About NMSDAA
*1st Reunion of NMSD Alumni: June 13-15, 1980
(Co-Chairperson: Bobby Moore '70 & Richard (Ric) Gonzales- NMSD Staff)
1983- NMSD Superintendent, Dr. Ken Brasel encouraged NMSD Alumni to set new organization.
Named the organization Roadrunners Alumni Association: RAA
First RAA Officers:
1985-1987:
President: Bobby Moore '70
Vice President: Richard (Dick) Pearson '76
Secretary: Lenna Trujillo '72
Treasurer: Alumnus William (Bill) Rice
Public Relations: Dolores (Kolb) Fromm '61
*Goal to celebrate NMSD's birthday (1887-1987)
- encouraged by Dr. Ken Brasel
NMSD Centennial Committee of the Flagpole project
Chairperson: Alumnus Johnny Robertson
Designer/ Drafting : Richard (Dick) Pearson '76
Welder: Forrest McKinley '77
Consultant: Steve Lucero '77
Builder: Bruce Cassidy '68
New NMSD Advisory Council Members:
One representative from RAA Alumni
One representative from parent of a Deaf child
One representative from NMSD Student Body Government
One representative from NMSD Staff
One representative from NMAD
One representative from NMRID
One representative from UNM
One representative from Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR)
One representative from Santa Fe Public School
One representative from Albuquerque Public School
One representative from Los Alamos National Lab
Two representative from outside business
NMSD Founder's Day: November 9, 1986
*Ground breaking for the Alumni Memorial Plaza at the Flag Pole.
*Richard Pearson and Forrest McKinley introduced the Drawing of Alumni Memorial Plaza and Time Capsule to the crowd.
*Time Capsule collection presentation of class contribution by Johnny Robertson.
*Alumni Plaza the Beginning
*2nd Reunion of RAA: June 25-27, 1987
(Co-Chairperson: Bobby Moore '70 & Judith Tripp '61)
RAA New Officers:
1987-1992:
President: Bobby Moore '70
Vice President: Richard (Dick) Pearson ‘76
Secretary – Dolores (Kolb) Fromm ‘61
Treasurer – Alumnus William (Bill) Rice
Public Relations – Dolores (Kolb) Fromm ‘61
Alumni Memorial Plaza under construction. Goal to be completed and burial of time capsule scheduled for Founder's Day, November 8, 1987
NMSD Founder's Day, November 8, 1987
Alumni Memorial Plaza Ribbon Cutting
*Introduction: Dr. Dillon, Master of Ceremonies (Former Principal of NMSD)
*Open Alumni Memorial Plaza: Bobby Moore, RAA President
*Address: Beatrice M Burke '53
*Time Capsule Burial Introduction: Johnny Robertson, Time Capsule Chairperson
*Various Contributions to the Time Capsule Committee: Espie Latimer' 53
1988: Alumni Memorial Plaza metal handrails welded together by Forrest McKinley and his assistant Richard Pearson
*Forrest McKinley passed away November 23, 1988
1990-1992 Roadrunners Alumni Association - RAA became inactive.
*3rd Reunion: June 25-28, 1992
(Chairperson: Bobby Moore '70)
The Organization started as Roadrunners Alumni Association-RAA later renamed to New Mexico School for the Deaf Alumni Associations- NMSDAA during 3rd reunion June 25-28, 1992
NMSDAA New Officers:
1992-1997:
President: Richard (Dick) Pearson "76
Vice President: Larry Lucero '72
Secretary: Sonia Gonzales '81
Treasurer: Victor Arellano '80
Public Director: Johnny Hooper '82
1992-1995 Brief of NMSDAA Activities Report
*Joined a coalition of NMSD Student Body Government, Parent-Teacher-Staff Association, NMAD, NMSD-NEA, and others to protest at the NM Capitol.
* Several reports to NMSD Progress, NMAD's Deaf New Mexican Newsletters, and COPD Newsletters
* Wrote letters to State Legislators to support various bill issues related Deaf Education, Telecommunication Relay, Interpreter, Deaf Community, etc.
* Became part of the NMSD Board of Regents Liaison
* Provided input to NMSD;s Communication Philosophy
* 2 officers (Secretary & Treasurer of NMSDAA resigned due to transfer job out of state
*Became involved with the NMSD Screening and Interview Committee for the superintendent's position
* Strongly favor the NMSD Board of Regents' selection of Dr. Madan Vasishta of Deaf superintendent as a vital positive role model for Deaf students.
* Dr. Vasishta is the 2nd Deaf Superintendent in the history of NMSD.
Several meeting of the NMSDAA were announced, and low numbers of people attended
*Lack of interest and attendance at meetings. NMSDAA became inactive.
*President and Vice President hold to keep funds belonging to NMSDAA.
1995-1997- NMSDAA became inactive.
*4th Reunion: August 1-3, 1997
(Chairperson: Richard (Dick) Pearson '76)
NMSDAA New Officers:
1997-2002:
President: Jean (Noling) Seth '71 - First Female President
Vice President: Matthew Lujan '85
Secretary: Nadine (Garcia) Martinez '84
Treasurer: Raul Lozano '90
2000 - 2002
Jean (Noling) Seth passed away October 2000
President: Nadine (Garcia) Martinez '85
Vice President: Vincent (Vinnie) Martinez '90
Secretary: Dory Roybal '86
Treasurer: Alumnus Rudy Chavez
*5th Reunion: June 14-16, 2002
(Co-Chairperson: Bobby Moore ‘70 & Robert (Rob) Huizar ‘93)
NMSDAA New Officers:
2002-2007:
President: Beatrice (Bea) (Maestas) Burke '53
Vice President: Carla (García) Fernández '86
Secretary: Dolores Baca '55 then Sonia (Garcia) DeNight '95
Treasurer: Jerry Seth '63 then Aaron Martinez '96
6th Reunion: July 5-8, 2007
(Co-Chairperson: Sonia (Garcia) DeNight ‘95 & Juan Diego Gonzalez ‘93)
Theme: "NMSD is where WE became a family"
Honor to Lars Larson and his family
*Alumni decided to recognize NMSD when it was founded by Lars Larson not by State 1887 so we dated it back to 1885.
NMSDAA New Officers:
2007-2010:
President: Raul Lozano ‘90 then Kenneth (Ken) Litherland ‘82
Vice President - Kenneth (Ken) Litherland ‘82 (no replacement)
Secretary - Faye (Moss) Falvey ‘57
Treasurer - Aaron Martinez ‘96
*7th Reunion: September 23-26, 2010 – 125th NMSD Birthday
(Co-Chairperson: Bobby Moore ‘70 & Larry Lucero ’72)
(Originally planned for July 2012 – but moved to September 2010 during Homecoming since NMSD was established in 1885, not 1887)
NMSDAA New Officers:
2010-2015:
President: Juan Diego Gonzales '93
Vice President: Corina Gutiérrez '88
Secretary: Rosela (Seidman) Barela '89 then Monica (Rodriquez) Huerta-Carteya '90
Treasurer: Kenneth (Ken) Litherland '82
*8th Reunion: October, 2015 -130th NMSD Birthday
(Chairperson: Roger Robb '86)
*Consultant Bobby Moore '70
NMSDAA New Officers:
2015-2020:
President: Corina Gutiérrez '88
Vice President: Margarita (Lozano) García '85
Secretary: Roger Robb '86
Treasurer: Alumnus Theodore (Ted) Dressler
Board Members at Large:
Governance: Roy DeHaven
Historian : Richard (Dick) Pearson '76
Social Media & Marketing: Susan Haley '82
Reunion Co-Chairperson: Amy (Lucero) Gomme '07 & Matthew Lujan '85 then Roger Robb '86 & Sophia Pacias '85 then Vacant until September 2022 * see note under 2020
*9th Reunion: CANCELLED due to COVID pandemic
NMSDAA New Officers:
2020-2025:
** NMSDAA officers extended their terms to next reunion-2025
President: Corina Gutiérrez '88 then Mary Lynn (Bechdol) Bransford '85
Vice President: Margarita (Lozano) García '85
Secretary: Roger Robb '86 then Mary Lynn (Bechdol) Bransford '85 then ?
Treasurer: Alumnus Theodore (Ted) Dressler
Board Members at Large:
Governance: Roy DeHaven '84
Historian: Richard Pearson '76
Social Media & Marketing: Susan Haley '82
Reunion Co-Chairperson: Emilio Garcia '11
2025
10th Reunion: 2025
NMSDAA New Officers:
2025-2030:
President:
Vice President:
Secretary:
Treasurer:
Board Members at Large:
Governance:
Historian :
Social Media & Marketing:
Reunion Co-Chairperson: