Dr. Kevin Foley, Executive Director of Na’Nizhoozhi Center, Inc.,  will step down after more than two decades of service, the organization announced on Nov. 15. Foley, who has accepted a new position in behavioral health with a coalition of tribes in Northern California, is leaving to be closer to his family.

Foley began his career with NCI in 2000 and became Executive Director in 2013. During his tenure, he led the nonprofit through significant challenges, including the withdrawal of Navajo Nation funding and the COVID-19 pandemic, while expanding its services and securing critical funding.

Among his key accomplishments, Foley with the City of Gallup, secured a grant from U.S. Sen...

By Molly Ann Howell
Managing Editor

Each month, the Sun recognizes a local teacher for his or her determination to help students go above and beyond. Anyone can nominate a teacher by emailing the Sun at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it and providing the teacher’s name, where they teach, and why they should be selected as that month’s winner.

This month’s award went to Ethel Ellison, who teaches the Heritage Language and Culture class at Stagecoach Elementary.

GROWING UP

IMMERSED IN

THE DINÉ

Ellison grew up about 15 miles southwest of Gallup in Manuelito. She was raised primarily by her grandparents, who lived on a farm. They owned sheep, cows, and horses. Ellison’s days...

SILVER CITY, N.M. — The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service officially designated the swale paintbrush, a rare desert flower found only in one location in southwest New Mexico, as endangered under the Endangered Species Act as of Dec. 4.

Standing at 19 inches tall with yellow-red hues, the swale paintbrush was once native to 13 sites across New Mexico and Mexico’s Chihuahua and Durango states. Today, the plant survives only on a 28-acre parcel of private land in New Mexico, with no confirmed sightings in Mexico since 1985.

“The disappearance of this ornate, almost luminous flower went unnoticed as cattle trampled our desert grasslands,” Michael Robinson, senior conservation...

SANTA FE — In preparation for the new graduation guidelines set to take effect in the 2025–2026 school year, the New Mexico Public Education Department is offering financial literacy training for New Mexico teachers.

With the passage of House Bill 171, students are required to take the personal financial literacy standards embedded in the New Mexico Social Studies Standards. The PED, St. John’s College, Nusenda Credit Union, and Jump$tart New Mexico are collaborating on a series of workshops that offer state educators an in-depth understanding of the concepts and skills needed for teaching the PFL standards.

A primary goal of the workshops is to teach educators about key...