Staff Report
Four finalists have been selected for the director of the University's Office of Equal Opportunity.
A 13-member committee began searching for finalists last March and identified the finalists last Friday. The finalists are Thomasine P. Ross, Annazette Fields, Elva Telles and Doralia Martinez Freudiger. Open forums have been scheduled for each finalist.
"The committee has done a tremendous job in identifying four excellent candidates, all with strong credentials," UNM President F. Chris Garcia said in a University statement. "I'm very pleased with the quality of this pool of finalists for this very important position at UNM."
The director of the Office of Equal Opportunity is in charge of development and implementation of equal opportunity and affirmative action plans for UNM. It also makes sure UNM complies with all local, state and federal civil rights laws and regulations.
Ross is the civil rights coordinator in the Civil Rights Division of the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services. She previously worked for UNM as senior investigator for OEO from 1992-98. She also held the position of labor relations manager for UNM's Human Resource department in 1991 and worked in various capacities in Human Resources from 1985-91. She earned her Bachelor's degree in University Studies from UNM in 1974 and her Juris Doctorate from UNM in 1979. Ross' forum is scheduled for Thursday, Sept. 5 at 2 p.m. in the Roberts room at Scholes Hall.
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Fields is currently the director of Equal Opportunity at Murray State University in Kentucky. She was and adjunct professor in the College of Business and Public Affairs at Murray State from 1993-96 and also worked as the assistant director of career services in 1993. She earned her bachelor's degree from Langston University, Okla. in 1983 and her master's from Murray State in 1993. She is currently working on her Ph.D. in Educational Policy Studies and Evaluation at the University of Kentucky. Fields' forum is scheduled for Thursday, Sept. 19 at 2 p.m. in the Roberts room at Scholes Hall.
Telles is the director of Equal Employment Opportunity, Americans with Disabilities and Employee Relations at New Mexico State University, where she has occupied that position since 1978. During that time period she has also served in various other capacities at NMSU. She earned her Bachelor of business administration in 1973 and her master's in counseling and educational psychology in 1989, both from NMSU. Telles' forum is scheduled for Thursday, Sept. 26 at 2 p.m. in the Roberts room at Scholes Hall.
Freudiger has been the deputy director for the Equal Employment Opportunity Staff for the U.S. Department of Justice in Washington, D.C. since 1994. She has worked with various federal agencies for advancing programs serving Hispanics, Asian Pacific Americans and American Indians in affirmative action employment concerns. She also has been a professional social worker. She earned her bachelor's from the University of Puerto Rico in 1969 and her master's in social work from the Catholic University of America in Washington D.C. in 1971. Freudiger's forum is scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 3 at 2 p.m. in the Roberts room in Scholes Hall.
