October 21, 2013
Mr. Jimmy Sandoval, Vice Chair
Mesalands Community College is pleased to announce that Jimmy Sandoval, Board of Trustees Vice Chair, has been elected to serve as the Western Region Associate Member of the Diversity Committee for the Association of Community College Trustees (ACCT). Sandoval will serve a two-year team. The Diversity Committee ensures leadership for the involvement of historically underrepresented diverse populations within the governance of ACCT.
Sandoval was reelected to the Diversity Committee during an ACCT Leadership Congress in Seattle, WA earlier this month. Dr. Thomas Newsom, President of Mesalands, and Theresa Stephenson, Mesalands Board of Trustees Member, also attended the meeting.
“On behalf of Mesalands Community College, we are very proud that Mr. Sandoval will again be representing this region as an Associate Member of the ACCT Diversity Committee” Dr. Newsom said. “Mr. Sandoval continues to find new opportunities to expand and promote education throughout the State of New Mexico to better serve underrepresented students. We want to thank him for all that he does for the future of education, for Mesalands, and for economic development.”
Sandoval is also a member of the Association of Latino Community College Trustees for ACCT. He has met with high school administrators from four counties in rural New Mexico, to discuss the area’s educational future. He is developing partnerships with businesses that are seeking to hire highly qualified individuals for the workforce. Sandoval is also meeting with administrators at various State correctional facilities to see how he could assist them in better educating inmates to promote recidivism.
“I have met and spoke with many educators and their sentiments are all similar, that money is of great concern as well as technology for rural areas. In the State of New Mexico, it seems all educational institutions outside the Rio Grande Corridor suffer greatly because of location. All resources go to this area, leaving rural areas underfunded and understaffed for their growing needs,” Sandoval said. “With my reelection to the Diversity Committee, I plan to work hard to continue to serve the rural diverse regions in my service area and abroad, to bring about change and resources. It has been said many times that it takes a village to raise a child, I believe it takes a lot more to educate one.”
Sandoval says that he wants to thank Dr. Newsom, Ms. Stephenson, the other Mesalands Board Members and the College staff and faculty, for their continued support of his educational initiatives.
Mr. Sandoval will attend his first Diversity Committee meeting, February 10-13, 2013 in Washington D.C. This meeting will be in conjunction with Community College National Legislative Summit.
