Danny Flores is a native New Mexican, born and raised in Clayton. He studied percussion and woodwinds at Eastern New Mexico University, Portales, where he earned a Bachelor of Music Education degree Summa Cum Laude and a Master of Music degree in 1980. In addition, he completed an Educational Administration Certificate at the University of New Mexico. In his thirty-three year education career, Danny taught band and choir in Ruidoso, Portales, and Mescalero, music classes for ENMU, and also served as a principal at Sierra Vista Primary School and vice principal at both Ruidoso and Portales High Schools. During his teaching tenure, his high school music groups traveled to Mexico City, Hawaii, and California. His college choirs performed in Prague, Vienna, and Budapest. In his thirty-seventh year of performing, he is the principal timpanist with the Roswell Orchestra and the Southwest Symphony. Danny also enjoys directing the Holy Mount Episcopal Church Choir.
Mr. Flores was instrumental in securing a grant to bring artists from the Kennedy Center to the Ruidoso School District for in service training for all elementary teachers. His expertise and strong advocacy as an administrator for the Fine Arts helped push a bond election resulting in the first performing arts center built in Ruidoso. Professional memberships include the Music Educators National Conference, Phi Beta Mu, a life member of Kappa Kappa Psi, and the American Choral Directors' Association. He received the Oswald Award at the New Mexico All State Convention. An active clinician and adjudicator, Mr. Flores is married to his wife, Teresa, and they have two children and a new grandson.
After thirty three years in education, Danny Flores began a new career in dental hygiene at Dona Ana Community College in Las Cruces, NM. Currently a senior, Mr. Flores is a Crimson Scholar, a member of Phi Theta Kappa, Sigma Alpha Lambda, and the American Dental Hygiene Association. He has served as the vice president of the student club, SADHA, is the Senior Senator for the group, and serving as the community college Student Government Association Treasurer. Danny will leave for Washington D.C. to receive the United States Presidential Minority Leadership Service Award and receive additional leadership training. Mr. Flores was recently awarded the ADHA “Bright Smiles, Bright Future” National Minority Scholarship 2014-2015 sponsored by the Colgate Foundation. Future plans include finishing his dental hygiene studies in May 2015; his passion is to pursue a dental hygiene job and work with geriatric patients, underserved populations, victims of domestic violence, and special needs children.
