RRPS Board approves 2025 Hall of Honor inductees

RIO RANCHO — At a recent meeting of the Rio Rancho Public School District Board of Education, Andrea Yarbrough, chair and vice principal of Independence High School, presented this year’s Hall of Honor nominees.

The committee received eight nominations and decided on two. The 2025 Hall of Honor inductees will be Mark Leonard and Joan Bivens. Both are posthumous nominations.

The 2024 Hall of Honor inductees were Hal Makofske and Terry McDermott.

The inductees were selected from a wide pool of applicants submitted to the board throughout the month of September. The nominations are then passed on to a selection committee. After the pool is narrowed down, the final names are presented to the board.

Current employees, Hall of Honor Committee members or board members are not eligible for consideration, according to committee bylaw.

“We thank everyone who took time to submit a name for the committee’s consideration,” the committee said in a statement. “As always, selecting finalists is a very challenging task. There were many worthy candidates, and once nominated those who were not selected will remain in the applicant pool.”

Leonard was with RRPS for 28 years, from his start at Lincoln Middle School in 1990 to his retirement from Rio Rancho High School in 2018. In addition to being a veteran, he was an avid outdoorsman and athlete.

“He went above and beyond in his role, creating a fun and safe environment for his students to grow,” Yarbrough said. “Many students fondly remember his efforts in creating an archeological dig site at LMS and building a successful astronomy club at RRHS.”

Leonard passed away in January 2020.

Joan Bivens served RRPS for nearly two decades as an educational assistant and secretary to the principal.

“She showed incredible dedication to the students in her school and was always seen as a firm but kind leader in her roles. Joan was even known to coach cheerleading when her school was unable to hire a coach in time,” Yarbrough told the board.

Bivens was also the first vice president of the RRPS Teachers Union.

“The success of the union today can largely be credited to her hard work in her union role early on,” Yarbrough said.

Bivens passed away in February 2007.

The board approved both inductees unanimously.