Vice President of Workforce Development and Community Engagement

Southeast New Mexico College is pleased to announce Dr. Monty Harris as the Vice President of Workforce Development & Community Engagement.

Dr. Kevin Beardmore, Southeast New Mexico College President said “In a few short months as the interim Vice President of Workforce Development and Community Engagement, Dr. Harris has charted a strategic course for SENMC so we can better serve our community and be far more responsive to business and industry needs in the region.  He has established multiple new initiatives, including safety training and community education courses, as well as designed a plan to provide additional professional development for U.S. Department of Energy employees and contractors.  We are very excited to have him in the position permanently.”

Monty Harris, D.C., is a native of the state of Washington, where he graduated from high school and earned an Associate in Applied Science—Fire Science Technology from Spokane Community College. He worked as a fire fighter and paramedic for the City of Richland (WA) Fire and Emergency Services Division for ten years, and then attended Sherman College of Chiropractic in Spartanburg, SC, graduating with highest honors. Private practice as a Doctor of Chiropractic in Washington and then Oklahoma followed, where he was also Clinic Director of a non-profit children’s chiropractic center. Teaching as an adjunct instructor for Oklahoma State University—Oklahoma City led to a full-time faculty position at the former New Mexico State University Carlsbad where he is a tenured Professor of Anatomy and Physiology. Dr. Harris accepted appointment as Interim Vice President for Academic Affairs for the newly independent Southeast New Mexico College in 2021 and served for one and a half years until accepting the appointment as Interim Vice President of Workforce Development and Community Engagement in December of 2022.

Dr. Harris says, “I am very pleased and excited to continue leading our Workforce Development and Community Education team as Vice President.  I look forward to expanding our ability to meet the training needs of employers, workers, and job seekers in Southeast New Mexico.  My heartfelt appreciation for the strong support from my SENMC family and our community for what we have accomplished so far. The best is yet to come!”

Southeast New Mexico College welcomes Dr. Harris’s continued leadership in expanding critical workforce training programs throughout Eddy County and its surrounding areas. His official start date will be June 1, 2023.