New VPAA Named

Central New Mexico Community College is pleased to announce the hiring of Dr. Beth J. Pitonzo as Vice President for Academic Affairs. Dr. Pitonzo will come to CNM from Mt. Hood Community College in Oregon, where she had been serving as Associate Chief Academic Officer and Dean of Science.

“I’m enthusiastic about the hiring of Dr. Pitonzo and I’m confident that she will be a great asset for CNM and the Academic Affairs division,” CNM President Kathie Winograd said. “Our students and the business community can rest assured that Dr. Pitonzo will continue to advance the integrity and effectiveness of CNM’s highly regarded academic programs and instruction.”

Since 2001, Dr. Pitonzo has been at Mt. Hood Community College, which is similar in size to CNM. She has strong experience in developing, implementing and evaluating instructional programs. Her administrative leadership skills are also well vetted and she has experience facing difficult decisions, such as budget cuts of more than 10 percent.

Dr. Pitonzo earned her doctorate of philosophy in biological sciences with an emphasis in microbiology from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and she earned her bachelor’s degree in clinical laboratory sciences from the University of Nevada, Reno. “I am proud of my Hispanic heritage, and as the first in my family to pursue a degree in higher education, I am thrilled to join one of the leading community colleges in the country serving Hispanic students,” she said.

“Moving to Albuquerque provides my family the opportunity to immerse ourselves in the rich culture and traditions of the Southwest.”

She also has extensive teaching experience, which was highly valued for this vice president position. She taught in the science and health fields for a decade at UNLV and the Community College of Southern Nevada.

Her high-level administrative experience began with the position of Associate Dean of Health Sciences at the Community College of Southern Nevada. While at Mt. Hood, she served as Associate Vice President of Instruction, Dean of Science, Interim Executive Dean of Instruction and Associate Chief Academic Officer.