Santa Fe, NM – January 2025 – New Mexico Education Trust Board (NMETB) the state agency that administers New Mexico’s 529 Education Savings Program, announced that Valerie Valles-Pedroza has been appointed to the Board of Directors by the Speaker of the New Mexico House of Representatives, Javier Martinez. The Board is responsible for making rules and regulations for the continued development and implementation of the Education Trust Act.

Valles-Pedroza currently serves as the Interim Director of the Center for Excellence in Social Work at New Mexico Highlands University. With over 20 years of commitment to transforming communities across New Mexico, her career spans social work education, practice, and policy, with a focus on advancing culturally responsive and equity-driven approaches that honor lived experiences and build pathways to wellbeing. Valles-Pedroza has worked with diverse funding partners to create and establish innovative resources and programs that serve both the student body and the broader community. 

Valles-Pedroza has spent over a decade in higher education teaching undergraduate and graduate social work courses, specializing in human behavior and the social environment, family systems, and critical multiculturalism. Prior to her current position, she was the Director of NMHU’s Social Work Educational Enhancement Project-Raíces. 

Valles-Pedroza holds a Master of Social Work degree in Clinical Practice from New Mexico Highlands University and is a licensed Clinical Social Worker in the State of New Mexico. She was born and raised in Albuquerque’s South Valley community. 

“Valerie is a welcome addition to the Education Trust Board,” said Gary L. Gordon, Board Chair. “She brings a strong commitment to supporting New Mexico communities and fostering student success in higher education. Valerie’s expertise will be beneficial as we continue our mission of making a variety of education options attainable for families by offering a flexible, low-cost, tax-efficient way to save for future education expenses.”   

ABOUT THE EDUCATION TRUST BOARD
The Education Trust Board is the governing body for the New Mexico 529 education savings program. The board is administratively attached to the New Mexico Higher Education Department. Members are appointed by the Governor, Senate Pro Tem, and Speaker of the House of Representatives. The board is responsible for making rules and regulations for the development and implementation of the Education Trust Act. A 529 education savings plan is a tax-advantaged account designed to help pay for future education expenses. The State of New Mexico sponsors two plans: a direct-sold plan (The Education Plan) and an advisor-sold plan (Scholars Edge).

To learn more about New Mexico’s 529 Education Savings Program, visit nmetb.org.