Tracy Hartzler, president of Central New Mexico Community College (CNM), addressed the Board of Directors of the Greater Albuquerque Chamber of Commerce on November 20. In her presentation, Hartzler outlined CNM’s contributions to workforce development and economic growth in New Mexico.
Hartzler noted that CNM is recognized among the top 200 community colleges in the United States. She emphasized the institution's commitment to accessible education and its impact on students and employers in the region.
During her remarks, Hartzler shared several statistics about CNM. The college is New Mexico’s largest educational institution, with 84% of its students graduating without debt. It ranks first in associate degrees and certificates earned by both Native American and Hispanic students, and second overall for total associate degrees and certificates awarded.
Hartzler described CNM as an "economic engine" for New Mexico. She explained that the college aims to prepare students for immediate entry into the local workforce through initiatives such as paid internships and responsive programming tailored to industry needs. For fiscal year 2025, CNM placed 325 interns—95% of whom were in paid positions—and awarded 3,108 workforce training program scholarships. These efforts are designed to enable career exploration, expand the employee pipeline, increase programming options for learners, accelerate program development based on industry feedback, and focus on adult learning including reskilling and upskilling opportunities.
“By offering paid internships, students will be able to not have multiple jobs while in school,” Hartzler said.
She also mentioned a trend of more students returning to complete their degrees or pursue additional credentials at CNM. “CNM sets a student on a path in a cost-effective way and most students come to CNM for applied learning,” she said.
Local businesses interested in hiring CNM students can use Hire CNM at cnm.edu/workforce-community/hirecnm.
President Hartzler expressed gratitude toward the board members for their ongoing support as well as appreciation for the Chamber’s advocacy before local government bodies and legislators.
