President's Biography

Tracy Hartzler is in her sixth year as President of Central New Mexico Community College (CNM), which serves the largest undergraduate student body in New Mexico. Under her leadership, the College remains committed to developing and strengthening partnerships with private-sector industry leaders, as well as education, government and community leaders, so the College can produce the workforce of the future that will help power student success, economic success, and a better quality of life for all New Mexicans.

President Hartzler remains committed to creating a sustainable future for the College. She helped establish the Collaborative for Higher Education Shared Services (CHESS) of New Mexico, an organization of six independent colleges to align processes and leverage technology to better serve learners, employees, and community members. As a founding member of Unmudl Skills-to-Jobs® Marketplace for working learners, CNM has expanded its workforce training programming to serve national employers with a local presence in New Mexico.  Through Unmudl, CNM has a national leadership role in the Technician Economy, a new economic framework designed to accelerate the conversion of innovation into real-world operational capacity, which requires expanding technician training pathways that lead learners to high-demand jobs and greater economic mobility. President Hartzler serves as the inaugural Co-Chair of the Technician Economy Futures Council.

Recognizing critical workforce needs in central New Mexico, President Hartzler coordinated the statewide legislative effort to establish the state’s significant investments in non-credit workforce training programs. After an initial $20 million investment in workforce training programs, the state established the High-Demand Workforce Training Fund, a $60 million investment. It is helping learners cover the cost of workforce training programs, up to 100 percent, and it supports paid internship and apprenticeship opportunities. CNM has received approximately $20 million as the state’s largest provider of workforce training programs and work-based learning opportunities.

President Hartzler has served the public sector for nearly 30 years in education, government, and policy roles. She earned her Juris Doctorate from the Columbus School of Law at the Catholic University of America. She earned her Master of Education Degree from the University of Virginia with highest honors; and she earned her Bachelor of Arts Degree, cum laude, from Saint Mary’s College in Indiana. She is a member of the New Mexico, Indiana (inactive), and District of Columbia Bars. She is an elected member of the American Council on Education Board of Directors and she serves on a number of local economic development, healthcare, and workforce boards.