Education digest - Feb. 26

Clovis native gets NMSU position

Clovis native Derek Dictson will be the new vice president for university advancement at New Mexico State University, according to a release from the school.

Dictson, the valedictorian of the 1994 graduating class at Texico High School, will join the college April 1. He is today the senior director of development and principal gift officer at Auburn University.

Dictson and his wife Nikki met at NMSU and both graduated in 1998 with bachelor’s degrees. They went to Texas A&M for master’s degrees, both graduating in 2000. They have a 16-year-old daughter, Kylie, and a 13-year-old son, Logan.

“My family and I are excited to return to Las Cruces and NMSU,” Dictson said. “The high quality education my wife and I received prepared us well for our careers. Multiple generations of our families also attended NMSU and dedicated their careers to serving this university and the people of New Mexico. It is an honor to follow in their footsteps and have the opportunity to make a positive impact upon this university and state that mean so much to us.”

Dictson has nearly two decades of professional experience in the public and private sector, including 17 years of nonprofit fundraising and management experience.

“Derek is an excellent fundraiser, a talented leader and has a long history with NMSU,” NMSU Chancellor Dan Arvizu said. “As a university system, we have high aspirations for our university advancement office, particularly when it comes to helping our students succeed and taking our research, outreach and university athletics efforts to the next level. I’m confident Derek will help us in achieving these goals.”

Education Digest is compiled by the staff of The News. Contact Editor Kevin Wilson at 575-763-3431, ext. 320, or by email:

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