huge investment and will yield positive return. “In Doña Ana County, we work with a collaborative spirit to improve the community.”

Nava, former superintendent of Gadsden Independent School District, said the example set in southern New Mexico is remarkable. “The rest of the state should listen,” Nava said. “I fought to get Union Pacific here, and I will fight to hold them accountable to their promises. This check is a great start, and it is about jobs, economic development and the opportunity for students to succeed.”

To help bring UP to southern New Mexico, Gov. Susana Martinez signed into law in 2011 a bill granting Union Pacific a locomotive fuel tax deduction that allowed the company to move forward with an investment of $400 million in the construction of a 2,200-acre rail facility west of the Santa Teresa Airport, which will include fueling facilities, crew change buildings, locomotive inspection tracks, an intermodal ramp and a switching yard.

“This new facility will strengthen our long-term commitment to deliver premium service to our customers,” said Scott Moore, vice president of public affairs for Union Pacific. “Upon completion of this new infrastructure, New Mexico will take its place among the leaders in the goods movement industry.”

A key player in getting the locomotive fuel tax deduction bill passed was Barela. When the bill was passed, Barela called it “a cornerstone to creating jobs in southern New Mexico.”

“Doña Ana County has great potential and thank you to our great corporate neighbor – UP,” Barela said. “The facility is a solid anchor project on the entire Mexico border – all 2,000 miles of it.”

L&M Radiator photo courtesy of Fred Shepherd

Article courtesy of the Las Cruces Bulletin

By Samantha Roberts

The Mesilla Valley of Economic Development Alliance (MVEDA) has been busy this month with meetings, events and behind-the scenes work. The organization, which was incorporated in 1994, is “a public/private sector economic development partnership that serves Dona Ana County,” according to its mission. MVEDA partners with entities in southern New Mexico, such as the City of Las Cruces, Dona Ana County, New Mexico State University, Dona Ana Community College, the Las Cruces Public Schools, the Village of Hatch and the New Mexico Economic Development Department.

“We have begun a business connection series,” said Fred Shepherd, MVEDA business development manager. “We are trying to put together events that address what companies want to see and hear about.”

In addition to monthly business luncheons, MVEDA has other tools in its toolbox, such as business resource guides, assistance programs, business start-up help, educational opportunities and business consultations.

Newest to its resources, MVEDA offered a “commuter package” in collaboration with the City of Las Cruces to L&M Radiator, a worldwide manufacturer of MESABI flexible core heat exchangers that has decided to relocate its El Paso office to Las Cruces. The company purchased the old Coca-Cola bottling plant at 2100 S. Valley Drive.

“We have 60 current employees that will stay with us, and it will be up to them if they chose to move to Las Cruces or stay in El Paso, but we thought this was a nice way to at least show them what Las Cruces has to offer,” said Production Manager Tom Baumchen, in regards to the open house event.

L&M Radiator chartered two buses Saturday, June 4, filled with employees and their families to introduce them to the City of the Crosses. In addition to MVEDA, guests were allowed to peruse several vendors’ booths, including Dona Ana Community College (DACC), Las Cruces Public Schools, the City of Las Cruces, home loan companies, newspaper options and many others. Guests were also treated to a lunch and tour of Las Cruces before going back to Texas.

“We hope this event is the first of many of its kind,” Shepherd said. “We learned a lot from this first experience. For example, someone asked us about child care, and we didn’t have the information to provide them that day, but in the future we will know. And it is obvious, people moving to Las Cruces want to know the best place for their kids to go to school or where they can be safely kept.”

Other than booths, the participants also enjoyed guest speakers, including Margie Huerta, president of DACC, who was able to facilitate a brief question-and-answer session and recognize Las Cruces for its many wonderful opportunities.

“We are excited about the move, and it just came at the right time,” Baumchen said. “The reason for moving here was to continue a longtime partnership we have with TMS Machine Shop, and we found a building that could house both companies.”

Baumchen said the move has already started and anticipates three shifts per week to be operating by Friday, June 17. “We should be all moved over and settled in by the first or second week of August. Overall, we are very eager about being in Las Cruces and thrilled about the tremendous turnout today,” said Baumchen, hinting that an upcoming “phase two” is in the works for the company.

After L&M moves its final belongings to Las Cruces, Baumchen said he anticipates about 30 more hires. “We are bringing 60 people with us, and have already hired 30 more, but I anticipate that with the way work is coming in, we will add another 30 in the near future,” he said.

For Davin Lopez, MVEDA President and CEO, this event helped answer an important question. “For people moving here, where does quality of life fit in?” Lopez asked at the monthly Business on the Border luncheon Tuesday, June 7. “In addition to that, we at MVEDA want to help connect the fact that companies and their people are wanting to move here and are moving here, and how that will impact our local economy.”

L&M Radiator is not the only company making big changes in the area. Keith Beck, vice president and general manager of the Jacobs Technology’s NASA Test and Evaluation Contract (NTEC) at the NASA White Sands Test Facility (WSTF), also gave an update at the Business on the Border luncheon about what is going on at WTSF.

In regard to the number of people who will be out of work due to departments closing and contracts ending, Beck said a majority of the personnel will be maintained.

“We do a lot of stuff that has to do with testing. Anything that goes into space has to go through testing,” Beck said. “We have 420 employees now and as new jobs come, we look to hire internally first. The fiscal year is looking good, and we don’t anticipate another big hit coming anytime soon.”

Beck also said WSTF is constantly looking at new partnerships to create jobs, such as working with Spaceport America.  “We are currently working on scenarios that Spaceport America could be interested in,” he said. “For example, we are working with nitrous- oxide testing with the (Federal Aviation Administration). We will also have the ability to train people at Spaceport America or provided services as simple as rebuilding a valve on their car so they can get it fixed locally instead of shipping it away.”

At WSTF, Beck is responsible for all rocket propulsion testing, materials and component testing and the processing of flight hardware for the Space Shuttle and International Space Station as well as commercial and military systems. He holds a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Christian Brothers University and a master’s degree in engineering management from the University of Tennessee and is a registered Professional Engineer.

The next Business on the Border luncheon will be held from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesday, July 5, at Hotel Encanto de Las Cruces, 705 S. Telshor Blvd. The meeting will begin with a hot entrée buffet followed by a brief update by MVEDA staff. Luncheon cost is $20 per person and open to the public.  For more information, call MVEDA at 525-2852.

Las Cruces Bulletin photo by Chris Mortensen

Article courtesy of the Las Cruces Bulletin

Las Cruces Public Schools is reporting that all 112 freshmen in its early college high school will be returning to begin classes in its new building on the New Mexico State University campus.

A community group of educators and business leaders called The Bridge pushed for the creation of an early college high school as a national best practice for academically focused students to take classes at a university or college campus environment. Early college high schools enjoy a 95 percent graduation rate, nationally.

LCPS opened the new school last July before construction began on its building at NMSU’s Arrowhead Center. Dona Ana Community College provided classroom space for the first group of students.

The Arrowhead Park Early College High School (APECHS) prepares students to graduate with both a high school diploma and a two year college degree in four years. APECHS students completed their first college-level dual credit course, ninth- and 10th-grade honors English classes and posted district-leading attendance rates. “I like that we’re a small community and we all know each other,” said student Marina Calderon. “We’re like a big family. Here we all communicate with each other, and we’re all under four teachers. Our school motto is ‘We are the Trailblazers.’ So without the teachers taking that risk for the first-year students, we wouldn’t be anything.”

Four of its initial 116 students left the school because of moves or transfers. Most APECHS students are the first in their family to attend a college class and those “at risk” for not completing high school nor pursuing a college degree. Their average grade point average is 3.167. Almost one-third of the students had higher than a 3.5 GPA, and almost two-thirds held higher than a 3.0.

In a comprehensive high school, the freshman year is when almost half of the total dropouts in a class occur. Based on the most recent countywide dropout rate of 49 percent, statistically 27 of these students should have dropped out in a traditional environment.

The new $18 million APECHS campus reflects a 16 percent savings on cost per student, or $42 million in savings to the district. The cost per square foot of the 64,260-square-foot campus is half that of the new $100 million Centennial High School, which is also under construction.

“This is the way we need to think about education for the future of our city, our county, and our state,” said LCPS Superintendent Stan Rounds. “The early college high school model is extremely effective in other parts of the country. In fact, 10 percent of incoming juniors at UTEP are graduates from El Paso’s five early college high schools.”

APECHS is the first early college high school in New Mexico. “We are so proud of the students and staff of this school,” said Kari Mitchell, one of the founders of The Bridge and its current board vice president. “They’ve done an incredible job this year, and we are looking forward to having these well prepared, highly motivated students become part of our county’s future workforce.”

APECHS is a collaborative effort between LCPS, DACC and NMSU.

“These students really rose to the challenge of excelling in their first college-level course this year,” said DACC President Margie Huerta. “They are going to lead the way for the rest of the state. They are proving how important it is that we continue to offer dual credit courses for high school students to give them a real jump start into their college education.”

Discussions are currently under way for more early college high schools in the Las Cruces, Gadsden, and Hatch districts. There could be as many as four countywide opened over the next five years.

Article courtesy of Las Cruces Bulletin

Artist's Rendering courtesy of Studio D Architects

By Gabriel Vasquez

Higher learning means higher earning, and The Bridge of Southern New Mexico is hoping to drive that message home to students already attending the Arrowhead Park Early College High School (ECHS) on the New Mexico State University campus.

The Bridge, a local nonprofit that has brought together teachers, students, parents, the education community and private industry, was the catalyst for the new high school – the first of its kind in the state – that opened July 2010 to 117 Las Cruces freshmen. For now, the school is operating out of Doña Ana Community College, but will begin operations from its new Arrowhead Park campus once construction is finished in August, said Tracey Bryan, president and CEO of The Bridge.

“To compete in the 21st century workforce, you need at least a two-year degree or industry certification to really have a shot to succeed,” said Bryan, speaking at a Mesilla Valley Economic Development Alliance business forum Tuesday, Jan. 4. “The Early College High School exists for the purpose of building a stronger workforce for the ultimate goal of creating a stronger economic future for Doña Ana County.”

To achieve the feat, The Bridge, born out of what was then the Regional Education Initiative, began seeking partnerships and board members from different areas of industry and education around the county. With partners such as Barbara Couture, president of NMSU; Margie Huerta, president of DACC; Stan Rounds, superintendent of Las Cruces Public Schools; Cynthia Nava, superintendent of the Gadsden Independent School District; and Robert Garza, Las Cruces city manager, The Bridge has secured the human capital and money needed to move forward with the project.

“We have the top leaders in this county from all these different sectors,” Bryan said. “The reason The Bridge will and is already having an impact is because these people have the authority to make the decisions that need to be made.”

The curriculum for the new high school, which centers on an industry- and career-specific learning environment, was designed around “the best educational practices” in the nation, Bryan said.

“Nationally, (early college high schools) have a 90-percent graduation rate,” she said. “They (use) the best practices in education, such as small classes and applied learning, and the teachers can really work with students not just as teachers, but as mentors.”

If the Doña Ana County dropout rate was reduced by half in one year, those students who graduate high school would have a cumulative earning power of $3.3 million, and if those same students got a four-year degree, they’d earn about$12 million, according to a recent Arrowhead Center study Bryan cited. Additionally, the county’s home values would increase by $66 million if those students stayed in Doña Ana County and the state would stand to gain $212,000 in added tax revenue.

Getting students to understand the connection between education and future earnings is critical, Bryan said.

“We’re turning to the private sector for that,” she said. “Mentors, internships and building a strongpathway. We’re going to do it together.”

Students who attend the ECHS for four years will graduate with both a high school diploma and an associate’s degree, thanks in part to dual-credit classes offered at the school.

“The ECHS model is incredible,” Bryan said. “In our ECHS, we specifically sought students who were at risk of dropping out. They understand that they are trailblazers in their family and in the state.”

Bryan said so far, no ECHS students have dropped out since classes began. About 35 percent have perfect attendance, 14 percent have straight A’s and all students have passed their first dual-credit college course, computer literacy.

But to graduate on time with both a diploma and an associate’s degree requires intense academic focus, the main reason why the ECHS won’t offer the typical high school extracurricular activities.

“It won’t have a football field, it won’t have a band, none of those things,” Bryan said. “These kids will graduate with a two-year (college) degree and be ready to move on.”

Now that classes are up and running, The Bridge is seeking the participation of local business owners and industry leaders who want to donate their expertise or offer internships to students attending the new high school.

Kevin Boberg, CEO of the Arrowhead Center, said the new high school is on the Arrowhead campus because in the future, students will be able to secure internships and work study programs with employers within the Arrowhead Park, a business incubator currently being developed that’s already home to several high-tech companies.

For now, however, Bryan said The Bridge is encouraging any local business people who may be able to invest or offer mentorships or internships to ECHS students to contact the organization.

“Students need an adult to get the bigger vision of why they should stay in school,” Bryan said.

After its first four years, the ECHS will house up to 500 students in grades 9-12.

For more information or to contact The Bridge, call 528-7092 or visit www.thebridgeofsnm.com.

One of the foundational principles for having a spaceport in New Mexico is to provide tangible evidence of what can come from a good education, and enough excitement and incentive to encourage our students to learn and go make a difference. Spaceport America can be that catalyst for many of our youth to go beyond circumstance to a great future!

The April Dona Ana County Spaceport Community Council will feature a panel of leading educators from the Southern New Mexico who will discuss how Spaceport America is impacting our local schools from those that are involved in creating the change we’ve desired.

The event’s facilitator will be Margie Huerta, CEO of Dona Ana Community College.  Panelists include:

• Tom Burton, Department Head and Professor of New Mexico State University’s Aerospace Engineering Program;
• Patricia Hynes, Director of the New Mexico Space Grant Consortium;
• Jerry Welch, Division Dean of Dona Ana Community College’s Technical and Industrial Studies;
• Stan Rounds, Superintendent of Las Cruces Public Schools;
• Steven Sanchez, Associate Superintendent for Learning, Teaching and Research of Las Cruces Public Schools;
• Bill Coker, Superintendent of Hatch Valley Public Schools;
• Cynthia Nava, Superintendent of Gadsden Independent School District; and
• Tom Burris, Superintendent of Truth or Consequences Municipal Schools.

The meeting will be held on Thursday, April 22, 2010 from 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. at the Gerald Thomas Auditorium on the campus of New Mexico State University.  The meeting is open to the public and there is no admission charge.

For more information contact the Greater Las Cruces Chamber of Commerce, 575-524-1968.