Day 1 July 11th, 2022 8:30 - 9:30 am
A panel comprised of NM Teachers of the Year, who will be focusing on innovation in the classroom. Please join us for this innovative panel that will kick off our institute.
David was selected as the 2015 LCPS Teacher of the Year, the 2016 NM Teacher of the Year, and the 2017 NEA-NM Award for Teaching Excellence Recipient. He is currently teaching with the ENLACE program at Mayfield High School where he is entering his 18th year of teaching.
He holds a Bachelor of Science degree from New Mexico State University in Secondary Education with a focus on Social Studies and a Master’s Degree from Walden University in Integrating Technology in the Classroom.
He is married to his beautiful wife, Delilah, and has three incredible children.
Thomas Villa (Tommy) Esparza III is an Elementary Physical Education Specialist with the Las Cruces Public Schools. Entering his 33rd year as an educator, he was recognized as the 2001 Las Cruces Public Schools and the New Mexico Teacher of the Year. He is currently assigned to Central Elementary School.
Besides teaching physical education, Tommy is also the sponsor for the Central Elementary School Student Council and the Central Elementary School Helping Hands Junior Optimist Club. These clubs allow students the opportunity to develop leadership skills, be involved in their community, and put into action their knowledge of democracy. He also coaches various youth sports which allow youth the opportunity to focus on building positive relationships and develop healthy and active lifestyles.
Tommy is a New Mexico State University graduate and the proud father of Thomas IV.
Lorynn Guerrero was selected to represent New Mexico educators as the 2022 New Mexico Teacher of the Year. She teaches high school English Language Arts and works with teen parents through a program called GRADS. She saw a need to help the teen parents who attended her school and she established a licensed childcare center. She worked to support teen parents and their children.
She just graduated, May 2022 from Eastern New Mexico University with her master’s degree in Education Administration. She received her bachelor’s degree from New Mexico State University in 2005. She has taught middle school and high school from grades sixth through twelfth grade. She is from Las Cruces, New Mexico.
Day 2. July 12th, 2022 8:30 - 9:15 am
Interim Black Education Act Liaison, New Mexico Public Education Department, Identity, Equity and Transformation
Kimberly D. York is a doctoral candidate at Grand Canyon University, completing a Ph.D. in Psychology with an emphasis in Industrial/Organizational Psychology. She is an Independent Licensed Clinical Social Worker (Mental Health Therapist) with over 25 years of blended experience in organizational leadership, youth development, training facilitation, and racial and social justice. She excels in education and community-based development, strategic planning, and systemic transformation. Her clinical competencies include resiliency-based mental health assessments, treatment planning, and conducting individual and group therapy with children, youth, and families. She currently serves as the Interim Black Education Act Liaison for the New Mexico Public Education Department.
As a servant leader, Kimberly has a proven record of commitment to service. She is appointed by Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham to the New Mexico Racial Justice Council and elected as the Diversity Coordinator of Las Cruces Chapter of the American Association of University Women (AAUW). She has held additional community leadership roles as the 2nd Vice President of Dona Ana County NAACP (Education Chair) and a member of the Executive Committee of the State of New Mexico Office of African American Affairs. She has provided consulting services to many organizations including Las Cruces Public Schools, United Way of Southwest New Mexico, Ngage New Mexico, and La Casa.
Kimberly holds a Bachelor of Social Work from Capital University. She earned a Masters of Social Administration and a Masters of Nonprofit Organizations(specialization in Nonprofit Management) from Case Western Reserve University (CWRU). Additionally, Kimberly is an alum of the Treu – Mart Resiliency and Youth Development Fellowship at CWRU’s Mandel Center for Non-Profit Organizations. Her international experience includes organizational and youth development in Bangladesh and the Netherlands. Kimberly holds Ohio Independent (with Supervision designation) Social Work License, New Mexico Independent Clinical Social Work license (with Supervision designation), Non-Profit Management Certification, Advanced Mediation Certification, and No Bullies, No Victims trainer. She is a Trust-Based Relational Intervention (TBRI) Practitioner, National trainer of Nurturing Parenting, and Circle of Security. She is most proud to be a National Resiliency Trainer and has completed National Character Education Training by the Josephson Institute on Ethics. She is a member of the Phi Alpha National Social Work Honor Society and the Alpha Sigma Lambda Honor Society for Adult Learners.