Cochise Newsroom

Donald Raley, Director of the First Responders Academy at Cochise College, has been able to use his passion for teaching alongside his 35 years of experience working in law enforcement. He said, “My primary interests are learning and teaching.” Outside of his job as a director, he enjoys spending time with his family. He also dedicates a lot of his free time to making his doctoral research available to the law enforcement community.  

 

Raley was first introduced to teaching when he taught in-service classes for other police officers. He connected with some of his co-workers at the sheriff’s department in Albuquerque who were teaching college classes. This helped to open the path of teaching as a college instructor. He said, “It kind of happened without intentionally driving it.”  

 

He said that going through the process of becoming a college instructor was very enjoyable. “I’ve been in school pretty much all of my adult life,” said Raley. He enjoys researching new information and applying it to real-life situations. Every one of his degrees and certifications has been carefully selected to enhance his skills and help him become a better leader, both in law enforcement and the academic field.  

 

After working with multiple police departments in New Mexico and teaching at Eastern New Mexico University, Raley and his family decided to relocate. “I was looking for a place with a good climate and a comfortable community environment,” he said. “Sierra Vista certainly had both of those.” He said moving to Sierra Vista was a good opportunity.  

 

That opportunity led Raley to eventually become the director of the Cochise College First Responders Academy. The First Responders Academy is responsible for training Police and Fire academies these graduates go on to work as first responders. Raley said, “Our communities will always need the people that we graduate from each program.”  

 

Since taking up his position at the college, he said one of the best things about working here is the people. “I can call anyone in any department, whether I know them or not, and they’ll do everything they can to help me,” Raley said. “The willingness of the employees to take care of each other is something you don’t find everywhere.” He said that is something he really values about this college.  

 

Raley offers advice to people who are considering taking courses at Cochise College: “I would encourage people in our community to take advantage of [the college],” he said. “Between the regular classes and the Center for Lifelong Learning, we have a lot to offer.”

 

Cochise College’s First Responders Academy provides specialized training in police, fire, and emergency medical services. Students gain the skills and hands-on experience needed to launch a career in public safety. Learn more at cochise.edu.

 

About the author: This article was written by Sofia Snyder, a Liberal Arts student majoring in journalism. She currently serves as a Marketing and Communications intern at Cochise College and is set to graduate in December 2025.