CHESS Board of Directors

Santa Fe Community College President Becky Rowley, Ph.D., is a leader in higher education and a champion for students. Rowley is chair of CHESS (Collaborative for Higher Education Shared Services). She has served as chair of New Mexico Independent Community Colleges since 2015.  

At SFCC, Dr. Rowley cultivates a collaborative environment with students, faculty, and staff to develop innovative programs and provide equitable learning environments for all students. She supports administrative efficiency and transparency; strong relationships with business, education, and government; and being responsive to the needs of the community. An advocate of diversity, equity, and inclusion, she oversees the President’s Diversity Advisory Committee. She advances the College as a community hub for higher education and economic development.

Dr. Rowley is an ex officio member of the Santa Fe Chamber of Commerce Board and chairs the Higher Education Advisory Committee. She has served on the New Mexico State Workforce Development Board, Eastern Area Workforce Development Board, New Mexico Higher Education Strategic Planning Committee, and New Mexico Higher Education Governance Committee. 

Previously, Dr. Rowley was president of Clovis Community College (NM), where she also served as Executive Vice President of Academics and Student Services and was a full-time English faculty member.

She holds a Ph.D. in English from University of New Mexico, a master’s degree in English from University of Virginia, and a bachelor’s degree in English and Latin with a minor in Political Science from Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska. 

Luna Community College President Dr. Edward Martinez is a native of northern New Mexico and a former student of the college he now heads. He is committed to enhancing the partnership between Luna and the communities it serves. Since becoming president in 2021, Martinez has implemented community education, opened a community kitchen and a food pantry, initiated continuing education programs, and re-established academic and workforce programs placed on hiatus due to the pandemic.

During the 2022 historic wildfires, Martinez opened the campus to more than 1,000 emergency response personnel as Luna became the U.S. Forest Service Incident Command Center. Martinez has played a major role in bringing land restoration workshops to the community to help address erosion, bring back vegetation, and build marketable skills for those impacted by the wildfires and subsequent floods.

Previously, Martinez served New Mexico Highlands University as Special Assistant to the President, founding Vice President of Strategic Enrollment Management and Professor of Forestry. In 2019, he was selected as an American Council on Education fellow, completing his fellowship at University of Nevada-Reno. Martinez’s numerous successful grant authorships and publications have received national recognition for their focus on supporting underrepresented populations to succeed in STEM fields.

Martinez graduated from Mora High School, received welding certification through Luna Community College, and has a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Sciences from NMHU. He earned a Master’s in Environmental and Regional Planning and a Doctorate in Environmental and Natural Resource Sciences from Washington State University-Pullman.

Dr. Charles Nwankwo became the fifth President of Clovis Community College in February 2020, prior to the onset of the covid-19 Pandemic. President Nwankwo’s leadership has focused on not only leading the institution through the pandemic but on solidifying a “Caring College” culture, focused on student access and success.  

President Nwankwo is passionate about community college education, with its access-driven mission, commitment to student success, and commitment to equity for all students. He has a proven record of success as a transformational and visionary leader committed to developing comprehensive supports that foster college completion. Throughout his career, Dr. Nwankwo has partnered with businesses, community organizations, and other educational institutions to advance relevant programs that promote workforce and economic development. He believes in building a strong cooperative, team-centered environment. Dr. Nwankwo’s leadership style is rooted in the core values of authenticity, integrity, respect, trust, and personal growth.

In addition to his time at CCC, Dr. Nwankwo has broad experience in community college districts in Arizona, Louisiana, and Texas. He has served on the American Association of Community Colleges Commission on Academics and Student Success and participated in AACC Workforce Development Institute, White House Summit on Educational Excellence for Minority Students, and chambers of commerce. 

He holds a Ph.D. in Education Administration, with emphasis in Community College Leadership, from the University of Texas at Austin, a Master of Science degree in Environmental Toxicology, and a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Biology from University of Houston-Clear Lake. 

The Central New Mexico Community College Governing Board unanimously selected Tracy Hartzler to become the sixth president of CNM in November 2019; she began her presidency on Jan. 1, 2020.

Before becoming CNM President, Ms. Hartzler was CNM’s Vice President for Finance and Operations and has been at CNM since 2015. She has served the public sector for more than 25 years in education, government, and policy roles. Since 2011, Ms. Hartzler has played a significant role in shaping postsecondary education in New Mexico, first with the New Mexico Legislative Finance Committee, and later with CNM.

Before becoming CNM President, she served as treasurer for both CNM Ingenuity, Inc., and CNM Foundation. She has held various positions at the College, overseeing budgeting and finance, strategic planning, accreditation and research, human resources, facilities, information technology, and other operational functions. She also served on the state’s Complete College America team, advocating for policies that improve student retention and completion. In 2019, President Hartzler served as the Governor’s appointee to the New Mexico State Investment Council. 

Previously, Ms. Hartzler served as Special Assistant Attorney General for the New Mexico Interstate Stream Commission and as Counsel for the U.S. Senate Committee on Indian Affairs in Washington, D.C. 

President Hartzler earned a Juris Doctorate from the Columbus School of Law at the Catholic University of America, a Master of Education Degree from the University of Virginia, and a Bachelor of Arts Degree, cum laude, from Saint Mary’s College in Indiana.