STAFF BIO - Marla Cox

Prior to her affiliation with CNM, Marla worked as a support staff member in the Financial Aid office at UNM, first in Gallup, then in Albuquerque. She eventually changed gears, keeping in the realm of education, but shifting to the preschool level, where she taught young children for more than 13 years. While teaching, she decided to broaden her horizons by taking evening classes at CNM. As Marla explains, “CNM offers a wonderful opportunity to begin a new career while being in a supportive environment.”   She completed her Paralegal Studies Internship program at O’Brien and Houliston Law Firm, which concentrates on insurance defense. At the same time, Marla worked as a student employee, tutoring Paralegal Studies students.

After putting her paralegal degree to work, Marla found that she missed the academic environment of CNM, so in June 2003 she accepted a position with Job Connection Center. As a Technician III, Marla posts an average of 17 to 25 new jobs each day on the JCC Website (http://itsaboutjobs.eRecruiting). She also meets with employers and helps coordinate on-campus recruitment activities. 

Additionally, Marla dedicates a great deal of time and energy to securing recruitment opportunities for CNM’s truck driving students. She conducts employability workshops and brings various employers into the classrooms for presentations. She even arranges to have families and significant others as guest speakers to provide real-world scenarios of the different lifestyles of local and long-haul truckers. Whether working with students, employers, or her colleagues in JCC, Marla is known as a helper—one who always goes the extra mile.