FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: MAY 30, 2023
SOUTHEAST NEW MEXICO COLLEGE WELCOMES DR. MONTY HARRIS AS NEW VICE PRESIDENT OF
WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT & COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
By Sky Soto

Southeast New Mexico College is pleased to announce Dr. Monty Harris as the Vice President of
Workforce Development & Community Engagement.

Dr. Kevin Beardmore, Southeast New Mexico College President said “In a few short months as the
interim Vice President of Workforce Development and Community Engagement, Dr. Harris has
charted a strategic course for SENMC so we can better serve our community and be far more
responsive to business and industry needs in the region.  He has established multiple new
initiatives, including safety training and community education courses, as well as designed a plan
to provide additional professional development for U.S. Department of Energy employees and
contractors.  We are very excited to have him in the position permanently.”

Monty Harris, D.C., is a native of the state of Washington, where he graduated from high school
and earned an Associate in Applied Science—Fire Science Technology from Spokane Community
College. He worked as a fire fighter and paramedic for the City of Richland (WA) Fire and
Emergency Services Division for ten years, and then attended Sherman College of Chiropractic in
Spartanburg, SC, graduating with highest honors. Private practice as a Doctor of Chiropractic in
Washington and then Oklahoma followed, where he was also Clinic Director of a non-profit
children’s chiropractic center. Teaching as an adjunct instructor for Oklahoma State
University—Oklahoma City led to a full-time faculty position at the former New Mexico State
University Carlsbad where he is a tenured Professor of Anatomy and Physiology. Dr. Harris
accepted appointment as Interim Vice President for Academic Affairs for the newly independent
Southeast New Mexico College in 2021 and served for one and a half years until accepting the
appointment as Interim Vice President of Workforce Development and Community Engagement in
December of 2022.

Dr. Harris says, “I am very pleased and excited to continue leading our Workforce Development
and Community Education team as Vice President.  I look forward to expanding our ability to meet
the training needs of employers, workers, and job seekers in Southeast New Mexico.  My heartfelt
appreciation for the strong support from my SENMC family and our community for what we have
accomplished so far. The best is yet to come!”

Southeast New Mexico College welcomes Dr. Harris’s continued leadership in expanding critical
workforce training programs throughout Eddy County and its surrounding areas. His official start
date will be June 1, 2023.

photo and content provided by SENMC