By: Jonathan Baca, Staff Reporter
Five seats on the CNM Governing Board are up for re-election early next year, said Director of Marketing and Communications Brad Moore.
The seats for Districts 1, 2, 3, 5 and 7 will be open, and hopeful candidates must file with the Bernalillo County Clerk’s Office by Tuesday, Dec. 18.
“The Governing Board approves all new programs in the college, and has the final say for eliminating programs. They set the tuition and fees for students and oversee many financial aspects of the school,” said Moore.
Members of the Governing Board are elected officials and are not CNM employees, said Moore. Their decisions can have a profound effect on the lives of students, and students should be aware of who is running and what their goals are, he said.
“The Governing Board is not a paid position. They are basically doing it to be public servants. Board members do get paid a stipend, which is set by the State, for every day they have a Board meeting or committee meeting. But they are certainly not making a lot of money,” said Moore.
The Governing Board meets once a month — typically on the first Tuesday of the month – in a general meeting that is open to the public. Board members also serve on at least one of five special committees, said Moore. These include the Audit Committee, the Capital Outlaying Committee, the Executive Committee and the Finance Committee.
There is no word yet on who will be running for the open seats, but all the current Board members are eligible for re-election. Here is some information on the Board members whose seats will be open, taken from the CNM website.
District 1 — Robert P. Matteucci
Robert Matteucci is the longest-serving member of the Board. He became a member in 1986 and has served several terms as Board chair. A longtime retail businessman, he is now a self-employed consultant.
Committee Appointments: Capital Outlay C o m m i t t e e Planning Committee.
District 2: Janet Saiers
Janet W. Saiers, an Albuquerque resident since 1955, is a former English teacher subsequently employed by Albuquerque Parks & Recreation in a variety of roles including employee education, public information, and planner.
She served on the Development Review Board (1985- 1992), as staff liaison to Parks and Recreation Advisory Board (1985–2002) and on the Bicycling Advisory Committee (1980-1994).
Saiers represented District 2 on the CNM Board previously, from 2003 to 2007 and has an extensive record of community service.
District 3: Debbi Moore, Secretary
Debbi Moore, a first-term Board member, has been the president of the Rio Rancho Regional Chamber of Commerce since 2002. She is also a member of the New Mexico Small Business Development Center Advisory Board, the Sandoval County Juvenile Justice Board and the Albuquerque Regional Economic Alliance.
Committee Appointments : F i n a n c e Committee, Chair Audit Committee.
District 5: Blair Kaufman, Chair
Blair Kaufman, a career educator, is principal of Sandia Base Elementary School. He was elected to the Board in 1995. A hot-air balloon pilot, he regularly flies the CNM banner.
Committee Appointments : Audit Committee, Chair Executive Committee.
District 7: Michael DeWitte, Vice Chair
Michael DeWitte, a first-term Board member, is an Executive Vice- President at B&D Industries and recently retired as a member of senior management at Sandia National Laboratories.
He serves as the Chair of the Board of Trustees for the Presbyterian Central New Mexico delivery system, as Chair of the NM Business Roundtable, serves on the Board of Directors for the Economic Forum as well as the KNME Board.
He is also a member of Albuquerque E c o n o m i c Development and a registered Professional Engineer.
Committee Appointments : P l a n n i n g Committee, Chair Finance Committee.
