Reffett Associates Recruits President for the New Mexico Military Institute
August 12, 2024 – After a nationwide, Seattle, WA-based Reffett Associates has placed Brigadier General Voris McBurnette as the 20th president and superintendent of the New Mexico Military Institute (NMMI). The search was led by Eric Reffett, managing director of the Washington, D.C. office, Thomas Young, director of operations of the firm, and Marshall Reffett, managing director in Seattle, and Washington D.C. “(Brigadier) General McBurnette has had a dynamic career in public and military education focused on student success,” said NMMI board of regents president Alan Edmonson Jr. “As the Institute moves into its 134th year of academic excellence, we believe General McBurnette’s energy, passion and experience are the perfect mix to move NMMI forward. Your appointment marks the beginning of a significant chapter for our institution, one that promises growth, change and reform.”
Brig. Gen McBurnette joins NMMI after an esteemed military career serving as the commandant of the Joint Forces Staff College, which is part of the National Defense University where he provided executive leadership, oversight, direction and management of the programs, initiatives, operations, and resources for the Joint Advanced Warfighting School, Joint and Combined Warfighting School, and the Joint Command and Control Information Operations School. His earlier assignments include serving as Brigade Commander, U.S. Army Pacific Support Unit, Fort Shafter, Hawaii, and as the director of the Center for Applied Strategic Learning, where he provided educational war gaming and experiential learning products and events for the five National Defense University colleges.
Brig. Gen McBurnette must not only lead the educational development of the institution, but must also work as an advocate at the state level by building relationships with the governor and leaders of the New Mexico Legislature and state administrators to fuel the continued growth of this 125 year old educational institution. Additionally, he will work in support of NMMI’s vision as a globally recognized institution of higher learning, and its vision to create leaders of tomorrow.
NMMI possesses a passionate alumni group, a wide and diverse donor base, and is highly regarded nationally. It is deeply involved with the local community, the citizenry of the state of New Mexico. Brig. Gen McBurnette will work with all these stakeholders to ensure the continued success of the Institute.
Located in Roswell, NM, the New Mexico Military Institute was founded in 1891. It is a state supported institution, and operates under a board of regents, reporting directly to the governor of New Mexico. NMMI maintains a four year college preparatory program and a junior college degree course of study.
Reffett Associates is a nationally recognized executive search firm. The boutique talent provider has extensive experience in retail and consumer packaged goods, private equity, commercial and federal services, government sectors, and associations and non-profits. Its team is made up of executives with tangible industry experience, possessing real world, relatable knowledge about the challenges executives face in managing talent in a competitive marketplace.
Related: Reffett Associates Places Senior Advisor to Air Force Warfighting Integration Capability
Dr. Eric Reffett joined the search firm after working for Booz Allen Hamilton, most recently leading many of Booz Allen’s efforts in the chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear arena. He served for over 20 years in the U.S. Air Force. Dr. Eric Reffett specializes in identifying and recruiting highly technical talent for a variety of government clients.
Mr. Young has 13 years of federal legislative, policy, and constituent services experience. He works closely with a number of leading industry groups including the Clean Technology Alliance, The Center for Advanced Manufacturing Puget Sound and the aerospace and maritime supply chain.
Marshall Reffett has spent the last 15 years recruiting talent for the federal government and numerous private companies nationwide. He joined the search firm after having worked for former U.S. Rep. David G. Reichert of Washington State. Mr. Reffett has conducted private sector searches for the Seattle Mariners, Bartell Drugs, and Metropolitan Market, in addition to his other federal work for the Department of Transportation, the Department of Commerce, the Food and Drug Administration, and the Department of Veterans’ Affairs.
Searches for the Federal Government
Reffett Associates has been enlisted to help fill a series of key senior executive roles in technical and hard-to-fill positions for the federal government. Since 2022, Reffett has assisted the U.S. Army Material Command at the Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, AL with recruitments for three highly qualified expert (HQE) positions.
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To be considered an HQE, individuals must possess “uncommon and recognized knowledge, skills, and experience in a field of expertise, and judgment that is accorded authority and status by peers or the public,” said the firm. HQEs are considered on par with senior executive service (SES) positions. HQE roles inside of the armed forces carry the status of a lieutenant general.
Reffett Associates also recently filled the position of provost for the Naval War College. This placement, said the firm, is the latest in a string of academic recruitment for the nation’s military institutions of higher learning including:
- Chief learning officer of the Air Force for Air Education and Training Command.
- Dean of the Aerospace School of Medicine.
- President for the Naval Postgraduate School.
- Provost for the Naval Postgraduate School.
Related: Reffett Associates Places Senior Advisor to Air Force Warfighting Integration Capability
Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief and Dale M. Zupsansky, Executive Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media
