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Rebecca K. "Becky" Rowley, Ph.D.

KSFR Board Member

Rebecca K. “Becky” Rowley, Ph.D., is the ninth president of the college and brings a wealth of knowledge and experience in higher education to the Santa Fe community.

Since joining SFCC in July 2019, Rowley has emphasized student-focused success in a collaborative environment that engages students, faculty and staff. President Rowley has led with a strong focus on an efficiency and transparency. Rowley reaches out to community leaders and responds to the community’s needs.  A long-time advocate of community colleges, she continues to work with the legislature through theNew Mexico Independent Community Colleges.

To ensure the college’s commitment to all, she oversees the President’s Diversity Advisory Committee.

The Santa Fe New Mexican listed Rowley as one of “20 who will make news in 2020.”

Rowley served as president of Clovis Community College in Clovis, New Mexico from 2011 to 2019. Prior to becoming president, she was Executive Vice President (Academics and Student Services) at CCC. Before moving into administration, she taught English as a full-time faculty member at Clovis Community College for seven years.

Since 2015, Rowley has been chair of the New Mexico Independent Community Colleges (NMICC). As chair of this group, Rowley regularly presents before the Legislative Finance Committee, House Appropriations and Senate Finance Committees on behalf of NMICC.

Rowley was a member of the 2009 Core Class of Leadership New Mexico. In 2018, she was named a “Woman of Influence” by Albuquerque Business First.

As president, Rowley focused on moving Clovis Community College towards higher persistence rates (from 34 percent to 84 percent) and created a culture of collaboration. In 2013, Clovis Community College was named one of the Best Places to Work by the Albuquerque Journal. Since 2011, CCC has also created new programs of study, including a Physical Therapist Assistant program. Rowley’s other areas of expertise include leading various units of academics, student services, finance and informational technology to create new ways for students to finance their education.

Rowley has served on the New Mexico State Workforce development Board as well as the Eastern Area Workforce Development Board. She has also served as a member of the NM Higher Education Strategic Planning Committee and the NM Higher Education Governance Committee where she co-chaired the Legislative Subcommittee.

Rowley received her Ph.D. in English from the University of New Mexico in 1996 and a master’s degree in English from the University of Virginia in 1988. She received a bachelor’s degree in English and Latin with a minor in Political Science from Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska in 1986. Rowley is also an avid runner, having finished 25 marathons, including eight Boston Marathons.