ENMU Green & Silver - April 2024

FROM THE PRESIDENT

Dear Greyhound Family,

I hope this letter finds you well and that your new year is off to a great start. As with each new year, ENMU begins its work with the legislative session and the spring semester. We remain very optimistic about both.

This legislative session was short, and we worked diligently to bring resources to ENMU to support our efforts across campus. The 30-day session was very fast-paced. I’ve said to many that it reminds me of the days of teaching summer courses. I would tell my students that the good thing about a summer course is that it is only five weeks long, and the challenging thing about a summer course is that it is only five weeks long. I appreciate all the people in Santa Fe who worked to support and advance higher education opportunities in New Mexico. ENMU is certainly doing its part.

In my last letter, I introduced my vision for ENMU, One Eastern. The work for Phase I is outlined and detailed at this point, and I anticipate completing those efforts over the next 12 months. This work is to streamline administrative processes to be more accommodating, supportive, and user-friendly for our students. Phase II began this semester with work on our academic offerings. We will identify what programs are in place, those we can more easily make available system-wide, and explore adding to that list. I am very excited by the work and the opportunities on the horizon. I will share more as our work progresses.

Finally, this spring semester started with continued enrollment growth. Our headcount was up 5.3 percent over this time last year, and our residence halls are approaching capacity. The energy and activity on campus and in the Portales community are great to see and experience. I am optimistic that we will continue to see growth in the years to come.

In the future, I hope to share the good news of a productive legislative session and progress on One Eastern.

All the best, and GO HOUNDS!

James Johnston, Ph.D. President and Chancellor

Persistence Defined by Education

By Todd Fuqua

When Trish Ruiz Experienced the Most Challenging Event of Her Life, She Transformed it Into Her Strength.

For the family of Trish Ruiz (attended), a college education was a foregone conclusion.

“I’m the youngest of six, and all my siblings have been in education as teachers or administrators,” Trish said. “My parents never attended college, but it was never a question that my siblings and I would. All conversations with my parents regarding our futures began with, ‘Well, when you’re in college…’”

That expectation motivated Trish to earn her college degrees and move into education as a career. She’s now a counselor and site test coordinator for Hobbs Municipal Schools in Hobbs, New Mexico.

Trish didn’t start in education, but events drew her to the fold.

“It started by teaching pre-confirmation classes at St. Helena Catholic Church in Hobbs,” she said. “I had been in the business world before that, but as I taught, I realized I enjoyed teaching and impacting students’ lives.”

Later, she taught British literature and English as a second language classes and was on her way to pursuing a master’s in education administration. But then something happened to change her focus.

In 1998, she and her son, were driving to Clovis, New Mexico, for a summer youth baseball tournament when they were involved in a life-changing collision. Her son suffered a traumatic brain injury, and Trish lost both of her legs.

“Counseling was a critical role in the recovery process, and that’s what pushed me into counseling as a career,” she said. “There was a superb counseling team that got me and our family through it and allowed me to recover.”

Her experience led to her master’s degree in counseling and her current position with Hobbs Schools.

“I’m excited to show students that no matter what the barrier is, they can overcome it,” Trish said. “We can show young people the opportunities of going to college.”

In her career, she has served as an adjunct professor at the University of the Southwest in Hobbs, was a co-chair

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Trish Ruiz, right, with U.S. Representative Teresa Leger Fernandez during a recent State Legislative session.

Courtesy Photo

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for Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham’s transition team dealing with Workforce Solutions, Workers Compensation, and the State Personnel Office. She is involved as a member and officer for the National Education Association of New Mexico and the New Mexico Public School Insurance Authority.

She has also volunteered as a member of the ENMU Board of Regents since being appointed by Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham in 2021 and was named president of the Board of Regents in January 2024.

As the highest governing body of the university, the Board of Regents consists of five members that have the power to make contracts; to hire the university president and determine his or her compensation; to approve general areas of curriculum, such as new programs; and to approve compensation for university employees. Additionally, title to all property belonging to the university is vested in the board.

In short, the board — and by extension, Regent President Trish Ruiz — has a significant responsibility when it comes to leading Eastern New Mexico University with decisions based on its mission and vision.

Before being appointed to ENMU’s Board of Regents, she completed a term on the New Mexico Public Education Commission, established by the state to approve and oversee charter schools.

Trish may not have earned her degrees at Eastern, but she’s excited to be part of a team shepherding the university forward in its 90th year.

“We’ve had enrollment growth for three consecutive years, and I’m enthusiastic about seeing the One Eastern initiative come together,” she said. “We have three

campuses that offer the utmost in academic instruction, affordability, outstanding staff, a supportive community, and top-notch and competitive curriculum.”

Developing a Ph.D. program is among the many things she sees happening for Eastern in the future.

“It takes time and will be one more reason for students to come and remain at Eastern,” Trish said. “We know what this university has done for us and want to give that to students from every state. ENMU should be at the top of the list for a quality education. Our children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren will have that.”

Trish Ruiz, front and center, at the 2021 Spring Commencement at Greyhound Stadium. L to R, Student Regent Chandler Head, Lt. Gov. Howie Morales, and fellow Regents Dr. Dan Patterson, Phillip Bustos, and Lance Pyle.

Photo by Kemet Gatchell

Trish Ruiz appreciating the fine art in the Roundhouse in the New Mexico State Capitol in Santa Fe. Courtesy Photo

By Todd Fuqua

FOR WHOM THE BAND TOLLS ENMU Greyhound Sound Wins Metallica Band Competition

The Eastern New Mexico University Greyhound Sound marching band is a source of pride for the university and its alumni. Now, they’ve been honored by another band — one you might know.

ENMU earned the top prize in its collegiate division in the inaugural Metallica Marching Band Competition and now has $40,000 in prize money to purchase band equipment. Eastern was chosen as a finalist in Division 2 & 3 by professional musicians out of a pool of more than 450 entries, and members of Metallica chose Eastern as the final victor.

Dustin Seifert, director of bands, said the decision now is how best to spend the money.

“I’m arm wrestling with Dr. Sid Shuler and Dr. Emily Salgado on what equipment will make the final list,” Dustin said. “The prize money will certainly benefit our program!”

Besides Eastern, finalists in Division 2 & 3 for colleges included Blinn College in Brenham, Texas, Manchester University in North Manchester, Indiana, the University of Arkansas at Monticello, and West Texas A&M University in Canyon, Texas.

In recognition of their accomplishment, the band was honored by Rep. Teresa Leger Fernandez, who read the Greyhound Sound’s accomplishment into the U.S. Congressional Record and presented the band with a copy on January 26.

The Metallica songs chosen by the band for their show were “Master of Puppets,” “Enter Sandman,” “For Whom the Bell Tolls,” “Fade to Black,” and “Lux Aeterna.”

“It was a blast to learn this music. Everyone took to it quickly, and it seemed like the band enjoyed the more aggressive and rowdy nature of the tunes we played,” said senior euphonium section leader Parker Yi. “Being able to take home the prize

is an amazing payoff for everyone’s hard work, and we’re all hoping this will keep us on the map regarding recruiting and performance opportunities.”

Senior Diego Meraz, a senior drum major who conducted the band throughout the show, said the students chose and produced this program.

“We picked out the tunes we wanted to add and came up with the ideas to make us stand out,” Diego said. “From there, we worked extremely hard to produce this awesome show. I’m so proud to be a member of the Greyhound Sound.”

U.S. Rep. Teresa Leger Fernandez celebrates with members of the ENMU Greyhound Sound band after presenting Eastern with a copy of the Congressional Record showing her reading of ENMU’s achievement in winning the Metallica Marching Band Contest.

ENMU Communication Services

The Greyhound Sound performs in the Roundhouse at the New Mexico State Capitol in Santa Fe during Higher Education Day on Feb. 13.

Courtesy Photo

Ignacio “Nacho” Perez cuts loose on the bass guitar at the start of Eastern New Mexico University Greyhound Sound’s marching show, featuring the songs of heavy metal band Metallica.

ENMU Communication Services

ENMU Foundation Receives $2 Million Donation

The ENMU Foundation received a $2-million-dollar donation thanks to the Allsup Family Charitable Foundation, the largest single donation ever made to the ENMU Foundation.

The donation allocates just over $400,000 to fund early childhood development initiatives, with $1.6 million establishing a new Allsup Family Endowment to benefit the education, healthcare, agriculture, and business programs at ENMU.

“On behalf of ENMU, I express our deepest appreciation to the Allsup Family Charitable Foundation. Gifts such as this are truly transformational,” said ENMU Chancellor Dr. James Johnston. “As a regional comprehensive university, these funds will change the lives of the students we serve as well as the region in which we live and work.”

The early childhood development initiatives include a “We Believe in You” scholarship, an ENMU Child Development Center (CDC) internship program, and a farm-to-table initiative.

The “We Believe in You” Scholarship incentive is for transfer students entering the Teacher Education program, allowing them to move seamlessly into the ENMU teaching program. The Child Development Center internship program will establish a new pre-residency program that embeds education students into early childhood education classes, providing a unique, hands-on opportunity to learn from highly qualified teachers at the Child Development Center.

The farm-to-table initiative will include a partnership between ENMU’s Agriculture and Culinary Arts department and the Child Development Center to provide hands-on activities, nutritional education, and life-long learning about food sustainability for pre-Kindergarten and ENMU students. The project would complement the CDC’s ongoing partnership with ENMU’s Culinary Arts program, which provides meals and snacks for the children of the CDC during the academic year.

The vice president for Academic Affairs will field applications from departmental deans to award funds for proposals that have an innovative and sustained impact on the lives of ENMU students and the State of New Mexico.

“One of the biggest challenges our state faces is a shortage of highly qualified teachers; the Allsup Family Foundation’s philanthropic foresight enables us to ‘grow our own’ educators and enhance New Mexico’s skilled workforce,” said Dr. Jamie Laurenz, vice president of Academic Affairs. “In addition to the College of Education and Technology, this substantial gift will help advance our academic strengths in business, agriculture, and healthcare.”

By John Houser

Beauty in Unseen Places

By Todd Fuqua

Tony De Luz Has Developed an Eye For Southwestern Charm

It’s quite a long distance — more than just physically — from Boston, Massachusetts, to the deserts of New Mexico and Arizona. Tony De Luz (BFA 83) has crossed a distance of time and culture.

Now, many years and miles removed from his New England childhood, Tony is a thriving artist in Sedona, Arizona. He creates images that celebrate the “road culture” of the Southwest, and his work has been on display in galleries and homes across the country.

His work was recently featured in an exhibition at Blue Rain Gallery in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and he has another show at the gallery’s Durango, Colorado, location in early April.

“I decided in 2022 to get into a gallery, either in Scottsdale, Arizona, or Santa Fe,” Tony said. “I visited Santa Fe after an ENMU Homecoming a couple of years ago and saw my artist friends and classmates Ken (BS 82) and Becky Phillips (BS 82), graphic designers and art collectors in Santa Fe. That trip was the last time I saw one of my dearest friends, artist Jill Vance Bukowski (BS 82), who passed away in 2023. After we talked a bit and visited some of the galleries in town, I made the career move.”

The decision to move more into fine art was driven, in part, by the artificial intelligence revolution and its impact on illustration.

“The illustration work has dried up a bit, so rekindling my fine art career is what I needed,” Tony said. “I’ve enjoyed my illustration career, but it gets old, and I’ve been painting for a long time.”

He developed his “road art” style while attending ENMU after taking a road trip to Los Angeles, California, during Christmas break. He discovered the artistic value of neon signs on that trip. “Even though it was daytime, and the signs weren’t lit up,” he said, “I found the shadows the neon tubes formed as they stretched across the painted letters to be much more interesting than the garish-colored neon messages they were designed to show. When it came to composition, complete words and sentences weren’t as important as the letterforms and shadows to me.”

He took several photos while in L.A. and started painting based on those photos. He was also inspired by the plein air watercolor workshops he participated in with art professor Dale Hamlett and developed his craftsmanship in the competitive illustration classes Vernon Acker taught.

“We’d go out to a farmstead, and most would paint the barn, paint the fence, paint the cows. I would always paint the old wreck of a car that was inevitably next to them,” Tony said. “They developed their own beauty as they sat decaying in a field. Same with roadside signs. With their depth and form, the old neon signs, remnants of a fading past, caught my fancy.”

Photo by Becky Phillips

(Continued from Page 8)

“I saw that the wide-open spaces still existed, on Highway 70,” he added. “While it wasn’t as classically beautiful as the mountains and villages of Northern New Mexico and the rock formations of Arizona, there was a certain charm to those small towns.”

Though loyal to his Boston roots, he has been a Southwesterner for over 28 years. “Southwestern art, as far as I’m concerned, is more than ‘cowboys and Indians,’ Kokopellis and lovely red rock landscapes. It’s those rusty cars, old neon signs with chipped and fading paint, and long stretches of highway. It’s small towns and motels that have seen better days. And it’s all beautiful.” His gouache, Yucca Motel, displays his skill and point of view, celebrating the story of the often overlooked. Throughout his successful career in commercial art, he has painted the Southwest not as picture-perfect postcard views but as if the viewer were experiencing the scenes along with him.

“My compositions break the scene — cutting letters off in signs, parts of people and vehicles. To me, it creates the feeling of spontaneity,” he says. “Something neatly framed, placed right in the middle of the page? A lot of people do that. I like the composition almost to look like I’ve leaned out of a car to shoot it, as unposed as a metal neon sign can look.”

Getting his work into galleries — and ultimately making sales — has been a long time coming for Tony. His art career started where he was born and raised, in Boston, working as a graphic designer and illustrator after graduating from ENMU.

“My first job was with an ad agency in Boston called Hill Holliday as a storyboard and composition artist for presentations,” he said. “I’d been freelancing for two years before that, and it takes a while to get an art career going that way. I had to get a real job before my wife Dana Morales (attended) would marry me, and now we’ve been married almost 39 years.”

“I have been involved in commercial art for 40 years,” he added, “as an illustrator and graphic designer, working with advertising agencies, colleges, and businesses. I’d started having shows of my paintings in Boston but put my fine art aspirations on hold, working to help raise and support our four children.”

Enjoying success in advertising on successful campaigns for clients such as John Hancock, Hyatt Hotels, Absolut Vodka, the U.S. Postal Service, USA Today, and Denny’s, Tony has been represented as an illustrator for 29 years by Joanne Hedge of Los Angeles, California. He’s now a designer for Cliff Castle Casino in Camp Verde, Arizona.

“One of my clients was the Brooklyn-based ideas factory MSCHF,” he said. “They collaborated with Mr. Beast, a social media and YouTube star. For the project, I illustrated two views of a Lamborghini Aventador. My 10-year-old grandson was excited to see I was working with him, even indirectly.”

But Tony always yearned to create fine art and recently landed a coup by getting his work into and being represented by Blue Rain Gallery.

“Getting in a gallery the caliber of Blue Rain was a huge deal for me. I was a relative unknown as a fine artist, and getting into a gallery in Santa Fe is huge,” he said. “Usually, you must be an established artist, not just a graphic designer. They’ve treated me like gold and very actively promote their artists. That’s just what I needed.”

Top Left: An illustration of a Lamborghini created for MSCHF.

Middle Left: Stamps Tony designed for the U.S. Postal Service.

Bottom Left: Tony’s illustration for an Absolut Vodka advertisement.

Top Right: “Yucca Motel,” 20x13.75 gouache Opposite Page: “Frolic Room,” 16x20 acrylic Photos courtesy Tony De Luz

1934-2024

1934

On June 2, 1934, Eastern New Mexico Normal School held registration and signed up 165 students for their 6-week summer session. On June 4, 1934, Eastern New Mexico Normal School officially hosted its first classes.

Donald MacKay served as the first president.

1935

Eastern celebrates its first graduating class of 14 women and three men.

1934

1936

The Administration Building and Quay Hall are completed. 1939

The renamed Eastern New Mexico College adds a fourth year of classes. The campus has four permanent buildings and an enrollment of 826.

1940

90 Years of Student Success

To finance their educations, many struggling students bring cows to college. The students sell milk to pay their way through school. Other enterprising students raise chickens, sell eggs and rent horses to local citizens.

1941

ENMC awards 41 Bachelor of Arts degrees to members of its first four-year graduating class.

1942

Dr. Floyd Golden becomes Eastern’s second president.

1947

ENMC becomes the youngest school accredited as a four-year institution. Cheering students and the college band greeted the president’s train at 3 a.m. when he returned from the North Central Association meeting in Chicago.

1949

Eastern begins offering master’s degree programs. The Science Building is completed.

1975

Dr. Warren Armstrong is named Eastern’s fifth president.

1989

Dr. Thomas A. Bond is named ENMU’s seventh president.

1943

During World War II, enrollment drops to 241.

1955

The state Legislature approves a name change to Eastern New Mexico University.

1958

ENMU opens its Roswell Campus

1969

The Men’s Basketball team wins the NAIA Championship in Kansas City, Missouri.

1945 -46

Enrollment skyrockets as returning veterans continue their education. Eastern creates housing for 100 married students with surplus buildings from the deactivated Fort Sumner Air Base. The apartments are known as Vetville.

1965

1983

Dr. Robert Matheny (MA 62, BA 60) becomes ENMU’s sixth president and the only ENMU graduate to serve as president.

Dr. Charles Meister becomes the fourth ENMU president.

1960

Dr. Donald C. Moyer is named Eastern’s third president.

1999

ENMU becomes a federally designated Hispanic-Serving Institution.

2001

Dr. Steven Gamble is selected as ninth ENMU president.

2018

Renovations to the Golden Library, originally built in 1953, are completed. The facility is dedicated as ENMU’s new Golden Student Success Center.

1991

Dr. Everett L. Frost begins his term as ENMU’s eighth president.

ENMU opens an instructional center in Ruidoso.

2014

USA Today names ENMU one of the most affordable colleges in the country.

2006

Jack Williamson (MA 57, BA 57), science fiction pioneer, ENMU alumnus and an ENMU professor for 17 years, dies at age 98 in Portales.

2008

Campus bustles as construction begins for $60 million in upgrades to buildings and utilities.

2017

Dr. Jeff Elwell becomes ENMU’s 10th president.

2016

The first football game is played on Al Whitehead Field at ENMU’s new on-campus, multi-purpose Greyhound Stadium.

2023

Dr. James Johnston becomes ENMU’s 12th president.

Eastern’s College of Education Building named for Dr. Gay Su Pinnell (BA 66).

2019

The Football team wins the 2019 Heritage Bowl with a 20-13 win over Southern Arkansas.

2020

During the Coronavirus pandemic, Homecoming is cancelled.

Dr. Patrice Caldwell is named interim President and later confirmed as the 11th president of ENMU. She is the first woman to hold the office.

2024

ENMU’s Men’s Basketball team wins Lone Star Conference championship for the first time in 31 years.

2024

2021

ENMU holds its first outdoor commencement in more than 50 years at Greyhound Stadium.

Carolina Greene Keeps Pursuing Her Dreams

By Todd Fuqua

Carolina Greene (MED 76) did not have the most auspicious start for a professional educator.

From her first experience with education as an elementary student in a one-room schoolhouse in Lamesa, Texas, unable to speak English, she dropped out of school at 15 to get married and raise a family, earning her master’s degree in education and enjoying a 25-year teaching career. It’s been quite a journey.

That journey began when she was a little girl, cutting pictures from the Sears catalogs and crafting paper dolls.

“I always dreamed of fashion, going to New York City, flying, all sorts of things my parents knew nothing of,” Carolina said. “I don’t know where I got it, but I was always a dreamer. I was going to travel and dress well and have fun.”

One of three children of farmworkers, she learned the English language from school in Lamesa, Texas, Tatum and Hobbs, New

Mexico. Her education may have been put on hold when she dropped out of school, but she never stopped dreaming.

“I worked hard, and when I heard they were opening New Mexico Junior College (NMJC) in Hobbs, I knew I wanted to attend,” Carolina said. “I still didn’t have my high school diploma, though, and this state didn’t have a GED program yet.”

At the age of 24 she earned her GED through a correspondence course, then enrolled as one of the first classes at NMJC in 1966. Her associates degree was in clerical studies, but she decided to pursue an education degree at the College of the Southwest (now the University of the Southwest) in Hobbs.

“They wouldn’t accept me initially, but I kept trying and trying,” Carolina said. “I got my bachelor’s degree by taking night classes and working different jobs in the day. It took me ten years to graduate, taking two classes per semester.”

She began teaching bilingual classes in Hobbs schools in 1975. It was at that point Carolina realized she could make a difference in students’ lives, giving them opportunities she didn’t have as a child.

To remain a teacher in Hobbs, she needed a Master’s degree, which brought her to ENMU. In an age before the internet, this meant roundtrips to and from the Portales campus several times a week.

“There were four of us making that trip, and we had fun on the road,” Carolina said. “It was a two-hour, one-way drive, but we enjoyed it. It was an accomplishment, and I would finally earn what I had always dreamed of.”

She was a life-long learner, continuing to take classes throughout her career before retiring as a principal in 2000. Even now, long after retiring, she remains active with the Hobbs Public Library Board, working to ensure the community remains committed to public education.

As she looked through letters her many students wrote to her through the years, she reflected on how she thought of many of the children she taught as her own children. She also aimed to help as many underprivileged and underserved students as possible.

Her story is one of perseverance, an example to those who strive to achieve their goals later in life.

“Don’t give up. Keep dreaming and accomplish your goals,” Carolina said. “It might take a long time, but you can do it. Going to college opened the door for me, and I know ENMU is doing the same for others.”

Carolina Greene cherishes the memories from her years as a teacher and administrator in Hobbs, New Mexico, but she’s not done giving of her time and efforts to improve educational opportunities.

Photo By Todd Fuqua

Drum Roll, Please...

ENMU Manufactured Persistance For Dean Ricker

When Dean Ricker (BA 90) was younger, he dealt with a severe learning disability and was told by a school counselor in high school that college wasn’t an option for him.

“Fortunately, I didn’t listen to him and went on to study at ENMU,” Dean said. “There isn’t a single day that I don’t think of and appreciate the lessons I learned as an undergrad.”

His two years as president of the Kappa Sigma fraternity and two terms as student body president proved invaluable to his career.

Dean reflected, “From setting goals and objectives, maintaining a budget, paying bills, and working with all sorts of different people and personality types, the lessons I learned at ENMU helped form me into the leader I am today.”

By Todd Fuqua

In his profession as president of Skolnik Industries in Chicago, Illinois, he oversees the production of the high-quality carbon steel and stainless steel drums for businesses and government agencies. The metal containers are certified to United Nations, Department of Transportation, and Department of Defense specifications, making them an important option for international trade and sales. They are made in accordance with international agreements to ship dangerous goods and hazardous materials.

“If I were to visit your house, I could find products in your garage, medicine cabinet, refrigerator, and pantry that all have an ingredient packaged in one of our products,” Dean said. “We sell to numerous markets, including food, wine and spirits, pharmaceutical, personal care, chemicals, oil and gas, and specialty packaging for radioactive materials.”

Dean has been with Skolnik Industries for 33 years. In 2018, when CEO Howard Skolnik transitioned to board chairman, Dean was asked to lead the manufacturing company into its next chapter as the company’s president and CEO. It’s an impressive feat in an economy redefined by freelance work and short-term employment.

The ENMU Greyhound is proud of his accomplishments in and out of the board room. He has served on the boards for several hazardous material and industry-related trade associations and committees.

As a community leader, he’s particularly proud of his work as a member of the National LGBT Chamber of Commerce and was included in the Crains Chicago Business Top LGBTQ Executives List in 2019. These two accomplishments mean a great deal to Dean.

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ENMU ATHLETICSNEWS

Larry Hays Selected to NM Sports Hall of Fame

Former ENMU Greyhound Basketball player Larry Hays (MA 67, BS 66) has been selected to the 2023 class of the New Mexico Sports Hall of Fame. Hays becomes the first former Greyhound male athlete inducted into the New Mexico Sports Hall of Fame.

“This is an unbelievable honor to be inducted into the New Mexico Sports Hall of Fame,” Larry said. “My life was blessed to grow up in Dora, New Mexico, and attend Eastern New Mexico University.”

Larry, who played basketball for the Greyhounds in the mid-1960s and holds both a bachelor’s and master’s degree from ENMU, became one of the most successful college baseball and softball coaches in NCAA history.

Larry began coaching at Lubbock Christian University (LCU) in the fall of 1969, starting as the men’s basketball

By John Houser

coach and then helping to reinstate the suspended baseball program. He was named head baseball coach in 1972. From 1972 to 1986, Hays had a 695-381 coaching record, and his team won the 1983 NAIA National Baseball Championship.

In 1987, he took over the reins as head baseball coach at Texas Tech University. This tenure lasted 22 years, as Larry went 814-479-3 and became only the fourth college baseball coach to reach the 1,500-win milestone.

After retiring from Texas Tech in 2008, Larry returned to coaching at Lubbock Christian University, this time as an assistant and then head softball coach, helping the LCU softball team win the 2010 national championship.

Larry has continued coaching softball, being named the head coach at Colorado Christian University in 2018. He continues his winning ways, having led Colorado Christian Softball to their first-ever two conference tournament titles in 2022 and 2023.

Larry was inducted into the NAIA Hall of Fame in 1991, the Texas Baseball Hall of Fame in 2001, and the National College Baseball Hall of Fame in 2012. His number was retired by Texas Tech University and the baseball facility at Lubbock Christian University is named after him and his family.

“On behalf of ENMU, I add our congratulations to the many I am sure Mr. Hays will receive,” said Dr. James Johnston, ENMU Chancellor. “What an incredible career and well-deserved recognition. ENMU is proud to have been a part of his journey, and we wish him continued success.”

Larry Hays will be inducted into the New Mexico Sports Hall of Fame on June 23, 2024, at the Albuquerque Convention Center in Albuquerque, New Mexico. For more information on the ceremony, visit www.nmshof.org.

Photo by Jack Goras/ CCU Athletics

Photo by Jack Goras/ CCU Athletics

Buy Tickets and Donate to Football Fund Support ENMU Football

Eastern New Mexico University’s 2024 football schedule is official, as the Greyhounds have 11 games on the docket, including five home games. Season and individual game tickets can be purchased at GoEasternAthletics.com/Tickets.

“I am ready for the fall to get here,” Head Coach Kelley Lee (MS 03) said. “This season, we get to play to keep the Wagon Wheel in Portales, and there’s a lot to look forward to for the Greyhounds in 2024.”

Coach Lee along with key volunteer, former coach and athlete Glenn Johnson (MS 84, BSE 81) of Portales, are looking to former Football athletes and fans to get behind the program financially to really boost their competitive potential.

“Investing in Greyhound Football is vital to elevating our athletes,” stated Coach Lee. “The level of success our young men can aspire to directly correlates to how much money we can raise and invest in them each year. ENMU has one of the smaller football programs in the Lone Star Conference. All financial support received is used to enhance our scholarship budget, fund our recruiting budget, and improve the overall

experience of the great young men in our program. By donating, you become a partner of our Greyhound Football program. You help make us more competitive.”

As we prepare for the Fall 2024 season, Coach Lee and Glen Johnson ask you to make an annual donation to be a partner in Greyhound Football success. Your support will help elevate the program we all love to new heights.

To pledge a monthly donation or contribute online, go to www.enmu.edu/FootballFund.

During Homecoming weekend the Hounds will look for their first program victory against Central Washington as the Wildcats come into town on Oct. 5 for a 6 p.m. kickoff.

SCAN TO DONATE NOW

ENMU Athletics

Class Notes

People You May Know

Dr. Davis Joyce (BS 61) is a member of the Oklahoma Historians Hall of Fame and the author of many books on Oklahoma history, including “An Oklahoma I Had Never Seen Before: Alternative View of Oklahoma History,” and “Recollections of a Hitherto Truthful Man: Personal/Historical Essays.”

Dr. Bill Price (BBA 71) recently returned to academia as an associate business professor for the University of Texas Permian Basin (UTPB) online program. He had been the Dean of the College of Business and Engineering at UTPB in Odessa, Texas, before retiring in 2018

Vanessa Lichvar (BS 92) is a senior editor at KTVK-TV in Phoenix, Arizona, where she edits television and podcasts. She was recently inducted into the Silver Circle of the Rocky Mountain Southwest Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences.

Melissa Greene (BUS 97) is the program manager for Families Rising, a child advocacy organization in Minneapolis, Minnesota. She is also a special education coordinator for Minnesota Online High School, where she has served since 2018.

Heather (Cothern) Featherstone (BME 99) was named Arizona State Teacher of the Year by the Arizona Parent Teacher Association in June 2023. Heather has been a music educator in Artesia, New Mexico, and Phoenix, Arizona, for 23 years.

Amanda Bassett (BS 06) is the director of development for the Yale University School of Medicine, taking on the position in June of 2023. She also leads the Association of American Medical Colleges Group on Institutional Advancement.

Jeremy Mullins (BS 07) will be the first-ever football coach at Eagle Mountain High School in Eagle Mountain, Texas. The school opens in August 2024. Jeremy has spent the past seven years as the head coach at Tolar High School in Tolar, Texas, posting a 72-32 record and leading the team to the Class 2A-Division I state championship game in 2023.

Alisa Boswell-Gore (BA 10) is the Agricultural Research Communications Coordinator at Oklahoma State University in Stillwater, Oklahoma. She has won seven state and national awards for her work promoting the school’s research.

Dr. Christopher Baca (BUS 10) earned his Doctor of Psychology degree from the University of Arizona in January 2024. Dr. Baca works for ENMU-Roswell with the TRIO Educational Opportunity Center (EOC) and manages the Portales office of TRIO EOC on the Portales campus.

Robert Johnston (BS 13) recently took on the role of senior legal counsel at the New Mexico Gas Company in Albuquerque, New Mexico, the largest natural gas utility in the state.

Gary (BA 65) and Kay Singleterry (MED 79, BSE 65) celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary on Dec. 22, 2023, in Brownsville, Texas. They spent the day with their children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. After successful careers in teaching and farming, they are enjoying retirement in Brownsville.

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Heidi Roman-Petroski (BS 15) is in the process of earning her veterinary degree as a member of the inaugural class at Texas Tech University’s School of Veterinary Medicine.

Patrick Padilla (MBA 18) is the senior director of regulatory affairs for EOG Resources, an oil and gas exploration company based in Houston, Texas.

Dave Libby (MBA 20) is now chief financial officer for Robert F. Kennedy Community Alliance in Lancaster, Massachusetts. Before accepting this position, Dave spent 12 years at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Boston, most recently as their executive vice president and chief financial officer.

Hal Hughes (BBA 76) decided to put the Greyhound’s mark on his church’s annual Backpack Buddies Oregon rivalry challenge, which collects donated food to supply meals to disadvantaged youth in Oregon City, Oregon. The challenge, a food drive connected to the annual football game between the University of Oregon and Oregon State University, pits alumni of the two schools in a competition to see which group can donate the most food from a designated list. In November, Hal saw a way to bring home an ENMU victory in the contest with a last-minute donation of a pallet’s worth of food in the closing minutes. The final tally was 250 bags of food, compared to 149 for the Oregon Ducks.

Misty Gonzales (BAAS 20) continues her career in information technology, most recently named the director of IT for Artesia General Hospital in Artesia, New Mexico.

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Sheri Granger Archuleta (attended) recently received her Chaplain badge from the Bernalillo County Fire & Rescue Department in Albuquerque, New Mexico. She is the first civilian and first female to serve in the position. Courtesy photos

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In Memoriam

50s

W.G. “Bill” Wimberly (BBE 51) died Dec. 21, 2023. Bill was a WWII veteran, serving as a gunner on B-24 Liberator missions in the European theater and earned numerous medals, including the Distinguished Flying Cross. After graduating from ENMU, he taught school in Muleshoe, Texas, Astoria, Oregon, and Springfield, Ohio before retiring in 1987.

Roy Franse (MED 57, BS 56) died Jan. 17, 2024. Roy taught and coached basketball, football, and track at Clovis High School (CHS) in Clovis, New Mexico. He was later an administrator at CHS, in charge of all activities. He had a 35-year career with Clovis Schools.

Alvis “Leon” Faris (BA 57) died Nov. 15, 2023. Leon was a board of directors member for the Nor-Lea Hospital District in Lea County, New Mexico, for 16 years and was a certified sports referee throughout New Mexico and Texas. He also served as Lea County manager.

Joe Tarry (BA 57) died Jan. 27, 2024. Joe was a pastor at First Baptist Church in Porterville, California, before being appointed by the Southern Baptist Convention to serve as a missionary in 1964, serving 36 years in Minas Gerais, Brazil. After retiring, Joe returned to New Mexico, where he served as pastor of the Mescalero Indian Baptist Mission on the Mescalero Apache Reservation.

Bert Jones (BA 57) died Dec. 6, 2023. Bert served in the U.S. Air Force during the Korean Conflict before an honorable discharge. After earning his collegiate degrees, he served as a teacher, high school principal, and director of human resources for Albuquerque Public Schools in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Avis Kelley (MS 65, BA 58) died Dec. 21, 2023. Avis was a long-time teacher and coach at Hanford, California, Grants, New Mexico, and Gilroy, California schools. He was the head football coach, track coach, and biology teacher at Gilroy High School from 1964 until his retirement in 1992. He and his wife Janetta (attended) started the Gilroy Invitational track meet while he was coach, now named the Avis Kelley Invitational.

Anna Lu Southard (MED 72, BS 58) died Nov. 28, 2023. Anna taught school in Artesia, Floyd, Portales, and Texico, New Mexico, and in Pratt Kansas. She also served as Texico’s junior high school principal from 1985 to 1995.

60s

Margaret “Candy” King (BA 60) died Dec. 2, 2023. Candy taught first grade in Roswell, Dexter, and Farmington, New Mexico.

David Scott (MA 65, BA 61) died Oct. 28, 2023. David was business manager for ENMU in Portales and Roswell, New Mexico, for 25 years. After he retired from Eastern, he served as comptroller for New Mexico Military Institute in Roswell. He was later business manager for medical offices before retiring a second time, only to take a position at Bush TV & Appliance before retiring for good.

John Moreland (MA 70, BA 63) died Nov. 24, 2023. John’s lifelong career was in campus ministries, working at Central State University (now Central Oklahoma University) in Edmond, Oklahoma, Boise State University in Boise, Idaho, and the University of Memphis in Memphis, Tennessee. While at Boise State, he served as director of the Biblical Studies Center until his retirement.

Demetrie Augustinos (BA 63) died Oct. 13, 2023. After serving in the Navy and earning his law degree, Demetrie had a long legal career, working in the Office of the General Counsel for the United States Department of Agriculture in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and Richmond, Virginia. He and his wife, Sharon, were also members of the Sierra Club and Audubon Society, supporting many environmental causes.

Winfred Riley (BS 64) died Dec. 3, 2023. Winfred worked for the United States Department of Agriculture’s Farmers Home Administration for 34 years as a lender and chief of loan programs.

Thomas “Shorty” Vardeman (BBA 64) died Dec. 25, 2023. Shorty began his career in the insurance industry in Dallas, Texas, moving back to Portales, New Mexico, where he owned and operated a dry cleaning business until retiring in 2006.

Tim Nesbitt (BBA 65) died Nov. 14, 2023. Tim began his banking career at First National Bank of Midland in Midland, Texas, in 1965, later becoming president of First National Bank of Monahans in Monahans, Texas. He was also an accomplished golfer, having won the Midland City Championship four out of five years from 1966 to 1970.

Dr. Thurman Elder (MA 66, BS 64) died Jan. 5, 2024. Dr. Elder taught math at ENMU for over 37 years, ending as Dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences from 1997 to 2005. Additionally, he spent time with the United States Air Force summer faculty research program, assigned to the particle beam systems section of the space application branch in 1987, engaging in classified work. In 2017, the Dr. Thurman Elder Hall of Mathematical Sciences in the Jack Williams Liberal Arts Building on the ENMU-Portales campus was named in his honor.

Sharon Huffman (BA 66) died Nov. 26, 2023. Sharon worked as an educator, New Mexico State Police dispatcher, church secretary, and ceramic studio owner.

Ronald Hargett (BA 59) died Nov. 7, 2023. Ronald was a pastor early in his career at the Mennonite Church in La Jara, Colorado, and later joined the Roman Catholic Church in 1997. Ronald and his wife, Orva, enjoyed pilgrimages to the Vatican and Holy Land in retirement.

Tom McCrary (BBA 72) died Dec. 25, 2023. Tom enjoyed a long career in oil and gas accounting and auditing, moving to Ruidoso, New Mexico upon retiring. He was very proud to be a brother in the Sigma Nu Fraternity.

Don Criss (MED 73, BS 67) died March 2, 2023. Don worked for 49 years as a videographer, television host, producer at teacher at KENW-TV. Many of his students went on to successful careers in the television and communication fields. He also made his mark on the stage, performing in numerous musicals and plays, and traveled to many places portraying a variety of historical figures for civic and scholastic events.

Ken Cunningham (BSE 67) died Nov. 1, 2023. Ken was ENMU’s first letterman in rodeo and was an integral part of starting the rodeo program in 1963. After earning his degree, Ken taught at Borden County ISD in Gail, Texas, and pursued a career training horses in Illinois and New Mexico. He later returned to teaching in Electra, Texas, and Grandfield, Oklahoma, before retiring in 2007.

Robert “Bob” Keonig (BS 68) died Dec. 12, 2023. Bob began his career as an exploration geologist in Angola, Africa, before returning to the U.S. to work with ExxonMobil to explore and map oil and natural gas deposits across the country and in the North Sea, retiring after 30 years.

Jim Thrash (BS 69) died Jan. 5, 2024. Jim coached junior varsity and varsity boys basketball for seven years at Manzano High School in Albuquerque, New Mexico. He was later an assistant coach at Fresno State University in California, helping lead the Bulldogs to four Pacific Coast Athletic Conference championships, three NCAA tourney berths, and an NIT Championship. An NBA talent scout for the Golden State Warriors, Charlotte Hornets, and Atlanta Hawks, he was honored as an Outstanding Alumnus by the ENMU Alumni Association in 2023.

Raymond Jenkins (MA 74, BME 69) died Feb. 2, 2024. Following his graduation from ENMU, Raymond joined the U.S. Army and served with distinction with the US Army Band. Following his military discharge, Raymond went to Hereford, Texas, to teach orchestra, remaining there until his retirement in 2001. He also served as a DJ at KPAN, gracing the airwaves for more than 25 years.

Linda Chapman (attended) died Jan. 16, 2024. Linda was a member of the Zeta Tau Alpha sorority and Sanado Woman’s Club, serving as its president twice.

70s

Billy Prater (MED 75, BSE 70) died Sept. 5, 2023. Billy worked a variety of jobs, including dairy work, housing construction, and office work for Southern Union Gas Co. before completing his education degrees. He had a 26-year teaching career in Clovis and Dora, New Mexico.

Bobby “Bob” Graves (MED 70) died Dec. 25, 2023. Bobby had a 45-year education career in Muleshoe, Texas, where he was a history teacher, coach, and administrator.

Margarita Chavez (MED 94, BA 72) died Dec. 24, 2023. Margarita was a dedicated educator, enjoying a 29-year teaching career in Loving and Carlsbad, New Mexico.

Tap Payne (BS 73) died Jan. 12, 2024. Tap served in the U.S. Marine Corps after graduation, rising to the rank of Captain before being discharged. He later had a 33-year career as a professor at the University of Minnesota, designing more than 100 theatre productions at the school and coordinating numerous study-abroad trips for university students.

Leroy Cordova (BA 75) died Nov. 18, 2023. He had a 30-year career in social services, working for the New Mexico Human Service Department. After retiring, Leroy worked as a Case Manager for many years at Walmart and Clovis Home Care.

Grant Averill (MED 76, BSE 76) died Dec. 21, 2023. Grant was a beloved teacher at public schools in Lovington, Portales, and Clovis, New Mexico, retiring in 1998. He then moved to Utah and taught in Clearfield, Kaysville, and Woods Cross before retiring again. He also had a concurrent career with Southwest Airlines.

Gary Moore (MA 76, BS 75) died Jan. 29, 2024. Gary served with the Alaska National Guard as a paratrooper and jumpmaster, all during an 18year career working various jobs as a heavy equipment operator, technical writer, document coordinator, and commercial driver.

80s

90s

Alan Dodd (MA 88) died Nov. 22, 2023. Alan’s passion for music grew into a career, playing in bands and recording music from an early age. He later opened a wholesale music business and gave private guitar lessons. After earning his Master’s degree from ENMU, Alan served as a junior high counselor for 20 years in Portales, New Mexico, and was director of the Upward Bound program at Eastern.

Gwendolyn Corn (MED 89) died Jan. 20, 2024. After teaching home economics in junior high and high school for 20 years, Gwendolyn earned her Master’s from ENMU and went on to serve as the assistant superintendent for the Farwell, Texas, school district, then was a teacher in Clovis, New Mexico, and Friona, Texas.

Fred Stevens (BA 89) died Nov. 3, 2023. Fred spent several years developing and marketing software packages for agricultural enterprises sold via Farm Credit Agency offices throughout the Southwest and Midwest. He also worked at ENMU as a computer systems developer and worked for the New Mexico State District Attorney’s Office, developing an integrated system for DA offices across the state.

Janet Wilson (BSE 98) died Jan. 28, 2024. Janet taught second grade in Floyd and Melrose, New Mexico, before retiring in 2009.

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By Jose Montoya

FRISCO, Texas – Eastern New Mexico Men’s Basketball team won the 2024 Lone Star Conference (LSC) tournament on a buzzer-beating Lyron Bennett three-pointer. The program’s 91-88 victory over Lubbock Christian guaranteed the Greyhounds’ spot in the NCAA tournament — ENMU’s third appearance in school history.

“I want to thank my brothers and coach for believing in me and trusting me to run the offense,” Bennett remarked after the win.

The story of Eastern New Mexico Men’s Basketball is certainly a notable one as this marks the second conference tournament title for ENMU. The last came in 1993.

“I am so thankful for these guys,” said Head Coach Brent Owen in the postgame press conference. “The reason we won that game is because they believed we could win.”

Bennett, Jahcoree Ealy, and Greg Johnson were also named to the All-LSC tournament team.

Coach Owen began his time in Portales without an opportunity to play for an entire calendar year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. His team was selected to finish 15th in the 2022-23 preseason polls, and now the Greyhounds are the LSC Tournament Champions.

Photos by Trevor Fleeman