Tracy Hartzler

The Central New Mexico Community College (CNM) Governing Board unanimously selected Tracy Hartzler to become its sixth president, starting in 2020. Since 2015, Ms. Hartzler had served as CNM's Vice President for Finance and Operations and in other senior administrative roles.

As president, she has led CNM’s responses to the COVID-19 pandemic, an acute recession and civil unrest, while focusing on regional and state needs. She has led fellow presidents to form the Collaborative for Higher Education Shared Services (CHESS), a coalition of five independent colleges to transform student experience and business practices with common finance, human capital and student information systems. She continues to expand opportunities to build a national "skills to workforce" pipeline for adult learners, national employers, and community colleges.

Since 2011, Hartzler has played a significant role in shaping New Mexico postsecondary education, beginning with the New Mexico Legislative Finance Committee, where she served as the Legislature's nonpartisan higher education policy and funding expert.

Ms. Hartzler served as a 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. In these roles, she helped local, tribal, state and federal government elected and appointed leaders, as well as community advocates, address complex challenges.

President Hartzler earned her J.D. from the Columbus School of Law at the Catholic University of America. She earned her Master of Education Degree from the University of Virginia with highest honors; and her B.A. cum laude, from Saint Mary's College in Indiana. She is a member of the New Mexico, Indiana (inactive), and District of Columbia Bars.