NM EDGE County College
NM EDGE County College's aim is to foster better government through education. We have drawn on the guidelines of the National Certified Public Manager® Consortium (CPM) to offer the following certification programs through the NM EDGE:
- NM Certified Public Official program requires 18 classes chosen from a selected list of CPM-approved courses, and a mini-essay which demonstrates the application of the competencies learned from participating in these classes.
- NM Certified Public Supervisor program requires completion of 30 NM CPM-approved classes and successful completion of a six-hour assessment where the student demonstrates the application of the competencies learned from participating in these classes.
- NM Certified Public Manager® program requires 60 NM CPM-approved classes, six three-hour assessments, plus a supervised captstone project.
NM EDGE County College also works with affiliates of the New Mexico Association of Counties to develop customized certification programs to meet affiliate-specific needs.
County College News
Input for March Classes in ABQ Needed
The NM EDGE will be offering classes the week of March 26-30 at the NMSU ABQ Center in Albuquerque.
Input on classes is welcomed and encouraged for students working toward certification. Please use your certification checklist to identify the classes you want to take in March, and then fill-in the Scheduling Input Form.
Please submit this form to the NM EDGE at nmedge@nmsu.edu or by fax at (505) 983-4636 by 5 pm on January 30, 2012.
A tentative schedule of classes will be posted in early February.
Please call us at (505) 424-0744 (Santa Fe) or (575) 646-5424 (Las Cruces) if you have any questions.
NM EDGE Graduates New Mexico's Premier CPM Cohort
Over thirty county officials from across New Mexico became certified in the designation of NM Certified Public Official (NM CPO), NM Certified Public Supervisor (NM CPS) or four different customized certifications (GIS Specialists, Treasury Officials, Jail Specialists and Certified County Clerks) from The NM EDGE County College Program during the New Mexico Association of Counties' Legislative Conference in Santa Fe County on January 19, 2012. The NM EDGE County College offered over forty classes, in seven sessions, to county officials and their employees from around the state.
The ceremony also graduated New Mexico's premier cohort of Certified Public Managers. The cohort consisted of 4 students from around the state. These individuals are the first set of New Mexicans to earn their CPM Certificate from in state.
The NM EDGE County College anticipates and looks forward to graduating many more students at the NMAC's Annual Conference in June 2012 in San Miguel County.
NMSU's Legislative Priorities
An outline of NMSU's priorities can be found at Legislative Priorities. During the session, NMSU plans to engage with our legislators to champion the important needs facing our university, which include:
- Supporting increased employee compensation and the elimination of the 1.75% NMERB employee contribution switch that was enacted during the 2011 session
- Restoring 5% of the budget for NMSU's statewide agricultural and Extension programs as well as our educational television station
- Maintaining a freeze level for the other research and public service projects
- Adopting the new higher-education funding formula with a ("base plus") approach
The new funding formula includes outcomes for the first time. Furthermore, it rewards universities for graduating students in the fields of science, technology, engineering, health and math. We are in general agreement with the formula and believe that new dollars need to be added to our funding base ("base plus") in order to fairly implement the recommendations. We will keep you updated on the discussions in Santa Fe about the formula and other issues.
As we continue to address state financial issues, our recently released economic impact report demonstrates that NMSU is a major economic engine for New Mexico. The study shows that NMSU helps create thousands of jobs and pours millions of dollars into the state's economy. The report also shows that NMSU alumni who remain in New Mexico account for hundreds of millions of dollars in income and tax revenue. You can read all the details at Economic Impact Report.
NM CPM Program Earns National Accreditation
The New Mexico Certified Public Manager Program received accreditation by the National Certified Public Manager Consortium board at their 2011 Annual Meeting in Salt Lake City on Oct. 8. The vote for accreditation of the program was the culmination of a process that began in 2008 when Cooperative Extension Service, in conjunction with NMSU's Master of Public Administration Program, brought the CPM program to New Mexico. Since that time, the NM EDGE was created as an umbrella organization to administer the NM CPM, the County College, and the NM Certified Advocate in Public Ethics programs.
The NM EDGE CPM Program graduated the state's first nationally recognized Certified Public Mangers in January, 2012, at the New Mexico Association of Counties' Legislative Conference. NMAC was a founding partner with CES in County College and remains an integral strategic partner in the NM EDGE.
The NM EDGE and Extension are now working with the New Mexico Municipal League to expand the CPM program to municipalities. The four CPM graduates are active in New Mexico county government and their participation in NM CPM grew out of their involvement in NM EDGE County College, whose aim is "better government through education."
"While the Certified Public Manager program may seem an unusual fit for Extension, its mission ties in seamlessly with that of CES and the land-grant mission of NMSU," said Jon Boren, associate dean and director of CES. "Local governments provide many vital services and resources to New Mexicans. The NM EDGE aims at educating public servants to provide them with the skills that will assist them in providing services and resources as effectively, efficiently and professionally as possible. To have this program recognized as a national model, we feel, is something to be applauded."
"The Association of Counties is proud to be a partner of the New Mexico CPM program and a founding partner of the NM EDGE County College," said Paul Gutierrez, executive director of the NMAC. "Being part of a program that offers relevant and timely education on an ongoing basis to county officials and their employees allows us to assist counties in their goal of providing exceptional services to their constituents. We are excited to see the growth of NM EDGE County College, and that the NM CPM program has earned the national recognition that it deserves."
"Earning accreditation for our NM CPM program is a remarkable accomplishment that is the result of a collaborative group effort which involved, and will continue to rely on, the hard work and dedication of many individuals who are committed to improving government in New Mexico," said Mary DeLorenzo, NM EDGE program director. "Without their continued and unwavering support, the NM EDGE would not be where it is today.
"The NM CPM Advisory Board is comprised of highly experienced professionals from throughout the state; their guidance has been invaluable as has the dedication of the NM EDGE staff which includes Marc Legarreta, assistant program director; Barbra Urioste-Lopez, operations manager; and Tasia Young, academic advisor".