CCC president is education secretary finalist

Dr. Beverlee McClure, president of Clovis Community College, has been selected as one of six finalists for the position of state Secretary of Education, Gov. Bill Richardson’s office announced Wednesday.

Gilbert Gallegos, Richardson’s deputy communications director, said five finalists for the position were selected by a committee appointed by the governor to interview about 40 applicants for the job.

Alan Morgan, former state superintendent of education and the interim Secretary of Education, suggested that McClure’s name be added to the list because he felt there should be at least one more woman and one more person representing higher education, Gallegos said.

The other finalists for the cabinet-level position are:

> Diego Gallegos, Albuquerque Public Schools’ assistant superintendent for corrective-action and probationary schools;

> Veronica Garcia, executive director of the New Mexico Coalition of School Administrators;

> Dr. Robert Pasternack, assistant secretary of the U.S. Department of Education, office of special education and rehabilitative services, former director of special education for the New Mexico Department of Education;

> Ralph (Stan) Rounds, superintendent of Hobbs Municipal Schools;

> Dr. Kurt Steinhaus, director of student education programs, Los Alamos National Laboratory.

Richardson has said he wants to announce a final selection for Secretary of Education by Nov. 1, Gallegos said.

Neither McClure nor board members of Clovis Community College could be reached for comment Wednesday night.