The Advanced Placement (AP) Program in New Mexico is supported by a dedicated team of professionals passionate about ensuring students have access to high-quality educational opportunities. Get to know the team members working behind the scenes to empower educators and students across the state.
Ana Martinez
Region 9 Advanced Placement Program Coordinator
Ana is an Army veteran with over 25 years of experience in the education sector, including both public and private non-profit settings, as well as Municipal Government. She is excited to be part of the Region 9 team as the Advanced Placement Program Coordinator. Collaborating with educators to ensure the success of New Mexican students is at the forefront of her mission.
Gloria Lueras-Kidd
AP Regional Coach
Gloria ensures educators and coordinators receive the resources and support they need.
- Responding to questions about AP courses, accommodations, and organizing events like AP parent night.
- Assisting schools in accessing valuable data and resources, including AP potential and free pre-AP programs.
- Facilitating monthly virtual professional learning communities (PLCs) for AP educators.
- Providing mentorship opportunities through veteran AP teachers.
- Disseminating updates on AP courses and upcoming deadlines.
- Representing New Mexico at national College Board conferences to stay abreast of AP initiatives.
She also coordinates collaborative efforts between schools, organizes AP Day at the Roundhouse, and helps educators disaggregate and utilize data effectively.
Garrett Taylor
New Mexico AP Coach
Garrett Taylor has worked for the last 26 years in secondary education, teaching, developing curriculum and working closely with administrators, counselors, and teacher groups to ensure the best delivery of curriculum while providing learning opportunities for
students to be successful in the future. Garrett understands the challenges that educators and coordinators face and their need to receive resources and support.
Garrett will be a resource regarding questions about AP courses, accommodations, and organizing events like AP parent night, assisting schools in accessing valuable data and resources, including AP potential and free pre-AP programs and helps educators disaggregate and utilize data effectively.
Garrett will also coordinate collaborative efforts between schools, disseminate updates on AP courses and upcoming deadlines, as well as representing New Mexico at national College Board conferences to stay abreast of AP initiatives and assisting in the organization
of AP Day at the Roundhouse.
Melissa DeLaurentis
Manager, College and Career Readiness Programs
Melissa DeLaurentis is a program manager with the New Mexico Public Education Department’s College and Career Readiness Bureau (CCRB), overseeing the Careers2Community initiatives. Previously, she spent three years with CCRB, coordinating advanced placement, computer science, Pathways2Careers/Careers2Communities, and career and technical education programs. Melissa’s experience as a New Mexico educator, spanning over nineteen years, has seen her teach at all levels of secondary instruction. Her leadership as a STEM coordinator was pivotal in the transition to the Next Generation Science Standards and the development of the Challenger Learning Center with Las Cruces Public Schools. Melissa’s academic qualifications include a bachelor of science in secondary education, a master’s degree in teaching, and a doctorate in educational leadership and administration.
Justin Makemson, PhD
College and Career Readiness and Advanced Placement Specialist
Justin Makemson is the Education Administrator for Region K and the state’s Advanced Placement Program Coordinator. Makemson is a career educator, coach, and researcher with over twenty-eight years P-20 teaching experience in Missouri, Indiana (where he taught AP Psychology), Tennessee, and New Mexico. Makemson worked as a tenured professor and coordinated educator preparation programs in visual art at Belmont University (Nashville, TN) and the University of New Mexico (Albuquerque, NM) before joining the PED as the state’s residency coordinator in 2024. Makemson’s academic qualifications include a bachelor’s degree in studio art and social studies education, a master’s degree in art education, and a doctorate in curriculum and instruction with a minor in learning sciences.
