LuzHilda Campos Serves as Deputy Director at Bold Futures (formerly Young Women United), an organization leading policy change, research, place-based organizing, and culture shift by and for women and people of color in New Mexico.

LuzHilda was born in Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico and migrated to New Mexico alongside her family at the age of three. Her upbringing is a true New Mexican experience rooted in the struggles of poor rural communities and grassroots community solutions.

LuzHilda formerly served as the National Deportation Defense Program Director for United We Dream. LuzHilda developed and led strategies to stop immigrant incarceration and deportations. Under her leadership, the program was devoted to transformational grassroots organizing, advocacy, policy change and civic engagement. LuzHilda is fully committed to community lead solutions that contribute to the liberation of black, brown and indigenous communities.

Jon is currently Deputy Director at the New Mexico Legislative Finance Committee (LFC) overseeing their Program Evaluation Unit.  LFC Program Evaluation staff conduct reviews of the costs, efficiency, and effectiveness of activities in state agencies.  Jon has been at LFC for over a decade during which time work of the Program Evaluation Unit has led to major policy changes and cost savings, and has been recognized by the National Legislative Program Evaluation Society with multiple awards for excellence in research methods, excellence in evaluation, and impact of work.  Jon previously worked as a Principal Scientist supporting the work of the United States Air Force Research Laboratory in San Antonio Texas.  Jon is originally from the beautiful Espanola Valley where he graduated from McCurdy High School before earning a B.A. in Psychology from UNM (2000-Go Lobos!), along with an M.S. (2003) and Ph.D. (2006) in Psychology from TCU (Go Frogs!).  Jon also completed the Senior Executives and State and Local Government program at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government in 2015. 

Dr. Courtney previously served on the Community Advisory Board from 2019-2023.

Leon Howard is the Deputy Director of ACLU of New Mexico (ACLU-NM). After graduating from the University of New Mexico School of Law, Howard worked as Assistant District Attorney in the First Judicial District of New Mexico. After leaving that office, he worked as a staff attorney for ACLU-NM, concentrating on First and Fourth Amendment cases. After two years Howard left for the private sector where he continued to focus on civil rights. In 2018, Leon returned to ACLU-NM as Legal Director, where he led the affiliate's legal department and litigation efforts. Now, as Deputy Director, he oversees the organization's legal, policy, and communications departments. Howard is a board member of the New Mexico Innocence & Justice Project, past co-chair of the New Mexico State Bar Committee on Diversity (8 years), part-time faculty at the University of New Mexico, and Past Vice President of the New Mexico Black Lawyers Association. Super Lawyers Magazine named him a “Rising Star” in the area of civil rights from 2014 through 2017, and in 2015 he was recognized by Albuquerque Business First Magazine as one of New Mexico’s “40 Under 40.”

Tiffany Jiron comes from Sheh-Wheef-Tui also known as the Pueblo of Isleta, where she has lived her entire life. She is a proud Pueblo woman and mother. She focuses her time educating herself on the current trends to actively address violence against Native women and children. 

Tiffany is the Policy & Advocacy Director for the Coalition to Stop Violence Against Native Women (CSVANW). Her advocacy journey began as the Supervised Visitation Assistant in 2014 at Isleta Social Services where she later advanced in her career as the Supervised Visitation Coordinator. Ms. Jiron was also a member of the Board of Directors for CSVANW in 2019. Tiffany currently sits on the National Center on Domestic Violence, Trauma, and Mental Health Advisory Board. Tiffany Jiron holds a degree in Human Services and is a current social work student at the Facundo Valdez School of Social Work at New Mexico Highlands University. Tiffany served as a NMHU Legislative Leadership Fellow during the 2023 Legislative session and successfully advocated to expand and enhance mental health services for students and faculty with the capital outlay request that brought in over $1.2 million dollars.

Tiffany will complete her Social Work program with New Mexico Highlands University and continue to pursue a master’s degree in Social Work and a Master’s in Public Administration to resume her career in Policy Advocacy at a macro level that will serve women and children of color. Her dream is to lead and support tribal nations/Pueblos of New Mexico in strengthening their response to violence with policies that are truly survivor led.

A proud Lobo, Helen graduated from UNM in 2000 with a BA in Political Science and Communication. Since graduating, Helen has been privileged to work for New Mexico residents through her service in the U.S. House of Representatives, working for former Congressman Tom Udall, and in the U.S. Senate, working for Senators Jeff Bingaman and Martin Heinrich.  Locally, she worked closely with former Bernalillo County Commissioner Maggie Hart Stebbins as her policy and research assistant to pass the 1/8 cent Behavioral Health Gross Receipt Tax to support the creation of a comprehensive system of care for those with behavioral health care needs.

In December 2018, Helen joined Mayor Tim Keller’s team at the City of Albuquerque, where today she serves as the Director of Public Affairs.  With the Mayor’s support and in partnership with the UNM Department of Political Science, Helen worked to establish the Mayor’s Select Internship Program to provide UNM undergraduate students the opportunity to learn about, work with and make professional connections in municipal government.

Marshall is an organizer, and has been a political strategist for multiple candidates and organizations; from fighting climate change with the League of Conservation Voters to working for fair pay and safe working conditions with AFSCME-the public employees labor union. All personal fights because, like all of us, he has lived a multi-issue life.

Born and raised in Alamogordo, New Mexico, to a working-class family and a group of particularly strong women (and a few great men, too!) in High School, he worked to educate young people about safer sex. Marshall’s policy expertise focuses on Gender and Sexuality, Bodily Autonomy, and Reproductive and Sexual Healthcare. Marshall also prides himself on his skillset for navigating attacks against our values in ways that build power for the communities being attacked rather than just winning the short-term fight. Marshall strongly believes in the African Proverb, “If you want to go fast, go alone; if you want to go far, go together."

Paul serves as the President of Bank of America New Mexico.  Paul is also a Senior Commercial Banker with over 25-years experience in banking, where he manages the delivery of credit, treasury, and other banking solutions to a diverse group of commercial and corporate clients in New Mexico. Paul earned a B.A. in Economics with a minor in Government from New Mexico State University. He is involved in a number of community organizations, including board positions with The Albuquerque Museum, Economic Forum (past Chair), the New Mexico Banker’s Association, the Albuquerque Community Foundation, and the Albuquerque Hispano Chamber of Commerce (Chair Elect).

Paul lives in Albuquerque with his wife, Sandie, and their three children, Sophia, Diego and Roman.

Allan Oliver is the Executive Director of the Thornburg Foundation. He oversees the Foundation’s Strategic Initiatives in K-12 education, good government reforms, food and agriculture, water, homelessness as well as community funding grants for social service organizations in Santa Fe.  

Allan earned a Master’s in Public Administration from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government. He served as Cabinet Secretary-Designate and Deputy Secretary for the New Mexico Economic Development Department. Allan also served as Director of Cabinet Affairs and Deputy Communications Director for Governor Bill Richardson. He also established the Partnership for Responsible Business and the New Mexico Green Chamber of Commerce, a business association with over 1100 members supporting renewable energy technology and responsible business practices.

Michelle helped spearhead the implementation of full practice authority for Nurse Practitioners at the New Mexico VA Health Care System. She was awarded Albuquerque Business First's Woman of Influence in 2018 and the AANP State Award for Excellence in 2018 and 2023. Additionally, she was Albuquerque Business Weekly's Top 40 Young Professionals under 40 and, in 2016, was honored at the White House as a Champion of Change for Women Veterans in 2013.

Michelle recently completed her term as  President of the New Mexico Nurse Practitioner Council. The legislative work she has helped to achieve while in the office includes: hospital parity for nurse practitioners, nurse practitioners are now part of the Medical Malpractice Act for malpractice equity, and she worked to monitor issues that affect clinicians' practice environment. Michelle serves on the National Office of Nursing Service, Advanced Practice Registered Nurse Council, and as the field advisor for primary care for the Veterans Health Administration. In addition, she is the subject matter expert for productivity and workload management for APRNs.

Michelle works with legislators and local community members to educate them regarding Veteran health initiatives, health policy regarding Nurse Practitioners, and homelessness. Additionally, Michelle has been active on several local boards to address childhood homelessness and driving under the influence. She is currently in the University of New Mexico College of Nursing Ph.D. program focusing on Health Policy. Still, her greatest joy is exploring the world with her husband and two children, whom she calls mini-peacocks.

Regis Pecos was born and raised in Cochiti Pueblo. He served multiple terms as Lt. Governor and Governor and served on the traditional Tribal Council for 35 years. He was the longest serving Chief Executive of what is now the New Mexico Indian Affairs Department, a position he held for 16 years under four State Governors. Regis served as the Chief of Staff to Speaker the late Representative Ben Lujan in the House of Representatives for 12 years and for four years to the House Majority Floor Leader, Representative Rick Miera. His public service in state government and the nation spans over over 35 years and has received commendations by both the state and the nation's executive and the legislature for significant contributions to the State of New Mexico and the Nation.

Regis Co-Founded and Co-Directs the Leadership Institute, an Indigenous Think Tank now in its 28th year. The Leadership Institute currently leads the effort for the 23 Tribal Nations in the implementation of the Tribal Remedy Framework in response to the landmark Martinez/Yazzie case. He was recently appointed by Secretary of Interior Debra Haaland as a member of the Board of Directors of the congressionally enacted National Fund for Excellence in American Indian Education.

He received his undergraduate degree from Princeton University and did his graduate studies at UC Berkeley and his Senior Executive Education at the John F. Kennedy School at Harvard.

Mr. Pecos previously served on the Community Advisory Board from 2021-2023.

With more than a decade of experience in New Mexico state government, government relations, and healthcare public policy, Julia advocates for New Mexico’s hospitals within the complex regulatory and financing landscapes as the Director of Government Regulation and Reimbursement Policy at the New Mexico Hospital Association. She is most interested in finding sustainable approaches to preserve and expand access to healthcare and to support and grow the dedicated healthcare workforce in our state.

Prior to joining the state Hospital Association, Julia worked for Presbyterian Healthcare Services, New Mexico’s largest private employer, as the Manager for Government Relations and Public Policy. There she helped develop and support the public policy needs of Albuquerque Ambulance Service and the system’s regional hospitals, as well as played a significant role in advocating for legislation that would best serve the employees, members, and patients of the organization during the annual state legislative sessions. Additionally, Julia’s state government experience consists of three years with the New Mexico Department of Finance and Administration and more than four years with the Office of Governor Susana Martinez.

Born and raised in Montana, she holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Northern Iowa and a master’s degree from the University of New Mexico School of Law.

Following a five-year stint as the Executive Director of New Mexico Ethics Watch (NMEW), Kathleen continues to work on essential policy issues in New Mexico as a consultant on ethics reform, Children’s Code reform and legislative matters. Kathleen is an attorney with decades-long legislative experience, having worked as the Head Majority Analyst for the New Mexico State Senate, and as a New Mexico State Senate Judiciary Committee analyst. Kathleen has been an instructor at the law school, university and college level, and has led trainings and strategic planning sessions for diverse entities as the owner of Voice and Verse. Kathleen hosted and produced public affairs and cultural radio programming on Albuquerque’s KUNM Public Radio for many years, garnering awards from the Society of Professional Journalists, the NM Associated Press Broadcasters, and the NM Press Women’s Association. She is the host of the EthicsNOW podcast (www.ethicsnow.org ) and an award-winning singer-songwriter and composer. Kathleen is an avid tennis player, swimmer and cyclist, and a passionate outdoorswoman and animal lover. She graduated with a J.D. degree from the William and Mary Law School and a B.A. degree from Fordham University.

Amy Whitfield has had a strong career in social services.   She received her Masters in Social Work from the University of Maine .  She has served New Mexico for almost 20 years working in small non-profits serving numerous fields including:  anti-violence, substance abuse treatment, teen pregnancy and parenting, leadership mentoring, community organizing and non-profit program development.   She is the former executive of the YWCA New Mexico and NM Domestic Violence Resource Center.   

Ms. Whitfield joined state government at the start of Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham’s administration.  She served at the NM Children, Youth and Families Department (CYFD), responsible for planning and implementing projects that move forward strategic plan goals and created the Office of Performance and Accountability.  She served as Executive Director of the Office of African American Affairs.  And, was recently appointed as the Housing and Homelessness Advisor for the Office of the Governor. 

Ms. Whitfield is a strong advocate for the social work profession and has served as adjunct faculty in social work for Central New Mexico Community College and New Mexico State University. 

Ms. Whitfield previously served on the Community Advisory Board from 2021-2023.

Amanda was born and raised in Albuquerque, NM and grew up surrounded by a large and close-knit extended family. Upon graduation from Rio Rancho High School, Amanda left New Mexico to attend the University of Tulsa. There she obtained a degree in international business and Spanish, becoming the first person in her family to graduate from college.

After college, Amanda began a corporate career working as a supply chain coordinator for ConocoPhillips in Houston, TX. After working in Houston, Amanda returned to New Mexico to continue her career with ConocoPhillips as a supply chain lead and eventually as director of stakeholder relations for New Mexico.

After six successful years in the energy sector, Amanda pursued public service as the director of strategic outreach at the New Mexico Public Education Department. Her experience with the New Mexico Public Education Department affirmed her passion for education and motivated her to engage more stakeholders in working to improve New Mexico’s education system, which led to the development and creation of NewMexicoKidsCAN.

Jon is currently Deputy Director at the New Mexico Legislative Finance Committee (LFC) overseeing their Program Evaluation Unit.  LFC Program Evaluation staff conduct reviews of the costs, efficiency, and effectiveness of activities in state agencies.  Jon has been at LFC for over a decade during which time work of the Program Evaluation Unit has led to major policy changes and cost savings, and has been recognized by the National Legislative Program Evaluation Society with multiple awards for excellence in research methods, excellence in evaluation, and impact of work.  Jon previously worked as a Principal Scientist supporting the work of the United States Air Force Research Laboratory in San Antonio Texas.  Jon is originally from the beautiful Espanola Valley where he graduated from McCurdy High School before earning a B.A. in Psychology from UNM (2000-Go Lobos!), along with an M.S. (2003) and Ph.D. (2006) in Psychology from TCU (Go Frogs!).  Jon also completed the Senior Executives and State and Local Government program at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government in 2015. 

Dr. Courtney previously served on the Community Advisory Board from 2019-2021

In December 2019, Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham appointed Maggie Hart Stebbins as New Mexico’s Natural Resources Trustee, a role in which she is responsible for ensuring that our state’s precious natural resources are restored, and communities made whole, following contamination by hazardous substances or oil. Her appointment as Trustee followed more than ten years as a Bernalillo County Commissioner where she was elected three times to represent 130,000 constituents in an economically and demographically diverse district in central Albuquerque. On the county commission, Hart Stebbins championed ethics reform; improving access to mental health care and substance use disorder treatment; criminal justice reform; and environmental protection. Her background includes work for the U.S. Congress, the New Mexico House of Representatives, and the Mid-Region Council of Governments, where she focused on water conservation and regional transportation. Hart Stebbins has a History degree from Harvard University where she was a Division 1 All-American athlete; Harvard Crimson Athlete of the Year; and a Harvard Varsity Club Hall of Fame inductee.

Michelle Melendez is the inaugural director of the City of Albuquerque Office of Equity and Inclusion. She is a Chicana, native of Albuquerque, New Mexico, with more than 18 years of experience in community development, leadership development and advocacy to address the social determinants of health and their policy antecedents. She holds a Master’s Degree in Public Administration and a Bachelor’s in Communication, having been as a journalist for 13 years before moving into community health equity work. Michelle worked as the Director of EleValle, a South Valley Healthy Communities Collaborative of the Rio Grande Community Development Corp; and as Development Director and Training Director at First Choice Community Healthcare. She also worked as Community Services Director of CHI St. Joseph’s Children, and for the New Mexico Department of Health after she left her journalism career in 2001.

Amy Whitfield has had a strong career in social services. She has served New Mexico for almost 20 years working in small non-profits serving numerous fields including: anti-violence, substance abuse treatment, teen pregnancy and parenting, leadership mentoring, community organizing and non-profit program development. She is the former Executive of the YWCA New Mexico and NM Domestic Violence Resource Center. She also formerly served as the African American Health Specialist at the Center of Excellence in African American Health for UNM Community Health Program. She has also served as adjunct faculty in social work for Central New Mexico Community College and New Mexico State University. Most recently, Ms. Whitfield served as the Special Projects Coordinator for the NM Children, Youth and Families Department (CYFD), responsible for planning and implementing projects that move forward the strategic plan goals. In her role she developed a new Workforce Development Bureau, which builds the professional development of new and existing employees and builds pipeline programs to child welfare employment. Ms. Whitfield also provides the staff support for the 2020 created Governor’s Advisory Council for Racial Justice.

Ernie C’deBaca is President & CEO of the Albuquerque Hispano Chamber of Commerce (AHCC).  Ernie began in that capacity in June 2017 having served prior as the Vice President of Conventions and Tourism for the chamber.  Ernie retired from PNM Resources in January 2016 having worked there for 38 years and serving the past 20 years as its Vice President of Governmental Affairs.

Ernie was also a long-serving Board Member at the Chamber and was its chair in 2006.  In his current capacity, Ernie leads the AHCC which is the largest chamber in New Mexico and the largest Hispanic Chamber in the United States.  The mission of the chamber is to promote economic development, to enhance economic development opportunities and to provide business and workforce education with an emphasis on the Hispanic and Small Business Community in Albuquerque and New Mexico.

Scott Darnell currently oversees policy development and strategic planning for the Greater Albuquerque Chamber of Commerce,.  Previously, Mr. Darnell served as the Director of the Albuquerque Innovation Team (ABQ i-team), a city-affiliated entity funded by Bloomberg Philanthropies that conducted groundbreaking research on crime in Bernalillo County. From 2011 to 2016, Mr. Darnell served as a senior advisor to New Mexico Governor Susana Martinez – first as her Director of Communications, and then as her Deputy Chief of Staff. 

A recipient of the distinguished Public Service Fellowship, Mr. Darnell earned a Master in Public Policy (MPP) degree from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government after graduating from the University of New Mexico as a Regents Scholar with a degree in political science. 

Julie Morgas Baca is presently the County Manager of Bernalillo County, chosen for the county’s top position by the Bernalillo County Commission in September, 2015.  She brings a wealth of experience in public administration, finance and community relations. With her guidance, Bernalillo County leads the way with improved mental health and support services.From 1995-2003, Morgas Baca served as fiscal director of the Second Judicial District Court, where she oversaw a $40 million budget and presented before statewide legislative bodies.From 2004-11, she served as a deputy county manager in Bernalillo County, where she was responsible for parks and recreation, economic development and other community services. From 2013-15, she was president and CEO of the National Hispanic Cultural Center Foundation, where she was responsible for the foundation’s fiscal integrity.Morgas Baca holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Phoenix and received the designation as fellow of the National Institute of Court Management.

Morgas Baca was born in Tooele, Utah, a small town outside of Salt Lake City. She was raised in El Paso, Texas and has three older brothers. She is married to former Chief District Court Judge Ted Baca, and they have a daughter, Celina.

Gabriel Campos is the Director of the Office of Diversity and Human Rights and the designated ADA Coordinator for the City of Albuquerque. Under his direction, the department addresses discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, sexual orientation, gender identity and physical handicap in areas such as housing, employment and public accommodation. To this end, he proactively engages in pre-litigation strategies to help citizens reach a win-win resolution. He also works on broader initiatives related to pay equity and race equity and strives to drive positive programmatic systemic change.

Mr. Campos received his Bachelor of Science in engineering from New Mexico State University. He later attended the University of New Mexico for his Master of Business Administration (MBA), and the University Of Wisconsin School Of Law for his Juris Doctor. Prior to his current role as the Human Rights Officer, he worked for New Mexico Legal Aid, the 11^th Judicial District Attorney’s Office, General Motors and Westinghouse Electric. He is also an appointed member of the NM Supreme Court Access to Justice Commission.

Jennifer Ramo is an attorney and the Executive Director of New Mexico Appleseed.   New Mexico Appleseed is a nonpartisan, nonprofit policy advocacy organization that creates effective solutions to poverty.  We work from the community level up to the state, federal, and tribal governments to understand the barriers that keep families in poverty and address them through effective policies. New Mexico Appleseed’s work has recently been highlighted the New York Times, CNN, NBC Nightly News, the Huffington Post and media outlets around the world.  

She is a graduate of the University of Southern California and Tulane Law School.  

Mr. Sallee has worked for the Legislative Finance Committee since 2005 conducting and overseeing program evaluations of state agencies, higher education, and public schools.  He also conducted evaluations for the Texas Legislature at the Sunset Commission.   Some of his work has led to major policy changes or cost savings in the areas of Medicaid, higher education, adult and juvenile corrections, public schools, and workers compensation.  He also has experience providing direct human services, including to people with developmental disabilities and abused children.  Mr. Sallee grew up in New Mexico and earned a BSW from New Mexico State University and MSW-Administration from Texas State University-San Marcos. 

Kristin Szczepaniec is Seneca and Polish, from North Tonawanda, New York. She is responsible for the NACA Inspired Schools Network Indigenous Education Knowledge Management system working to facilitate the sharing, development, and measurement of best practices across Indigenous schools. NISN works to collect quantitative and qualitative information to help tell the stories of the work being done in Indigenous communities, particularly through education. Before coming to NISN, she served as the Director of Strategic Initiatives and Partnerships for Teach For America's Native Alliance Initiative, supporting efforts to build a strong community of Native leaders focused on culturally relevant education. She served as a middle school Math teacher in the Pueblo of Laguna. She earned an MPA in Education Policy & American Indian Studies from Cornell University, holds a Master of Arts degree in Elementary Education from the University of New Mexico and a BA in Economics and Peace Studies from the University of Notre Dame.

I was born in Los Angeles, California, and lived there until I graduated from UCLA in 1974.  The day after I graduated, I left the U.S. for West Africa, where I served as a Peace Corps volunteer.  I also served with the Peace Corps in Chile.  I later earned an M.A. from the University of Chicago in Public Policy with a concentration in applied economics and a Ph.D. in Economics from the University of New Mexico.  I have spent most of my professional career in senior levels of government, having worked for the Cities of Chicago and Albuquerque, the New Mexico Legislative Finance Committee, and the United States Treasury.  Most of my work in government has been in areas related to applied economics and public finance. I have worked as a consultant in the developing world and have presented seminars in many countries in Africa and the Middle East.  I have been with Highlands University for twelve years, having served as a Professor of Economics, Vice President for Finance and Administration and the Dean of the School of Business, Media and Technology.