Commencement Speakers
New Mexico Military Institute is pleased to announce our Fall 2017 mid-year graduation &
commissioning speaker is Major General NMNG Kenneth A. Nava.
General Nava serves as The 44th Adjutant General for the State of New Mexico. As The Adjutant General, he serves as senior military advisor to the Governor and is responsible for providing the State of New Mexico and the United States with a ready force of citizen Airmen and Soldiers.
General Nava’s career began in 1988 as an enlisted HAWK Firing Section Mechanic in the 7th Battalion, 200th Air Defense Artillery (HAWK), New Mexico Army National Guard. He later became commissioned through Officer Candidate School as a Second Lieutenant in 1992. General Nava has held various staff positions at the Battalion, Brigade and Joint Force Headquarters levels. He branch transferred from Air Defense to Infantry in 2006 as a result of Force Structure changes in the New Mexico National Guard. He has commanded at Battery, Battalion and Brigade levels.
General Nava has been married for 26 years to his wife Dawn. They have three children, Alicia Gardner, Aaron Nava, and Ariana Nava. He has three grandsons, Zackary, Elijah and Ezekiel.