Vanessa K. Hawker currently serves as the Executive Director of the New Mexico Independent Community Colleges, supporting the missions of New Mexico’s independent community colleges while working in cooperation with the New Mexico Higher Education Department, the Department of Finance & Administration, the Legislative Finance Committee and other public higher education institutions through their organizations (New Mexico Association of Community Colleges and the Council of University Presidents).
Vanessa was a 2nd generation college student, but a 1st generation traditional college student. She attended Eastern New Mexico University for one year, then transferred to the University of New Mexico where she received her bachelor’s degree in political science and her master’s degree in public administration. She received her doctorate degree in higher education administration from New Mexico State University.
Vanessa has served New Mexico for over 35 years, primarily in New Mexico public higher education, including working at Albuquerque Technical-Vocational Institute, now Central New Mexico Community College; the New Mexico Commission on Higher Education (a statewide higher education coordinating board), now the Higher Education Department; and the University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center. Vanessa also has significant legislative experience, working as Acting Director for the Legislative Education Study Committee as well as contracting for the Legislative Finance Committee.
She lives in Albuquerque with her husband, Todd, where they both find themselves watching their daughter, Eleanor, play in soccer matches at ‘interesting’ hours as Eleanor attends university and play soccer in Newcastle, England. One of Vanessa’s proudest accomplishments was working with her brother and sisters to establish the Fred W. Hawker Endowment, an endowed scholarship honoring their father at Central New Mexico Community College. This scholarship is directed toward non-traditional students, placing a higher value on progress towards obtaining a degree or certificate than grade point average.
