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ÎçÒ¹Ó°Ôº is excited to announce that three finalists have been selected for the Associate Vice President of Education & Learning position. They will each participate in an open forum with ÎçÒ¹Ó°Ôº faculty and staff on May 16. You can learn more about each of the candidates through the bios they provided below. 

Erin Johnson-Kruft

Erin Johnson-Kruft is the Interim Dean of Skilled Trades and Arts at ÎçÒ¹Ó°Ôº New Mexico Community College (ÎçÒ¹Ó°Ôº), where she leads the development and expansion of academic and workforce programs. With nearly 15 years at ÎçÒ¹Ó°Ôº, she has held a variety of leadership roles, including Executive Director of Employer and Industry Engagement. In that role, she launched ÎçҹӰԺ’s employer support services and led the College-wide Integrated Program Review (CIPR) process.

She began her ÎçÒ¹Ó°Ôº career in noncredit programming at the Workforce Training Center—now ÎçÒ¹Ó°Ôº Ingenuity—where she designed customized training in healthcare, business, and leadership. Erin previously managed ÎçҹӰԺ’s Rio Rancho campus and currently oversees the Advanced Technology Center. Before joining ÎçÒ¹Ó°Ôº, she served as Education and Training Manager at the New Mexico Department of Health, overseeing statewide professional development initiatives. Erin brings a strong background in health, human services, and adult education.

Erin currently serves on the board of the Sandoval Economic Alliance and volunteers with several local organizations. She is a 2024 graduate of Leadership Albuquerque and is recognized for her strengths in community engagement, industry-driven program development, and academic innovation.
Originally from Illinois, Erin earned a bachelor’s degree in Community Health Education and a master’s degree in Adult and Higher Education Administration. She is currently pursuing a Doctorate of Education in Leadership and Innovation.

Erin lives in New Mexico with her husband of 25 years, and they have two teenage children.

Heather Pierce

Heather Pierce is a forward-thinking leader with diverse experience in higher education. She began her career change at Northern Illinois University as a Research Associate, where she focused on the psychological assessment of childhood trauma. Her passion for career and technical education was ignited during her time as an instructor at Elgin Community College. She later became a program manager at Waubonsee Community College, where the Board of Trustees recognized her leadership, and she was nominated as an Employee of the Year. Currently, Heather serves as the Executive Dean of Technical and Professional Studies at Pikes Peak State College in Colorado Springs.

Heather began her educational journey at a community college with the goal of transferring to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology. As she gained confidence, her academic goals expanded to include obtaining a graduate degree. To build a competitive application, she published peer-reviewed research regarding occupational traumatic exposure and PTSD symptomology among 911 telecommunicators. This work garnered international press coverage and was recognized as seminal research for an underserved group of first responders. It also contributed to the modification of the PTSD diagnostic criteria. Heather has since earned a Master of Arts in Educating Adults with a concentration in competency-based education from DePaul University, where she was honored with the Student Excellence Award and the Alumni Impact Award. As a lifelong learner, she is currently pursuing a doctorate in Educational Leadership at DePaul University.

Will Reyes-Cubides

Will Reyes-Cubides is a seasoned academic leader with over 20 years of experience in higher education, currently serving as Assistant Vice President of Academic Affairs and Student Success at Holyoke Community College in Massachusetts. In this role, he oversees a division that includes academic ESL, tutoring, TRIO, disability services, and targeted equity initiatives such as El Centro, The Student Ambassador and Mentorship Program (SAMP), and ALANA, a success initiative for African American, Latino, Asian, and Native American men. He has led the expansion of CTE-focused articulation agreements, successfully managed Perkins grant initiatives to support workforce and technical education goals and guided cross-functional strategic planning aligned with student success outcomes.

A native Spanish speaker, Will has taught across languages and cultural studies, with a deep commitment to access, equity, and inclusive excellence. He has received multiple awards for teaching and public service, including recognition from Cornell University and Boston College, and is a graduate of the California Community Colleges’ ALIVE leadership program for deans of color.

He holds M.A. degrees in Applied Linguistics (Universidad Nacional de Colombia) and Hispanic Studies (Boston College) and is currently completing a Doctorate in Leadership for Educational Equity in Higher Education at the University of Colorado-Denver. His dissertation explores how cognitive biases shape hiring decisions and their impact on equity in the final stages of selection.

Above all, Will champions what works best for student success while remaining a faculty advocate too. He directs his attention and efforts toward fostering positive environments and a sense of mattering for students, faculty, and staff who may otherwise feel overlooked or marginalized.

Will is excited about the opportunity to contribute to ÎçҹӰԺ’s bold strategic vision, particularly in areas like Competency-Based Education, workforce alignment, and transfer innovation. He is drawn to ÎçҹӰԺ’s commitment to equity, data-informed leadership, and community impact.