* Health workers say speeding up licensing process is more important

A master's degree isn't as important for the Board of Nursing's executive director as the ability to get nurses licensed quickly, according to some New Mexico nurses.

The appointment of Allison Kozeliski earlier this year as the board's executive director drew a chorus of criticism from some nurses -- many of them from academic training programs -- because she lacks a master's degree in nursing.

They also objected to the fact that her appointment was a done deal by the Governor's Office, without the board recruiting and interviewing candidates.

But Kozeliski, whose annual salary is $71,779, said in a recent interview ...