Western New Mexico University alum DeMarcus Contreras has steadily established himself as a strong force in enterprise data architecture, applying a unique synthesis of behavioral psychology, technical mastery and strategic-minded perspective to change how organizations leverage technical information. Recently promoted to Data Architect Manager at Western New Mexico Communications, Contreras now oversees complete data strategy, system integrations and multi-departmental management structures across the region.
Contreras, a Silver City native who graduated from WNMU with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, represents the power of a versatile interdisciplinary education. His academic track at WNMU was anchored by strong support from faculty members including Associate Professor of Psychology, Jennifer Johnston, PhD, Professor of Psychology Po-Sen Chu, PhD, and Professor of Psychology Wen-chi Chen, PhD. Although Contreras initially intended to pursue a career in clinical counseling, he discovered that his foundation in psychological science provided a priceless asset when navigating high-level corporate systems and cross-functional teams.
“Whenever you’re working on the architecture of data for an entire company, you need to work with a lot of people,” Contreras noted. “Learning to work with all these different personality types, understanding what communication styles best work for them, and conveying a message in a way that corresponds to their frame of mind has been very helpful.”
After attaining his undergraduate degree, Contreras initially worked in logistics and local service positions while self-studying computer hardware and systems engineering. His career path shifted rapidly after securing an entry-level IT specialist role at Western New Mexico Communications two years ago. Demonstrating an outstanding aptitude for complex system integration and data analytics, Contreras advanced through positions as a finance department Data Analyst and Lead Business Data Analyst before assuming his current managerial position.
In his present capacity as Data Architect Manager, Contreras leads efforts to aggregate, standardize and govern vast streams of organizational information—ranging from geographical mapping and customer relations management to financial accounting and executive analytics dashboards. Additionally, he oversees policy guidelines for artificial intelligence and predictive modeling, safeguarding data security and single-source-of-truth accuracy across all enterprise platforms.
Aside from his professional success, Contreras continues to embody a devotion to perpetual learning. He is set to complete a Master of Science in Data Analytics from New Mexico State University this December. Looking back on his education, Contreras credits WNMU with developing a growth mindset and providing an accessible platform for regional success.
“Even if you have to begin courses in one path you are not sure of, or attend university part-time, that education is an investment in yourself that no one can ever take away.”