by Desiree M. Cooper
Communication Services

“Both of my kids love school. They both talk about what they will be when they go to college.” – Sarah Marquez

Portales Municipal Schools’ Director of Finance Sarah Marquez decided to pursue her master’s in business administration from Eastern New Mexico University to be able to “not only get a raise and the title, but to learn skills that allow me to see and predict trends in our environment.

“There are many skills that I have acquired in accounting and finance from ENMU,” she explained. “They have allowed me to see the opportunities in the education field where we are limited on our revenues.”

Mrs. Marquez, who also has bachelor’s degrees in computer science and psychology, said earning her MBA in 2013 made her “more confident in my abilities.

“I love everything about my job. The challenges I face have to do with economic revenues that come into the district from the state,” explained the former Greyhound Sound and Pep Band member.

“When your funding is based on the number of kids in the district, there is not a lot of wiggle room for funds. Ninety percent of our budget is salaries and benefits. We have to make sure that every dollar counts for these kids.”

The self-proclaimed “Air Force brat,” whose father retired at Cannon Air Force Base, would like to become nationally certified as a school finance officer. She will have to take a “challenging two-part exam that has a lot of requirements. My hope is to start the process within the next one to two years.”

Mrs. Marquez has made a difference in her field of work by training new business managers in the local area.

She has also volunteered for committees through the New Mexico Association of School Business Officials.

According to their website, NMASBO is a “non-profit professional association offering support and professional development opportunities to individuals providing business management services to New Mexico's schools.”

Mrs. Marquez, who has played flute since the third grade, chose to stay in New Mexico after receiving her MBA because she “loves this area and the people in it.”

Her husband is a teacher in Portales. She has a son who is a third-grader and a daughter who is in pre-kindergarten.

“Both of my kids love school. They both talk about what they will be when they go to college,” she explained. “It is a really great feeling knowing they are following in their mother's footprints.”