Excellence In Student Achievement Awards Program   

The Excellence in Student Achievement Awards program seeks to promote student achievement in school districts and assist local school boards in recognizing school leaders, staff and other individuals who have played an important role in improving student achievement at the local level.

2025 Student Achievement Award Criteria, Timeline and Nomination Form

2024 Student Achievement Award Recipients

2023 Student Achievement Award Recipients

2022 Student Achievement Award Recipients

2021 Student Achievement Award Recipients

2020 Student Achievement Award Recipients

2019 Student Achievement Award Recipients

2018 Student Achievement Award Recipients 

2017 Student Achievement Award Recipients 

Excellence in Student Achievement Award Recipients Announced

The New Mexico School Boards Association (NMSBA) announced recipients of the 2024 Excellence in Student Achievement Awards. The awards, sponsored by NMSBA, are presented to individuals selected by local boards of education throughout New Mexico who have played an important role in improving student achievement in their local school district. Sixty-four (64) New Mexico school boards participated in this year’s program and a record one hundred eighty-two (182) award recipients were selected. Recipients are listed below and will be honored at local school board meetings throughout New Mexico over the next few weeks. For specific information about award recipients, please contact the local school district. For additional information on the Excellence in Student Achievement Award Program contact Joe Guillen, NMSBA Executive Director.

District                                  Recipient                                          Category

 

Alamogordo                          Anna Alday                                       Staff Member

                                                Heather Kangas                               Community Member

Albuquerque                         Janet Garcia                                     Staff Member

Artesia                                    T.J. and Jennifer Palma                 Community Members

Belen                                      Andrea Montano                              Administrator

Bernalillo                               Rosangela Montoya                        Administrator

Bloomfield                             Dr. Kimberly Mizell                          Superintendent

Capitan                                  Michelle Stearns                              Staff Member

                                                Capitan PTO                                     Community Member

Carrizozo                               Bradley Wilson                                 Staff Member

Central                                   Dr. Rebecca Benedict                     Administrator

Cimarron                               Debra Hill                                          Staff Member

                                                Megan Mitchell                                 Staff Member

                                                Sherry Hamilton                               Staff Member

                                                Leo Martinez                                     Staff Member

                                                Tracey Hernandez                           Staff Member

                                                Cindy Carr                                         Staff Member

                                                Alberta Martinez                               Staff Member

                                                Sean Murphy                                    Staff Member

                                                Cecilia Carrington                            Staff Member

Chama                                   Melvin Montano                               Staff Member

                                                Nicole Mercure                                 Staff Member

                                                Conlan Jones                                   Staff Member

                                                Ann Connor                                      Staff Member

                                                Joan Rendell                                    Staff Member

                                                Scott Sanders                                   Staff Member

                                                Manuel Valdez                                 Staff Member

                                                Cleo Valdez                                      Staff Member

                                                Amanda Garcia                                Staff Member

                                                Juan Torrez                                       Staff Member

                                                Marvin Mercure                                Staff Member

                                                Adam Valencia                                 Staff Member

                                                Jose Torrez                                       Staff Member

                                                Maria Herrera                                   Staff Member

                                                Harold Ulibarri                                  Staff Member

Clayton                                  Adrian Hidalgo                                 Coach

                                                Lanette Jacobs                                 Staff Member

Cloudcroft                             Joni Watson                                      Staff Member

Clovis                                     Eric Wimbish                                    Administrator

Cobre                                     Eleanor Pedraza                              Staff Member

Deming                                  Bell Elementary School Staff         School site

                                                Early College High School Staff    School site

Des Moines                           Rob & Mary B. Ellis                         Community Members

Dexter                                    Anna Berry                                        Staff Member

Dora                                       Wayne & Donna Tivis                     Community Members

Estancia                                Juana Regalado                              Staff Member

                                                Adrienne Pierce                               Staff Member

Farmington                           Ted Lasiewicz                                  Administrator

Fort Sumner                         Chyanne Lee                                    Staff Member

                                                Lyndel Bonds                                   Staff Member

Gadsden                                Bruce Beach                                     Staff Member

                                                Daisy Lira                                          Community Member

                                                Ray Lara                                            Community Member

                                                Maryann Clark                                  Administrator

                                                Cathie Williams                                Administrator

                                                Gianni Villegas                                 Staff Member

                                                 Mireya Meza                                     Staff Member

                                                Sydney Payan                                  Staff Member

Gallup-McKinley                  Stacey Badonie                                Staff Member

Grants-Cibola                       Jana Aragon                                     Staff Member

                                                Janiah Chavez                                 Staff Member

                                                William Griner                                   Staff Member

Hobbs                                    Senator Gay Kernan                       NM State Senator

                                                Gary Eidson                                      School Board Member

House                                    Lora Armendariz                              Staff Member

Lake Arthur                           Edward Rubio                                  Administrator

Las Cruces                            Technology Support Services        LCPS District Dept.

                                                Technical Team

                                                McKinney Vento Program              LCPS District Program

                                                Bilingual Community Outreach      LCPS District Program

                                                Program        

                                                Kathy Vigil                                         Staff Member

Las Vegas                             Donna Ortiz                                       Staff Member

Logan                                     Peggy Roberts                                  Staff Member

Lordsburg                              Michelle Culberson                         Staff Member

                                                Ryan Chaney                                   Administrator

                                                Bob Hill                                              Community Member

Los Alamos                           Ali Semanision                                 Staff Member

                                                Cheryl & Morrie Pongratz               Community Members

Los Lunas                             Jamie Giron                                      Administrator

Lovington                              Brenda Perry                                     Staff Member

Magdalena                            Merrissa Chavez                              Staff Member

                                                Evelyn Otero                                     Staff Member

Maxwell                                  Susan Robinson                              Staff Member

Mesa Vista                            Calista Sisneros                               Student

                                                Jessica Lovato                                  Administrator

                                                Ellis Nevarez                                     Coach

                                                Shanae Silva                                    Student

                                                Amanda Sandoval                           Community Member

Mora                                       Omar Cortes                                     Staff Member

                                                Lorinda Manuel                                Staff Member

Moriarty-Edgewood             Anita Pacheco                                  Staff Member

                                                Lori Chavez                                      Staff Member

Mosquero                              Jacob Green                                     Former Staff Member

Pecos                                     Michael Sandoval                            Staff Member

                                                Schanina Soriano                            Staff Member

 

Penasco                                Shiela Rodriguez                             Staff Member

Pojoaque                               Dana Abrums                                   Staff Member

                                                Jolene Martin                                    Staff Member

Portales                                 Maggie Mendoza                             Staff Member

Quemado                              Alisa Estrada                                     Community Member

                                                Andrew Gump                                  Staff Member

                                                Cindy Waldron                                 Staff Member

Raton                                     Linda Ortiz                                         Staff Member

                                                Alice Fitzgerald                                 Staff Member

                                                Lenore Barfield                                 Community Member

Reserve                                 Missy Lengstorf                                Staff Member

                                                Kayli Ortiz                                          Administrator

Rio Rancho                           Miriah Affentranger                         Administrator

                                                Bruce Gustin                                     Staff Member

                                                Jose Salazar                                     Administrator

Roy                                         Chris Fudge                                      Volunteer

Ruidoso                                 Jacqueline Parenti                          Staff Member

                                                Aisela Magana                                 Staff Member

                                                Trevor Rabourn                               Staff Member

                                                Gretchen Chase                               Staff Member

San Jon                                 Yvonne Bone                                   Staff Member

Santa Fe                                Kat Keener                                        Staff Member

                                               Alicia Dickinson                               Staff Member

                                              Galen Prenevost                              Staff Member

                                              John Tirrano                                     Staff Member

                                              Caiti Lord                                           Staff Member

                                              National Dance Institute of NM      Community Members         

                                              Lucas Robbins                                 Student Group         

                                               Erin Lucio                                          Student Group

                                               Hanbi Park                                        Student Group

                                                Gabriel Tafoya                                  Staff Member

                                               Santa Fe Transportation Dept                Staff Members

                                                US Senator Martin Heinrich           US Senator

                                                Brittany Behanna-Griffith                Staff Member

                                                Felicia Torres                                    Staff Member

                                                Ana Dynarski                                    Staff Member

                                                Jaime Holladay                                Staff Member

                                                Howard Oechsner                            Staff Member

                                                Hope Cahill                                       Staff Member

                                                 Anita Navrot                                      Staff Member

                                                  Hansen Bergamini                          Staff Member

                                                  Marion Markham                              Staff Member

                                                  Michael Nation                                 Staff Member

                                                  Regal Tuttle                                       Staff Member

                                                  Janine Sammeth                              Staff Member

                                                  Maritza Sanchez                              Staff Member

Silver                                      Louis Alvarez                                    Administrator

                                                Cindy Barris                                      Administrator

Socorro                                  Dr. Maureen E. Wilks                      Staff Member

                                                Roberta Cooke & Marc Gross        Staff Members

                                                Brittany McDaniel                            Staff Member

                                                Kenny Gonzalez                              Staff Member

                                                Mela Straley                                      Staff Member

Springer                                 Fatima Levario-Chavez                  Student

Tatum                                     Brent Van Dyke                                Staff Member

Truth or Consequences     District Educational Assistants      Staff Members

                                                Kindergarten Teachers                   Staff Members

Tucumcari                             Dana & Patrick Benavidez             Staff Members

                                                Veronica Hernandez                       Staff Member

                                                Dave Johnson                                  Administrator

 

Tularosa                                Gia Portillo                                        Staff Member

                                                Daniel Burk                                       Administrator

                                                 Todd Lindsay                                   Administrator

                                                Chase Montes                                  Staff Member

                                                Sylvia Duran                                     Staff Member

                                                Diane Duran                                     Volunteer

                                                Lyndsey Castanon                          Staff Member

                                                Rusty Helton                                     Staff Member

                                                Samantha Chavez                           Staff Member

                                                Naomi Sainz                                     School Board Member

                                                David Bartram                                   School Board Member

Vaughn                                  Tina Romero                                     Staff Member

                                                Denise Castillo                                 Staff Member

                                                Joe Gauna                                        Staff Member

                                                Patricia Martinez                              Staff Member

                                                Pamela Roybal                                 Staff Member                         

Wagon Mound                      WM High & Middle School             Sponsored Club

                                                Business Professionals of America

West Las Vegas                   Pablo Coca                                       Staff Member

                                                District Counselors                          Staff Members

                                                Ralph Montano                                Staff Member

                                                Transportation Bus Drivers            Staff Members

                                                Elizabeth Ulibarri                             Administrator

Zuni                                        Boyd Lewis                                        Administrator

                                                                    ***