In this issue:
• Things We Are Thankful For
We are thankful for new office space!
For five years, Educate New Mexico’s “office” has been a small room in the home of Executive Director Troy Williamson. This arrangement has worked well, in spite of the challenges that come with any home office, the biggest challenge being that of visibility in the community.
All that has changed thanks to an incredibly generous offer from the folks at the Tijeras Foundation in Albuquerque; Tijeras is providing office space, Internet access, phone service, and computers to ENM as part of their program of enabling other charitable organizations. The Tijeras Foundation is located at 1311 Tijeras Ave. NW (at the intersection of Central and 14th).
It is the desire of ENM’s board of directors to keep overhead at an absolute minimum, allowing every possible penny raised to be used for school choice scholarships benefiting the children of New Mexico. Thanks to the Tijeras Foundation we are able to hold the line on expenses while increasing our visibility in the community.
A HUGE thank you to the Tijeras Foundation!
We are thankful for our donors — individuals like Martin & Beverly Pierce who are committed to educational excellence!
Martin & Beverly Pierce came to Educate New Mexico as a result of our first direct mail piece signed by then Governor Gary Johnson. “We have always been involved in efforts to improve education,” says Beverly. “When we received the letter from Governor Johnson announcing this wonderful new program designed to help low-income kids have access to a better education, we felt compelled to support it. Our income allowed us to send our own children to the school of our choice. Everyone in New Mexico should be able to do the same for their children, regardless of income.”
After meeting with Beverly in Farmington, she was invited to join ENM’s board of directors and graciously agreed. One of her first acts as an ENM board member was to challenge the current board with a $25,000 matching grant — the Pierces would donate $25,000 if the rest of the board would contribute or raise $25,000. “The Pierces’ generosity really focused our efforts,” recalls board chairman Bob Gallagher. “Our success is due, in a large part, to the faith the Pierces had in our young organization.” ENM’s board quickly met the $25,000 challenge grant and the Pierces responded with a $50,000 challenge grant. Again, ENM’s board rose to the challenge and we were on our way!
Martin has retired as chairman of Citizen’s Bank and Trust in Farmington after a very successful career. The Pierces continue to be actively involved in efforts to improve education. They remain faithful supporters of Educate New Mexico even though Beverly no longer serves on the board. They are also very involved with Wasatch Academy in Utah, a Presbyterian boarding school founded in 1875. Martin, the three Pierce children and three Pierce grandchildren all graduated from Wasatch. In addition, Beverly tutors children once a week at the local elementary school.
Martin and Beverly are most proud of the fact that they’ve passed their passion for education on to their children. Daughter Susan is a special education teacher in Farmington; her husband, Steve Nelson, serves on the local school board and is a volunteer football coach at Piedra Vista; son John & his wife Clare volunteered at Wasatch Academy for five years and are currently funding a much needed technology upgrade at the school. Son David has served on the board of trustees at Wasatch Academy and is a generous contributor to educational entities including ENM. For the Pierces, education has always been a family affair!
Educate New Mexico is honored to have these passionate, involved, sincere and humble individuals as supporters. Many thanks to Martin & Beverly Pierce!
And many thanks to the 475 individuals, foundations and corporations who have contributed over $3.3 million to ENM over the past five and a half years!
We are thankful for the independent & parochial schools in New Mexico who do such a great job educating over 30,000 of New Mexico’s children!
We are thankful for the parents, grandparents and other family members who make huge sacrifices to provide their children with the education they feel is best for them!
Happy Thanksgiving from all of us at Educate New Mexico!
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Educate New Mexico is proud to partner with the
independent and parochial schools of New Mexico!
Educate New Mexico is a privately funded, non-profit organization
dedicated to helping New Mexico families exercise their right to a quality
education by promoting parental choice and providing financial assistance.
independent and parochial schools of New Mexico!
Educate New Mexico is a privately funded, non-profit organization
dedicated to helping New Mexico families exercise their right to a quality
education by promoting parental choice and providing financial assistance.