Nearly 20 candidates are seeking the position of Superintendent of Las Cruces Public Schools. Nine candidates have experience in New Mexico and 12 applicants are from out of state.
Applications for this job closed on June 4th. The school board intends to nominate someone for the position by July 1st.
The school board began closed-door meetings on Friday to narrow down the candidates and will continue next week. The Las Cruces School Board will host a public forum to introduce the finalists at Oregon Mountain High School on June 22 at 6:00 pm.
Las Cruces Public School Board launches ferocious hunt for superintendent
The school board contracted JG Consulting of Austin, Texas for $40,000 to help find employment. In this school district he has more than 23,700 students.
The raid follows the resignation of Las Cruces school superintendent Ralph Ramos in April. Ramos served for two years after the sudden death of Karen Trujillo. He left under cloudy skies, including two behind-closed-door meetings regarding two complaints filed by employees. Neither the nature of the complaint nor the name of the employee has been released.
Applicant
By requesting public document disclosure, source new mexico We screened each candidate’s resume and cover letter submitted with their application. Listed alphabetically are the candidates and the background experience they hope to bring to Southern New Mexico.
Thomas Brillhart
He is currently the Associate Superintendent of New Albany Floyd County Schools in Indiana with over 11,500 students. He was Chief Operating Officer of Bullitt County Public Schools in Kentucky and interim Superintendent of Schools in Silver Creek, Indiana.
Israel Cordero
CEO of Friends of P-Tech, a non-profit organization affiliated with Texas school districts. Mr. Cordero has administrative experience in the Dallas Independent School District as Vice Superintendent, Public Relations Chief, and school leadership positions.
Nia Campbell
Currently Chief Academic Officer of Aurora Public Schools, Colorado, Mr. Campbell has teaching, administration, and college experience in Florida. She was the Vice Superintendent, Principal and Teacher of Hillsborough County Public Schools.
Curtis Clough
As Superintendent of Hagerman Municipal Schools in Hagerman, New Mexico, located between Roswell and Artesia, he supervises 397 students. Clough is the Associate Superintendent of Silver City Schools and the Principal of Crown Point High School at Gallup-McKinley County Schools. He has government experience in Alaska, Ohio and Arizona.
Betsy Dobias
He is currently the Superintendent of the Ganado Unified School District in Arizona with approximately 1,300 students. Dobias has been an administrator, principal, and teacher in various Arizona school districts. She has been attending Navajo Nation School District since 2020.
James Drake
Drake is a senior engineer/supervisor at DTG Associates in commercial construction. He is a former Vice Superintendent of Schools in Gonzales, California and has also managed and taught at Thornton School in South Holland, Illinois. In 2022, he applied for the post of Superintendent of Little Rock Public Schools in Arkansas. In March 2023, he applied to Broward County Public Schools in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Broward’s and Las Cruces’ cover letters were very similar in their first three graphs, even containing the same sentences word for word.
Jed Duggan
He is currently the Director of Student Success for the nearby Gadsden Independent School District. Duggan was also the principal and instructor of the Pecos Connection Academy in Carlsbad and the New Mexico Connection Academy. Duggan was also a teacher at Vista Middle School in Las Cruces.
Deborah Elder
Currently interim superintendent of Los Lunas School. Prior to that, he served as Executive Director of Innovation and School Choice at the Albuquerque School. She has served as a principal, staff developer, assistant principal, and teacher in the Albuquerque Public School District. She is married to outgoing Albuquerque Public Schools Superintendent Scott Elder.
Paula Gama Garcia
He currently serves as senior vice president of regional operations for Teach for America and has also served as executive director for the Rio Grande Valley, Texas. Gama Garcia has taught in Texas schools, including being Curriculum Director in Raymondville, Texas, and was also active as a school administrator.
jerry gibson
Retiring superintendent of the Galveston Independent School District with 6,700 students. In May, she agreed to resign from the school district on June 30, citing controversial comments about women at a school groundbreaking ceremony in April. To Houston Public Media. The school board agreed to pay Gibson $70,000 in retirement. He has also taught in other Texas school districts such as Marshall, Waco, Whitney, Deweyville and Port Arthur, Houston and Beaumont.
Carmella Levi-David
Levy-David is the Assistant Superintendent for the Fort Bend Independent School District, which has 80,000 students. Levy-David has served as principal and vice principal in school districts in Texas, Florida, and Arizona. On June 8, she was named one of two finalists for the directorial role. in Connecticut.
Monica Mesa
She is the Assistant Superintendent of Mesa Public Schools and currently oversees 26 schools in the Arizona School District. Mesa has been a teacher, principal, and principal coach for the Mesa Public School District.
Fred Montalvo
Currently, as administrator of Las Cruces Public Schools, he oversees all school operations. He is the principal of Pikacho Middle School, Camino He is the assistant principal of Rael Middle School, and is also a former math teacher and athletic coordinator. He also serves as a member of the New Mexico Department of Public Education’s Hispanic Education Advisory Board.
Antonio Montoya
Currently Vice Superintendent of Special Education for the Las Cruces School District. Montoya is also the former principal of Picacho Middle School and Centennial High School. He taught at schools in Las Cruces, Newcombe and Shiprock.
Matthew Neal
Currently Interim Executive Leader and Consultant at the New Mexico Military Research Institute in Roswell. Prior to that, he was a consultant in Colorado. He has held superintendent positions in Wyoming, Kuwait, and temporary positions in Woodland Park, Colorado.
Giovanni Ponce
Mr. Ponce is an Assistant Superintendent for the Houston Independent School District, Texas, overseeing 52 high schools. Mr. Ponce is the district’s middle and high school principal and is a bilingual teacher. He was recently one of two finalists for the post of Superintendent of Education. Sioux City Falls Community School.
Samia Rahman
Currently, Mr. Luhrmann is the District Instruction Coach for Trinity Basin Preparatory School District in Dallas, Texas, and also teaches in Arlington, Texas. Rahman did not enclose a cover letter.
Oscar Rico
Currently the Executive Director of Technology for the Canutillo Independent School District, Rico has taught and managed schools in the El Paso, Clint, Isleta, and Canutillo School Districts.
Gregory Rodriguez
Most recently, he served as superintendent of the 4,500-student Edcoouch Elsa School District in Texas. According to MyRGV.com Article, Rodriguez He left the company after a closed-door meeting that caused turmoil between himself, the board and the community. He served as superintendent of schools in Waterbury, Connecticut and Carlsbad, New Mexico. He has held management positions in Texas areas such as Huntsville, San Marcos, Austin and San Antonio.
Michelle Longa
Longa is the principal of the Rio Grande Preparatory School in Messilah. Longa has been the assistant principal and principal at Cruces High School and the principal at Sierra Middle School.
Ignacio Ruiz
Currently, Lewis is the Vice Superintendent of Clark County Schools in Las Vegas, Nevada. Prior to that, he was a trustee and principal of the Tucson Unified School District. He has been a vice principal, facilitator, and teacher in the Sunnyside Unified School District outside of Tucson, Arizona.
Miguel Serrano
Serrano is the School Improvement Officer for the Midland Independent School District in Texas. He previously served as Chief Operations Officer and Chief Human Resources Officer for Las Cruces Public Schools. He has been a teacher, assistant principal, principal, and head of human resources at Socorro School in El Paso, Texas.
jerry lynn williams harper
He is currently a Special Projects Administrator for White Pine School District, Ely, Nevada. Williams Harper was also the leader of his two charter schools in Ely, Nevada and Kalamazoo, Michigan. Williams Harper serves as superintendent of his three other Michigan districts: Albion, Mount Morris, and Flint. Prior to that, he headed a school in Fort Gaines, Clay County, Georgia.
