Please join Northern in welcoming the following staff to their new roles at the College. Contact information for each can be found in Northern’s directory.
Sara McCormick, Student Recruiter (pictured top, left)
Sara McCormick received her MA in the field of International Education, from the School of International Training (SIT) in Vermont. After receiving her BA at New Mexico State University, she joined the Peace Corps and served as an Educational Volunteer in Kazakhstan. Following the Peace Corps, Sara continued her global adventures and taught ESOL in South Korea, Taiwan, Egypt and Oman. Sara is no stranger to Northern, and four years ago completed her graduate internship with the College of Education, compiling and writing the international student resource book that is still used today. She is currently working at NNMC as the new student recruiter and is happy to be back in the Land of Enchantment working with such a great team of people playing a vital role in increasing enrollment at the College.
Dalene Lucero, Bookstore Manager (pictured top, center)
Born and raised in Northern New Mexico, Dalene earned a BA in Management from Northern New Mexico College, and will receive an MBA in Human Resources Management in February 2016. The Bookstore manager is responsible for day-to-day operations of the store and working with faculty to ensure that students have access to course texts. She brings more than 10 years of experience in Business Management and Administration in both the public and private sector. Dalene has worked for Los Alamos National Laboratory, the State of New Mexico, and more recently, the North Central Regional Transit District.
LeAnne C. Salazar Montoya, Director, Northern Rio Grande STEM Collaborative (NRGSC) (pictured top, right)
LeAnne is a native to the Española Valley. She is a graduate of both UNM and NMSU and holds an AA Liberal Arts, a BS in Education, an MA in Educational Leadership and an MS in Education. She is currently earning her doctorate degree in Educational Leadership (Higher Education) with an emphasis in working with communities of low socio-economic status and the many issues related to social justice. As the NRGSC Director, LeAnne oversees the institution’s largest single grant, a collaborative between Northern, SFCC, UNM-Los Alamos and UNM-Taos. The project aims to increase the number of STEM degree awarded to students in the region by creating academic pathways between two-year institutions and Northern. LeAnne brings more than 15 years of experience in K-12 teaching and administration. More recently she served as a K-12 director of federal programs, bilingual education and the special education departments. In addition to her professional accomplishments, LeAnne is married with three children.
Rebecca Rendon, ABE Data Technician (pictured bottom, left)
Rebecca is a native of the Española Valley and now resides in Velarde, NM. She has worked for Northern since 2007 in several capacities, most recently as a Financial Aid Officer. In 2012, she graduated from Northern with a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and is currently pursuing her MBA. Her role includes oversight for the Adult Basic Education Program’s data collection and reporting. Rebecca will also be assisting ABE students in the areas of career preparation and basic computer skills.
Reid Wessels, Adult Basic Education Program Director (pictured bottom, center)
Reid Wessels originally hails from Taos, NM and is the Adult Basic Education (ABE) Director at Northern. The ABE is a federally and state supported program that assists students in earning a High School Equivalency credential. Reid is responsible for the program’s curriculum, instructors and financial management. He has undergraduate degrees in both Communications and Journalism, and English from the University of New Mexico. He also holds a Master’s Degree in Language Arts Curriculum from UNM and a second Master’s Degree in Educational Administration from Eastern New Mexico University. Reid is licensed as a level III teacher by the State of New Mexico and holds endorsements in Language Arts and Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL). He spent close to a decade teaching and working in an administrative capacity for public schools in New Mexico. He enjoys working with students to help them realize dreams of pursuing higher education and helping them to communicate effectively through the power of speech and the written word.
Mark Rendon, HEP Transition Specialist (pictured bottom, right)
Earlier this year Northern received a $2.5 grant that helps seasonal migrant farm workers earn their high school equivalency credential. As the Transition Specialist, Mark will assist students to successfully transition from the High School Equivalency Program to higher education or training programs, upgraded employment, or the military. Mark has worked for Northern since 2010 in various capacities including Coordinator for the Veterans Resource Center and Academic Advisor for the American Indian Center. In 2012, he graduated from Northern with a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and is currently pursuing his MBA.
