Two seeking CNM District 5 position
Editor’s note: This is the third in a series of stories on the candidates running for the Central New Mexico Community College Governing Board.
A roughly five-month incumbent, former journalist and property manager is running for re-election to the Central New Mexico Community College board against an attorney, green building expert and community activist.
Nancy Baca, 56, was appointed to the Governing Board to fill a vacancy in September 2016. She is currently a property manager and has worked as journalist at the Albuquerque Journal, The Albuquerque Tribune and The Arizona Republic. She also has done volunteer work on local political campaigns and is active locally in the Democratic Party.
Gina Naomi Dennis, 39, is an attorney who founded the green building consulting company Relerience. She is also serving as a board member of the La Montañita Co-op Food Market and was a national delegate for U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders at the Democratic National Convention in 2016.
District 5 covers the central portion of town and includes the CNM main campus.
The state appropriation for CNM was cut from $56 million
to roughly $53.2 million, or about a 5 percent cut, according to school spokesman Brad Moore. The school’s current budget is about $226.9 million.
Dennis said she wants to be a member of the Governing Board because she believes the “community education system is broken,” and she hopes to raise graduation rates and lower tuition.
“There are a lot of people who feel like their needs are not being met,” Dennis said.
She suggested CNM create hands-on-training programs in farming to “educate the next generation of farmers and ensure we buy local.” She suggested a similar program for renewable energy.
Dennis earned a bachelor’s degree from Spelman College, a law degree and a master’s of business administration from American University.
Baca’s main concern is one shared by many board members: CNM’s shrinking budget. She said long-term planning would be needed to weather the storm and to avoid cuts that would affect students. She is against raising tuition for students.
Baca did praise CNM’s recent programs that were tailored to the community needs, such as a brewing academy, coding boot camp or a film tech program.
“It’s innovative ways of delivering education and training people to work in the 21st century economy,” she said.
Baca earned a bachelor’s of art in organizational communication and management and, at a later date, a bachelor’s degree in journalism.