Serna will not turn Luna college around

The Santa Fe New Mexican’s coverage of Luna Community College (“Embattled school pressed to fix problems,” Dec. 24) needs a little work. Regular New Mexican readers will no doubt recall the exploits of current Luna interim President Ricky Serna while he ran roughshod at Northern New Mexico College over department heads, professors and staff.

Speak Serna’s name publicly in Española at your own risk. His name elicits groans from almost everyone in Northern New Mexico College’s administration, who still pay for Serna’s sins.

We at the Rio Grande SUN were baffled when Luna regents appointed him interim president. I understand his buddy, outgoing President Pete Campos, wormed Serna into the job. Talk about birds of a feather.

Serna will not turn Luna around. He will make matters worse, while he benefits. His movements around New Mexico higher education are reminiscent of bad cops going from agency to agency and problem teachers being passed from school to school, with neutral recommendations.

I strongly urge Luna Community College regents to go through the SUN archives (2013 to 2016) and read about the adventures of Ricky Serna, while he “ran” Northern New Mexico College. They also might want to set up a conference call with Northern President Rick Bailey to be updated on how he’s cleaned up after Ricky, and at what cost to taxpayers and the Española Valley.

Robert Trapp is editor and publisher of the Rio Grande SUN, in Española.