Dr. Roberto Montoya stepped in as the new Vice President of Student Services at the beginning of April.
Current Vice President Jody Diers is set to retire at the end of the semester and is working towards a smooth transition of power to Montoya in May.
Montoya graduated from Colorado Mesa University (CMU), formerly Mesa State College, in 2000 with a bachelor’s degree in political science. He felt his return to CMU was serendipitous and that he’s right where he’s needed.
He and President John Marshall attended CMU in the same program at the same time and shared an advisor. When Montoya ran for president of the Associated Student Government and won, Marshall served as his vice president.
After he left CMU, Montoya continued his education at Regis University and obtained his masters in Ethnic/Cultural Studies. He has a doctorate in Education and Human Development from University of Colorado Denver. He said this is part of a lifetime of work committed to ensuring educational dignity for all people.
Montoya and his sister were raised in Albuquerque, New Mexico by his mother. He said this upbringing influenced his passion for education.
“I was raised by a single mom who never graduated high school, who worked at Walgreens for 40 years as a cashier,” said Montoya. “Never wanted to move into management, and was under-employed and under-educated but cared deeply about my education.”
He said he was drawn to CMU because he wanted to experience something new and different from what Albuquerque could offer. Although he has been back a few times since graduating, Montoya has had more time to see how the campus has grown since he graduated.
“It’s in some ways overwhelming to see how much CMU has grown,” said Montoya.
He mentioned attending a party at a house where the McConnell Science Center now stands.
With his return, Montoya brings years of experience in educational equity with a focus on Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs) in Colorado.
He was the Associate Vice President of Partner Success for HSIs at InsideTrack, a nonprofit dedicated to helping students navigate higher education.
He was selected as Colorado’s first-ever Chief Educational Equity Officer in the state’s Department of Higher Education by Governor Jared Polis. This position was created to ensure equitable access to higher education opportunities for all people in Colorado.
He is the founder and CEO of The Praximity Group – a firm that offers “Critical Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion consulting that focuses on the intersection of Theory, Practice, and Place,” according to their website.
“He is deeply passionate about the work that we do in terms of meeting students where they’re at, supporting them, their growth, figuring out how to create a welcoming environment for every kid that walks on this campus,” said Marshall.
As CMU inches closer to being designated as an HSI, Montoya’s presence and experience could give marginalized students a sense of place on campus.
Many marginalized students were disappointed in the school’s administration in the weeks leading up to Jared Taylor’s pro-segregation speech hosted by the Western Culture Club, but this may be a signal towards a much different direction.
Even though he’s just started the position, Montoya said he wants to hit the ground running and make every effort to show up and be involved on campus and in the community.
He said he is going to bring his lived experience into his new role and focus on connections with others.
“I think space and place is very important. I think the Grand Valley is very important. I think the historical communities that have existed here in Grand Junction are incredibly important,” said Montoya.
Over two decades later, Montoya has reunited with CMU. He hopes to honor his new role and uphold the core values of CMU.
“I believe when you have head, heart and gut alignment, it’s your ancestors talking to you and saying that’s where you’re supposed to be,” said Montoya.
