Academic Career & Executive Search Recruits CIO for Central New Mexico Community College
May 12, 2026 – After an extensive national search process, Academic Career & Executive Search (ACES) has placed Chris Ament as chief information officer of Central New Mexico Community College (CNM). Jennifer Muller, managing partner, led the assignment. Mr. Ament, currently CIO at Ohio University, will join the CNM community and begin serving in this leadership role starting June 15.
“I’m confident that Chris is the right leader to guide CNM’s technology strategy in ways that will advance our bold strategic vision and help us evolve for the future of higher education,” said Tracy Hartzler, president of CNM. “Chris has the leadership experience and strategic vision we need in this key role. He brings a strong track record of leading large-scale system modernization, aligning technology with institutional priorities, and building high-performing teams that enhance the student and employee experience. I look forward to Chris helping us advance our strategic goals and our vision of Changing Lives, Building Community.”
Ms. Hartzler also expressed her gratitude for the work of CNM’s CIO search committee. “The search committee did an outstanding job of identifying an impressive pool of finalists that led us to the best CIO for CNM,” she said. “I look forward to welcoming Chris to campus and engaging with the CNM community as we continue to advance our technology strategy in support of student success and institutional effectiveness.”
As CIO at Ohio University, Mr. Ament has led institution-wide efforts to improve the student and employee experience and reposition IT as a strategic partner to the institution. Prior to this, he spent more than a decade at the University of Minnesota in a range of IT leadership roles with broad enterprise responsibilities, including academic technology and user support. He has also periodically taught courses, helping him stay connected to the academic mission and the student and faculty experience.
“I’m excited to join the CNM community and be part of an institution that is so clearly committed to its students and the region it serves,” Mr. Ament said. “I look forward to listening, learning, and working alongside students, faculty, staff, and partners to build on CNM’s strong foundation while creating meaningful, lasting impact.”
Central New Mexico Community College is a public community college based in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Founded in 1964, it serves students across the Albuquerque metropolitan area through multiple campuses and centers. It offers a range of academic programs, including associate degrees, certificate programs, workforce training, and transfer pathways to four-year institutions.
Based in West Hartford, CT, Academic Career & Executive Search focuses on executive search services, career planning, and candidate coaching. Specializing in challenging faculty to senior administrative positions, the firm offers six a la carte services spanning full search, candidate generation, interim, multi-hire, and contingency search. Candidate support services include webinars, career planning, and candidate coaching. Its team has served in virtually every capacity in higher education including president, vice president, provost, dean, chief human resources officer, and faculty members across all types and sizes of institutions.
Ms. Muller has more than 20 years of research and development experience in higher education and Fortune 500 companies. She has led over 70 higher education searches both domestically and internationally spanning presidents, vice presidents, associate chancellors, deans, directors, chairs, and faculty level positions. Ms. Muller is former vice chair of the American Council on Education (ACE) Executive Search Roundtable and serves as an advisor in the numerous ACE leadership development forums.
Cleveland Institute of Art Search
Academic Career & Executive Search recently assisted in the recruitment of Melanie Walker as vice president of business affairs and chief financial officer of the Cleveland Institute of Art (CIA). “We’re thrilled to welcome Melanie as CIA’s next vice president of business affairs and CFO,” said president and CEO Kathryn Heidemann. “She brings exceptional financial acumen and a thoughtful, transparent approach to leadership. Melanie’s ability to balance strong fiscal stewardship with a deep respect for our mission and values will serve CIA well as we continue to navigate the increasing complexities of higher education and build a resilient, vibrant future for the college.”
Ms. Walker most recently served as associate dean of finance and administration at Case Western Reserve University’s School of Law, where she served as the law school’s chief business officer on the executive leadership team and created fiscal policies and procedures to enhance internal controls.
The Cleveland Institute of Art is a nationally recognized college of art and design committed to nurturing creativity, innovation, and artistic excellence. Founded in 1882, CIA offers a rigorous studio-based education in 13 majors, including illustration, animation, industrial design, game design, painting, sculpture + expanded media, and more.
Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief and Dale M. Zupsansky, Executive Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media
