Open forums have been scheduled for four finalists for the position of director at UNM’s Office of Equal Opportunity (OEO). An 11-member committee, in a national search that began in April, identified the four. The finalists include Francie Cordova, Art Gonzales, Nell Russell and José Ortal.
Among other duties, the UNM OEO director develops and implements comprehensive equal opportunity and affirmative action plans for the University and ensures UNM’s compliance with all local, state, and federal civil rights laws and regulations. The individual selected will succeed OEO Interim Director Theresa Ramos.
The dates, times and locations of their respective open forums include:
Francie Cordova, Tuesday, Aug. 9, 2 to 3 p.m., Robert’s Room, Scholes Hall
Cordova attended undergraduate school at University of California-Santa Cruz and law school at UCLA. She was admitted to the California Bar in 1990 and worked as a public defender in Orange County, Calif. She returned to New Mexico in 1994 and worked as an assistant attorney general in the Civil Division representing boards, commissions and state agencies.
Gov. Bill Richardson appointed her as director of the New Mexico Human Rights Commission in 2003. She is active in several organizations including the New Mexico Hispanic Bar Association, the United Leadership Council, the Martin Luther King Commission and the New Mexico EEO Council. Cordova was born and raised in Espanola, New Mexico
Art Gonzales, Wednesday, Aug. 10, 2 to 3 p.m., Robert’s Room, Scholes Hall
Gonzales holds a Master of Arts degree in Organizational Management and a Bachelor's Degree in Business Management from the Robert O. ASM, University of New Mexico. He also holds certification as a Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR). He currently is the benefits manager for the University of New Mexico’s Human Resource Department and previously was the employment manager for the Los Alamos National Laboratory and the University of New Mexico.
During his 27 years in the human resources field, he has served in various generalist and specialist roles including personnel officer, EEO specialist, staffing and affirmative action specialist, employee relations specialist, labor relations specialist, and compensation specialist. His human resources career has taken him all over the country and to Europe, where he was personnel director for a U.S. Air Force Base in Zaragoza, Spain.
Nell Russell, Thursday, August 11, 2 to 3 p.m., Robert’s Room, Scholes Hall
Russell is currently the director of Employment Practices and Affirmative Action at the University of Wyoming. She has held leadership positions in Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action within higher education for more than 30 years.
In 1975, Russell began her career at Northeastern University in Boston, Mass., where she held the assistant, associate and director of Affirmative Action positions for almost six years.
During her eight-year tenure as director of Affirmative Action at Brown University, Russell had the additional responsibility of coordinating the requirements of a court ordered Consent Decree associated with hiring of women faculty. She spent nearly 14 years at the University of Akron, where she is credited for developing the first university-wide employee training in matters of sexual harassment and other forms of discrimination.
Prior to entering the higher education environment she held the position of assistant director of Affirmative Action for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Russell’s academic credentials include a B.S., M.S. and a certificate in Management Development.
José Ortal, Monday, August 15, 2 to 3 p.m., Santa Ana Room, Student Union Building
Ortal was born in Cuba and raised in Los Angeles. He earned a B.A. in History from the California State University, Long Beach, an M.A. in History from the University of California, Los Angeles and is currently ABD at the University of Miami (Fla.). His career has included stints with the city of Los Angeles as a management analyst and the City of Santa Monica as a labor compliance officer.
He also worked at the Cordoba Corporation as a contract compliance officer. Ortal is currently the director of Affirmative Action/Diversity/Equal Opportunity at Lane Community College in Eugene, Oregon. He also serves as the director of Oregon Diversity Institute’s Board Chair and is a member of the Community College Moment Editorial Board and the Centro LatinoAmericano’s Board co-chair.
For more information contact Helen Gonzales or Eileen Sanchez at: (505) 277-2013.