Oct 24, 2019

CNM recently held a luncheon to celebrate the first employees to receive the Values Champions Awards. The new awards, which will be given out each semester, highlight employees who exemplify one or more of CNM’s Core Values—Be Caring, Be Connected, Be Courageous, Be Ethical, Be Exceptional, Be Inspiring.

Be Caring:

Larrison Nelson, School of Adult & General Education

A nominator said: “Coming from the military and CNM Security, Larrison has the natural ability to make people feel safe. Overseeing two faculty offices, and continually making sure they have the supplies and the support they need in the classroom and outside of the classroom. Larrison acts with compassion and a natural desire to help people."

Be Connected:

Clifford Williams, School of Applied Technologies

A nominator said: “Clifford is responsive to the needs of others and respects and values every interaction. We appreciate the times Clifford has come to our rescue, offered guidance, and imparted wisdom to bridge the gap. Outside of CNM, Clifford works with veterans, cares for elders, and makes sure people are aware of opportunities at CNM.”

Be Courageous:

Victoria Martinez, School of Business & Information Technology

A nominator said: “Victoria has embraced opportunities to step outside of the box and develop programs that are complicated, have additional risk and work involved, but are meeting industry needs. When given the approval to move forward with a governmental liquor license, Victoria put in place a great team to develop brewing curriculum, and processes to obtain and maintain the liquor license and ongoing requirements.”

Be Ethical:

Felecia Caton-Garcia, School of Communication, Humanities & Social Sciences

A nominator said: “Felecia thinks through the ethics of every decision, and endeavors to make sure that choices in almost all matters do not just accomplish Felecia’s goals, but result in a better world for everyone Felecia encounters. Felecia thinks through the syllabi, grading policies, and classroom interactions with the goal of making sure that those policies and practices work best for the most disadvantaged student in class.”

Be Exceptional;

Michael Fulton, Assistance Centers for Education

A nominator said: “Michael is a superstar! As a lead tutor Michael demonstrates an exceptional commitment to CNM, ACE, fellow tutors, and the students being tutored. At Montoya Campus, Michael tutors physics and also helps students with Chemistry, Math, Calculus, Statistics, Biology and doesn't hesitate to answer questions from anyone. Michael is the most patient tutor, and explains things in a way that people can understand.”

Be Inspiring:

Barbara Gilbert, School of Math, Science & Engineering

A nominator said: “I had the pleasure of working with Barbara for about a year to develop a grant proposal for the National Science Foundation. From the start, Barbara had a vision to address the seemingly impossible problem of student math proficiency. Barbara’s enthusiasm for the project was inspiring to me. When the first grant submission was rejected, Barbara inspired the team to reset and learn from our failure. With unwavering focus and positivity, we re-wrote the grant and received funding. Every challenge we faced throughout the process was overcome through Barbara’s inspirational vision and positivity.”

Nominations Open for Next Values Champs

Nominations are now open for the Spring Term Values Champions. Please visit https://www.cnm.edu/about/core-values. If you are interested in serving on the Values Champions committee, please email Values@cnm.edu.