“I’ve always been a college student at heart, so I particularly enjoy opportunities when I can meet and work with students on an individual basis.”

Mr. Austin, who was the Acting President for AC for the summer of 2014, said the most challenging part of his current position is that college administrators across the country are “challenged by a never ending barrage of state/federal rules and mandates. We have to work to ensure that our bureaucracies don’t get in the way of teaching and learning.”

The 2014 AC Administrator of the Year was previously an Admissions Counselor at Eastern New Mexico University, an Admissions Manager at South Dakota School of Mines and Technology and Director of Enrollment Services at Red Rocks Community College.

“I’m looking forward to doing the kind of work that I’m doing now for the rest of my career. I love working on a college campus,” explained the current Chairman of the Community Advisory Board of the Salvation Army of Amarillo, who was the Co-Chair for Amarillo Area State Employee United Way Campaign from 2011-13.

Mr. Austin, whose hometown is Clayton, New Mexico, chose to attend ENMU in 1983 because it was “relatively close to home and I was lured by a gracious $200 Student Leadership scholarship.”

He majored in biology (Natural Sciences Teaching Composite) with a minor in social studies since he “planned to be a teacher.”

After taking 188 undergraduate credit hours, he joked that he was “literally forced by Minnie Navarro (CLAS Degree Clerk) to file for graduation in 1989. She effectively killed my dream of being a career college student.”

The Greyhound graduate, who earned an M.Ed. in Administration from ENMU in 1995, lettered in track his freshman year and was awarded a varsity letterman jacket.

“That jacket remains one of my most prized possessions,” said the former Resident Assistant.

“I probably participated in every intramural event ever offered at ENMU. In fact, I think my last ENMU intramural tee-shirt finally disintegrated in the dryer about five years ago,” said the former statician for Eastern football and basketball games, who enjoys playing golf.

He met his wife, Beth Austin (formerly Bowser), at ENMU.

The duo have three children: son Bobby, graduating from Vanderbilt University in May, daughter Jesse, currently attending AC with plans to transfer to Loyola University of Chicago, and son Matt, sophomore at Amarillo High School.

“I literally received my student affairs indoctrination at ENMU,” said the VP. “I was inspired by a long list of student affairs professionals that included Dr. Wayne Gares, Dr. Eldon Walker, Dr. Dick Walsh, Dallan Sanders, Larry Fuqua, JoAnn Gibson, Larry Brock and many others.”

He also worked with Dorothy Dart and Wendel Sloan.

“I met a list of life-long friends at ENMU that are too numerous to include in this article.”