1950s

Lou Gomez ’58 ’63 of Las Cruces, program manager at Spaceport America, has been reappointed to serve on the Commercial Space Transportation Advisory Committee. In his position, he will facilitate and promote the commercial space transportation industry.

Benito Casados ’59 of Huntington Beach, Calif., has authored a book titled “A Parents’ Guide for Children’s Questions.” The guide provides answers for many questions traditionally asked by children. The guide is published in e-book format only and is intended to reside in e-book readers so the information is easily accessed whether at home or on the road.

1960s

J.W. Witt ’62 of Mineola, Texas, was inducted into the New Mexico State Athletics Hall of Fame. The ceremony was March 5 at halftime of the NMSU men’s basketball game against Nevada in Las Cruces. Witt started at guard for the NMSU football team from 1958-1962. In 1960 he helped the team to its only undefeated season with an 11-0 record, as the Aggies were crowned Sun Bowl Champions after beating Utah State 20-13. He is a retired high school principal and retired Midland College administrator.

Jerry Maracchini ’69 of Rio Rancho, N.M., has been appointed to the New Mexico Game Commission. He has held numerous positions with the agency for more than 27 years.

1970s

Manuel Rodriguez ’70 ’92 of Lutherville Timonium, Md., has been selected superintendent for Trinidad Public Schools in Colorado. He began his duties July 1. Rodriguez previously was assistant superintendent with Baltimore County Public Schools in Maryland.

Beverly Bourguet ’72 ’74 of Albuquerque has been appointed to the New Mexico Racing Commission. She is a racehorse owner and director of the Northern New Mexico Chapter of the United States Tennis Association. Bourguet has pioneered youth tennis programs in Albuquerque and runs a nationally recognized program for at-risk youth in Barelas.

Bob Wooley ’73 of Roswell, N.M., has been appointed representative for N.M. House District 66. He retired from Allstate Insurance in 2005. Most recently, Wooley has been a pipeline inspector for MBS Services. He hopes to jump-start the state economy by reducing waste and spending.

Bill Burt ’74 of Alamogordo, N.M., has been appointed state senator for N.M. District 40. He owns four radio stations in Alamogordo and serves on the board of Bank 34. His main concerns as a legislator are the economy and fiscal responsibility.

Dave Lopez ’74 ’79 of Edmond, Okla., has been selected to serve as Oklahoma secretary of commerce. He is a longtime civic and community leader and currently serves as president of Oklahoma City-based American Fidelity Foundation, a charitable foundation that gives grants for economic development, education, human services and the arts.

William T. Baker ’75 of Las Cruces was inducted into the New Mexico State Athletics Hall of Fame. The ceremony was March 5 at halftime of the men’s basketball game against Nevada in Las Cruces. For more than three decades Baker has been a staple on the sidelines at NMSU athletic events as the Aggies’ team physician, while also being a huge part of the medical community in Las Cruces.

Barbara A. Nelson ’77 of Las Cruces has joined First American Bank as a vice president and trust officer. She has had a successful 25-year banking career in the Las Cruces and Albuquerque areas, having worked in all facets of the banking industry. Nelson serves as a board member for the Rotary Club of Las Cruces, Mesilla Valley Hospice and the Healthcare Foundation of Southern New Mexico.

Jenny M. Giron ’78 ’89 ’06 of El Paso, Texas, was inducted into the Texas Distance Learning Association Hall of Fame. The association recognizes long-term distance learning practitioners or advocates whose careers are characterized by exceptional commitment, outstanding achievements and enduring impact in the field of distance education. Giron has worked with El Paso Community College for 27 years and currently is interim vice president/CIO, information technology.

1980s

Alvin Dominguez ’81 ’83 of Las Cruces has been appointed as New Mexico Department of Transportation secretary. He spent 10 years as a field engineer for the city of Roswell before joining NMDOT in 1995. For the past three years, Dominguez served as South Region design regional manager, based in Las Cruces.

Herman Garcia ’82 of Las Cruces was honored as a Distinguished Alumnus at New Mexico Highlands University on Oct. 1, 2010. He is nationally recognized for his significant contributions to bilingual education. Garcia taught at Texas Tech and other universities before joining the NMSU faculty in 1991. He is director of elementary education and bilingual/ESL education in the College of Education.

Brett Kasten ’82 ’85 of Bayard, N.M., was elected to chairman of the board of Grant County Commissioners.

Michael D. Cheney ’85 of Las Cruces has been appointed to the New Mexico State University Board of Regents. Cheney has worked in the banking industry for more than 20 years in various positions. He has served on the NMSU College of Business Advisory Council and the board of directors of the Greater Las Cruces Chamber of Commerce.

Marcus Montoya ’85 of Scottsdale, Ariz., has been selected as vice president, network management for Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona. In his new role, he will be responsible for maintaining the company’s high standard of service to contracted providers, negotiating agreements with physicians and hospitals. He also will be responsible for ensuring sound strategies for network management. Montoya has worked in provider relations for more than 20 years.

John Mulholland ’86 ’95 of El Lago, Texas, is vice president and program manager for Boeing’s Space Exploration Space Shuttle Program. Named to the position in January 2008, he leads the Boeing program team in its role as the major subcontractor to the United Space Alliance in support of its operations contract with NASA’s space shuttle program. Mulholland is responsible for the overall direction and successful execution of the program. Space Shuttle Discovery, Mission STS-133, concluded the 27-year career of the longest-serving veteran of NASA’s shuttle fleet on March 9.

Marcus Mims ’87 ’88 of Albuquerque has been named a new CPA partner with Clifton Gunderson’s Albuquerque office. He has more than 17 years of experience and specializes in state and local tax services, with significant experience in cost segregation and New Mexico Gross Receipts Tax consulting services.

Jerald Cosper ’88 of Los Lunas, N.M., has been appointed to the New Mexico Racing Commission. He is a veterinarian who owns and operates Arrow Animal Hospital in Los Lunas, specializing in equine breeding and foaling.

JoLanna Kord ’88 of Emporia, Kan., has been named director of institutional research at Emporia State University. Her department provides reports on enrollment, statistical profiles of each fall’s students and common data sets used by groups such as the College Board and U.S. News & World Report to rank colleges and universities.

Amy Orlando ’88 of Las Cruces was appointed district attorney for New Mexico’s Third Judicial District. She served as a chief deputy district attorney for Dona Ana County since 2006 and specialized in violent felony offenses.

Robert Garza ’89 of Las Cruces was appointed city manager for the City of Las Cruces. He was promoted from assistant city manager.

1990s

Brian Denmark ’90 of Las Cruces was selected as assistant city manager and chief operating officer for the City of Las Cruces. He will oversee the community development, facilities, public services and public works departments. Denmark is a certified professional planner.

Anna Florez ’91 ’06 ’08 of Carlsbad, N.M., has joined Presbyterian Medical Services-Loving Health Center as a nurse practitioner. She worked as education director at Carlsbad Medical Center for several years and as a hospitalist with Apogee Physicians in Carlsbad.

Rob Doughty III ’94 of Albuquerque has been appointed to the New Mexico Racing Commission. He is a practicing attorney and a shareholder with Doughty & West P.A., specializing in personal injury cases as well as insurance defense.

Tracy Fletcher ’94 of El Paso, Texas, has been hired as executive director of the Amigo Airsho. She has more than 16 years of corporate and pharmaceutical sales experience, including working as the West Coast regional manager for the BCA division of Helen of Troy.

Brandy Darden ’95 ’97 of Las Cruces has joined Century Bank as a commercial lender and vice president. She has 13 years of banking experience. Darden is active in various organizations including the Greater Las Cruces Chamber of Commerce, the First Step Clinic and the Salvation Army.

Lori Kime Skutnik ’95 of Gilbert, Ariz., was crowned Mrs. Arizona America 2011 on Feb. 19 at the Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts. She has spent the year promoting her platform, “March of Dimes,” and spent countless hours working throughout the state with various charities, attending events and making appearances.

William Boehm ’97 of Alexandria, Va., was lead author of “In Katrina’s Wake: The National Guard on the Gulf Coast, 2005.” The book details the National Guard’s role in the largest relief mission in human history. It features material from interviews conducted with more than 25 soldiers and airmen from around the United States.

Danny Dunn ’98 of Denver was inducted into the New Mexico State Athletics Hall of Fame. The ceremony was March 5 at halftime of the NMSU men’s basketball game against Nevada in Las Cruces. Dunn pitched for the Aggie softball team from 1994-97, and her 0.65 ERA her senior year was the fifth-best in the nation. Dunn is a sixth-grade teacher at Fairmount Elementary School in Denver.

Rachael Montoya ’98 of Mesa, Ariz., has been named relationship manager of U.S. Bank’s commercial banking team in Phoenix. She is responsible for developing new business and managing a portfolio of middle-market business customers. Montoya has been working in the financial services industry for 13 years.

Heather Raburn ’98 of Plant City, Fla., is senior account marketing director for the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues, located in St. Petersburg, Fla. She played on the NMSU women’s softball team from 1995-98, when they were known as the Roadrunners. The NAPBL’s marketing department works directly with companies or brands wanting to align themselves with multiple Minor League Baseball teams via sponsorships. As senior account manager, Raburn acts as liaison between member clubs and national clients.

Chuck Shuttles ’98 of Montgomery Village, Md., has transitioned from his role of research director at the Nielsen Company to vice president at Abt SRBI Inc., a leading survey research firm specializing in data collection and analysis for academic, governmental and private clients.

Ross Justus ’99 of Las Cruces has been chosen as New Mexico State University’s chief audit officer. He was an audit manager and assistant director with the Office of Audit Services since 2008. Previously, he was an audit manager with Moss Adams LLP in Albuquerque. Justus also served as divisional controller for the First National Bank of Arizona and worked in public accounting for KPMG LLP, an audit, tax and advisory services firm.

2000s

Marci Dickerson ’00 of Las Cruces is the owner of Dickerson’s Catering Co., which was named Business of the Year by the Las Cruces Chamber of Commerce in January. Dickerson’s serves as the exclusive catering provider for venues such as the New Mexico Farm & Ranch Heritage Museum, Alameda House, Josefina’s Old Gate Café and the NMSU Golf Course. Dickerson has catered prestigious events throughout Las Cruces such as the Mayor’s Ball, Community Foundation of Southern New Mexico Gala, the President’s Associates Ball and the Greater Las Cruces Chamber of Commerce Annual Banquet. In 2008 she opened The Game Sports Bar & Grill and recently took ownership of Hurricane Alley, both in Las Cruces.

Christopher Dulany ’00 ’05 of Las Cruces has been appointed to the NMSU Board of Regents. He is a graduate student pursuing a master’s degree in business with an emphasis in finance. After receiving his bachelor’s in finance in 2005, he began working as a financial advisor for Edward Jones. He is active in the Las Cruces Rotary Club and is a member of the Greater Las Cruces Chamber of Commerce.

William “Caleb” Hull ’02 of Las Cruces has been named head football coach at Oñate High School. He was an assistant coach at Las Cruces High School from 2008-2010.

James Duran ’03 of La Luz, N.M., has been appointed the new district ranger for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Sacramento Ranger District. He has worked with the National Forest Service at the Custe National Forest, Lewis and Clark National Forest and Dakota Prairie Grasslands in North Dakota and South Dakota. Duran also worked at the Gila, Cibola and Santa Fe national forests.

Eric Fierro ’03 of Las Cruces was a featured dance performer at N.M. Gov. Susana Martinez’s inauguration Jan. 1 at the Sweeney Convention Center in Santa Fe. He recently became a professional dance competitor and took top honors at the Dance Vision Classic in Las Vegas.

Carlos Balandran ’05 of Las Cruces graduated as a trombone instrumentalist from the Music Basic Course at the School of Music in Virginia Beach, Va. The course provides entry-level training to qualifying sailors and marines for careers as military musicians. After graduation, Navy Seaman Balandran was transferred to the Marine Corps Recruit Depot Band, Paris Island, S.C.

Joshua Jones ’08 of Las Cruces completed U.S. Navy basic training at the Recruit Training Command, Great Lakes, Ill. During the eight-week program, Navy Seaman Jones completed a variety of training, including classroom study and practical instruction on naval customs, first aid, firefighting, water safety and survival, shipboard and aircraft safety.

Rafael Hernandez ’09 of Las Cruces graduated with honors from the U.S. Navy’s Operations Specialist School at the Center for Surface Combat System Unit, Great Lakes, Ill. Navy Seaman Hernandez learned to operate surveillance and search radars, recognize and identify electronic signals, control aircraft approach devices and operate electronic navigation systems.

Elmon Sanchez ’09 of Las Cruces completed U.S. Navy basic training at Recruit Training Command, Great Lakes, Ill. During the eight-week program, Navy Seaman Sanchez completed a variety of training, including classroom study and practical instruction on naval customs, first aid, firefighting, water safety and survival, shipboard and aircraft safety.

2010s

Matthew Baltzell ’10 of Carlsbad, N.M., has accepted a position as an engineer with Mosaic Potash Carlsbad Inc. He worked for Mosaic during the past four summers through the Sons and Daughters Program and the Engineering Internship Program.

Bryan Lindenberger ’10 of Fairacres, N.M., has authored an action-adventure book for children, titled “Aaron Bluecastle.” He has released three published books and more than 400 articles. Lindenberger wrote his first book at age 17.

Monica Williams ’10 of Las Cruces completed U.S. Navy basic training at the Recruit Training Command, Great Lakes, Ill. During the eight-week program, Navy Seaman Williams completed a variety of training, including classroom study and practical instruction on naval customs, first aid, firefighting, water safety and survival, shipboard and aircraft safety.