SENATE MEMORIAL 24

55th legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - first session, 2021

INTRODUCED BY

William P. Soules

A MEMORIAL

IN MEMORY OF KAREN TRUJILLO, PH.D., AN ADVOCATE AND CHAMPION FOR THE CHILDREN OF NEW MEXICO.

     WHEREAS, Karen Trujillo, Ph.D., a widely admired and respected educator, passed away on February 25, 2021; and

     WHEREAS, Dr. Trujillo dedicated herself to mentoring students in her roles as a teacher, educator and administrator; and

     WHEREAS, Dr. Trujillo was the superintendent of the Las Cruces public school district at the time of her death; and

     WHEREAS, Dr. Trujillo initially served as interim superintendent of the Las Cruces public school district since September 2019, and the Las Cruces board of education named her superintendent in February 2020; and

     WHEREAS, Dr. Trujillo was a steady and compassionate leader who led the district after a cyberattack crippled digital systems and then through the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, which forced the schools to move to remote learning; and

     WHEREAS, Dr. Trujillo was credited with bringing calm to the district at an uncertain time; and

     WHEREAS, Dr. Trujillo previously served as the secretary of public education in 2019; and

     WHEREAS, Dr. Trujillo was passionate about education and was a classroom teacher and had been a math teacher at Alma d'Arte charter high school in Las Cruces, a history teacher at Cobre high school in Bayard and a math teacher at Las Cruces high school; and

     WHEREAS, in 2016, Dr. Trujillo established the science, technology, engineering and mathematics outreach alliance research center, which became the Southwest outreach academic research evaluation and policy center, and her prized accomplishment was creating the annual teacher shortage report; and

     WHEREAS, Dr. Trujillo served as an interim associate dean for research at New Mexico state university's college of education and research director for the college's alliance for advancement of teaching and learning; and

     WHEREAS, one of Dr. Trujillo's last actions was getting the Las Cruces board of education's approval for a hybrid learning model that reopened schools at all grade levels; and

     WHEREAS, Dr. Trujillo was also recognized as a dedicated public servant and, in 2018, was elected to the board of county commissioners of Dona Ana county, and, shortly after taking office, the board elected her to be the chair; and

     WHEREAS, Dr. Trujillo is remembered as a warm, vibrant person who was open and friendly; and

     WHEREAS, Dr. Trujillo's friends and colleagues knew her as a tireless advocate for students and admired her calm and thoughtful manner; and

     WHEREAS, Dr. Trujillo touched many lives, and her spirit and compassion will be missed; and

     WHEREAS, Dr. Trujillo is survived by her husband, Ben Trujillo, and their three children;

     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO that Dr. Karen Trujillo be remembered for her advocacy as a champion for the children of New Mexico; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this memorial be transmitted to the family of Dr. Karen Trujillo.

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