@NMSU
Manuel T. Pacheco begins this week as NMSU interim president
Higher education has been so central to Manuel Pacheco's life that it is no surprise he continues to work six years after his retirement. This week Pacheco began his tenure as interim president of NMSU.
The oldest of 12 children, Manuel T. Pacheco was born in Colorado and grew up on a small farm in northern New Mexico. His parents were migrant workers in the sugar beet fields in southern Colorado. A tribute to his parents, Pacheco and all 11 of his brothers and sisters succeeded in higher education. With four doctorates among them, all 12 completed academic and professional degrees.
"My parents expected us to do well," Pacheco recalled. "They encouraged us to be successful in school." His parents also set an example for them to follow. Pacheco's mother graduated from college summa cum laude when she was nearly 60 years old.
"Leading up to my arrival at NMSU. I already had a positive impression of the university and now that has simply been reinforced. I am looking forward to working with everyone at the university to support students, faculty and staff," Pacheco said.
Pacheco's wife of 43 years, Karen, also enjoyed a long career in education, serving as principal at three schools before her retirement. They are the parents of three grown children and six grandchildren.
"There is no question that my children have a lot of pride in what their father accomplished," Pacheco said. "I know they recognized that education was the path for me. They had advantages I didn't have and they made the most of those advantages. My two sons are lawyers and my daughter works at the University of Arizona."
This is not the first time Pacheco has served as an interim president since his retirement in 2003. Most recently he served at New Mexico Highlands University in Las Vegas, N.M., in 2006. Prior to his retirement, he served as president of the four-campus University of Missouri System, the University of Arizona, the University of Houston-Downtown and Laredo State University.
"One of the reasons I was enthusiastic about coming to New Mexico State is that I am a New Mexican and there is an important place in my heart for institutions of higher education in the state," Pacheco said. "The second reason is that New Mexico State is a much better university than most people realize and we will continue to build the university's reputation on different fronts."
Pacheco's dedication to higher education can also be seen through his leadership on the board of directors of the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities, formerly known as the National Association of State Universities and Land-Grant Colleges (NASULGC) and the American Council on Education (ACE) for which he also served on the Commission on Minorities in Higher Education. His extensive service record includes board membership for the Higher Education Center for Alcohol and Other Drug Prevention, the National Security Education Program and the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse.
Written by Minerva Baumann.