Lonnie Barraza, BS Ed, MS Ed, has taught PE and Health Education for over 20 years and was one of seven teachers who created a national Health curriculum for all Job Corps to use. She currently works for the NM Public Education Department (NM PED) as the HIV Prevention Program Administrator where she coordinates efforts around HIV/Sexuality issues throughout New Mexico.

William O. Blair, PhD

Daniel DePaula, MS, is the Coordinator for the Safe & Drug Free Schools and Communities program within the NM Public Education Department (NM PED). Mr. DePaula attended the University of New Mexico, where he received a BS in Elementary Education followed by a MS in Sports Administration.  His previous employment includes work as an Administrative Coordinator with the University of New Mexico, Children Youth & Families Department and the NM PED, Student Nutrition Bureau.

Gaile Herling coordinates Santa Fe Public Schools ADELANTE Program, which annually serves more than 1,000 students and siblings experiencing homelessness. This is her seventh (7th) year learning how to develop inclusive, diverse programming that promotes the educational and family stability of children living in chaotic situations.

Dean Hopper, MA, Ed, has worked at the NM Public Education Department since 1996, serving as Assistant Director since 2002. Prior to being the Assistant Director, Mr. Hopper was the HIV Education Program Coordinator. He has worked in public health providing pre and post test counseling for STD and HIV clinics and began his career in Health Education as an educator with Santa Fe Public Schools at both the high school and middle school levels.

Mohammed Hussien

Robyn Kelley has been a leader and innovator in the field of youth development for over 15 years. Ms. Kelley's work as an urban 4-H agent reflects a positive youth development approach through the 4-H lens assuring that all youth are afforded the opportunity to grow into productive, healthy citizens. Now working on her PhD in Youth Development, Ms. Kelley provides training with infectious energy leaving participants on fire for working with youth.

Laura Kesselman has been working to ensure the academic success of children as a contractor with the New Mexico Public Education Department and the New Mexico Department of Health for the past 14 years. The owner and president of Kesselman-Jones, Inc., a communications firm specializing of conference and event management, Ms. Kesselman more than 20 years of marketing and communications experience. She was awarded Marketer of the Year by the New Mexico chapter of the American Marketing Association for a awareness campaign to reduce stigma surrounding children’s behavioral health issues and has been acknowledged by the Public Relations Society of New Mexico. In 2009 she was named a Women of Influence by the New Mexico Business Weekly and Kesselman-Jones, Inc. was listed as one of the top 20 women-owned businesses in New Mexico. 

Ron Lucero, MPA is the Truancy Prevention Coordinator with the School and Family Support Bureau in the New Mexico Public Education Department. He is a graduate of Valley High School in Albuquerque and the University of New Mexico.  Mr. Lucero has worked extensively with youth, first as a line staff, then as an Administrator at the Bernalillo County Juvenile Detention Center and was also the first Jail Director for the Adult Facility in Sandoval County.  Before coming to the Public Education Department, he was the Youth Shelter Director at A New Day Shelter.

Kristine M. Meurer, PhD, is the Director for the School Health Unit at the NM Public Education Department. She received her Doctorate in Health Promotion from the University of New Mexico in 1995. She is certified in Health and Physical Education, both in New Mexico and Michigan, licensed in Educational Administration in New Mexico, and maintains a National Athletic Trainers Association Certificate. Dr. Meurer has been an educator for the past 28 years. She possesses an extensive background in Coordinated School Health Programs (CSHP) and provides leadership at both the National and State level for CSHP. She is an active member of several national organizations including, the Society of State Directors of Health, Physical Education, and Recreation, in which she has chaired the Advocacy, Policy and Leadership Committee and currently serves on the CSHP Collaborative, American Association of Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance, American School Health Association, and the National Athletic Trainers Association. Dr. Meurer is active at both the national and state levels working with health professionals, policy makers, and school districts promoting Coordinated School Health Programs. Dr. Meurer’s extensive experience in CSHP and advocacy has afforded her the opportunity to present on numerous occasions at the national, state and local levels. In addition, she has served on numerous advisory committees at the national level for issues such as advocacy, evaluation, health topic specific committees, and infrastructure development for CSHP.

Laurie Mueller

Craig A. Orraj is the managing attorney of Orraj, Anderson & Obrey-Espinoza, Staff Counsel for Farmers Insurance Exchange and Affiliates. Mr. Orraj obtained a BS degree in Justice Studies, magna cum laude, from Arizona State University in 1985 and a JD from the University of Arizona in 1988. He is licensed in New Mexico and Texas and was elected as a New Mexico State Bar Commissioner in 2002. In 2008, Mr. Orraj served as President of the State Bar of New Mexico. He is a former President of the New Mexico Young Lawyers Division and a former cabinet member of the American Bar Association/Young Lawyers Division. He is currently active as a Governor for the American Bar Association, the largest professional voluntary organization in the world.

Jack Ortega has been working with the Rio Arriba Juvenile Justice Board since 2003.The RAJJB membership consists of key youth services policy makers in the community. It includes the Children's Court Judge, School Superintendent, School Principal, Police Chief, District Attorney, Juvenile Probation, Child Protective Services, County and City staff as well as community based providers.One of our goals is to organize community resouces to include governmental,for-profit, and non-profit organizations to partner in grant applications to integrate services. This process strengthens the community's ability to increase service capacity and provides continued sustainablity for of our community organizations. For FY 10 The RAJJB will leverage and coordinate $670,000 to address chronic out of school suspensions and high risk students.

Renee Paisano-Trujillo leads New Mexico Community Foundation's integrated services in school development, shaping initiative-wide program strategy, policy and leverage efforts, and communications support, as well as guiding implementation at each Elev8 site until recently. A native of the Pueblo of Laguna, she is locally and nationally recognized for her 25 years of extensive experience with nonprofit advocacy and community development organizations. Over the last 13 years, Ms. Paisano-Trujillo has devoted her attention to the support of afterschool program initiatives, primarily in tribal and rural contexts.

Ann Paulls-Neal is in her twelfth year of teaching elementary Physical Education in Albuquerque. She is nationally board certified in Early and Middle Childhood Physical Education and is currently serving as the SWD AHPERD President-elect. She has made numerous presentations at school, district, and state conferences.

Linda Peñaloza, PhD

Carol Pierce, a former Regional Public Health Director with the Department of Health in New Mexico, provides planning, facilitation and implementation support. She has worked extensively on the planning for the initial launch of services and has specifically focused on the integration of services. Ms. Pierce will now support the sustainability planning process for Elev8 NM. 

Patricia Rael is the education and outreach coordinator for the NM Attorney General's Office. Prior to that she was the special projects coordinator at the New Mexico Secretary of State’s Office. In one major project, she wrote and co-produced a statewide Poll Worker training video on Disability Etiquette for use during elections.  She also assisted in writing legislation for the 2006 legislative session. Ms. Rael’s other accomplishments include the writing of a sixty-seven-page “Business Retention and Expansion” report for the State Director of the New Mexico Small Business Development Centers. During this time she worked at the Legislature and developed a training program about the legislative process.

Art Salazar has worked in the field of HIV/STD prevention for 10 years. In 1999, he started his public health career as the Phlebotomist/Lab Tech in the Stanford Public Health Office. There, he drew blood and processed specimens for the STD/HIV clinic and Family Planning program for 4 years. In December 2003, he was promoted to Disease Prevention Specialists (DPS), out of Stanford PHO for Region 1&3. Responsibilities were ensuring that clients, who tested positive or exposed to STDs and HIV, were adequately treated. During this time as a DPS, his work took him into jails, prisons, schools and the streets to deliver the message of STD/HIV prevention. Mr. Salazar started the East Central Outreach, a collaborative integrated infectious disease street outreach, which included several local Community Based Organizations to provide testing and prevention messages to high risk individuals. In August 2008, he was promoted to Health Educator for the HIV Prevention Program, where he is responsible for certifying and training new HIV prevention staff, providing guidance as the state-wide HIV Community Planning and Action Group (CPAG) co-chair and continuing to providing street outreach services to high risk individuals.

Joseph P Sanchez, MBA, is the coordinator for the McKinney-Vento Homeless Education program and the Family and Youth Resource Program at the NM Public Education Department (NM PED). He serves on the New Mexico Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) panel, the New Mexico Interagency Coordinated Council (ICC), and the Family Infant Toddler (FIT) Council. Both of these appointments are made by Governor Richardson. He has also served 7 honorable, courageous and committed years as an officer in the United State Navy. Mr. Sanchez graduated from the Naval Supply Corp School in Athens, Georgia with a certificate in Supply/Logistics. He has also been a franchisee owner in the Albuquerque metropolitan area. He is currently a graduate student at the University of New Mexico with anticipation to pursue a doctoral degree in Family Studies. His previous employment has included experiences in finance, management, analytical work (both programmatic and legislative), sales, customer service and operational management.

Chris Schueler has created over 100 television programs in the past 20 years that have garnered 18 Emmy® Awards and have been broadcast throughout the country and around the world. Focusing on educational and social issues, Mr. Schueler has over two decades of experience in youth programming, cultural and social documentaries, and family series television all geared to create “Television to Touch the Heart.” His clients have ranged from the United Nations to the PBS network to the CBS Network Foundation. His documentary projects have explored important issues ranging from air quality to domestic violence, which have aired on PBS, The Learning Channel, The Classroom Channel, and over 100 domestic markets as well as 35 countries. In addition to the United States, filming locations have included Europe, the Middle East, Asia, Central America and Africa. Documentaries focusing on the environment, health and social issues, and Native American challenges have raised public awareness and also impacted public policy. Most recently he has created social marketing and outreach campaigns involving extensive use of the media to address underage drinking, domestic violence, illegal drugs and youth suicide and family mental health issues. Each of these projects included organizing partnerships with non-profit stake holders, government entities and private businesses. These documentaries and community outreach projects included not only broadcast of the programs in prime time, but also curriculum guides, Town Hall meetings, specialized educational videos, and internet components including live web cam interaction and discussion groups as well as cell phone text messaging.

Jim Schwar is the FYRA and Truancy Program Evaluation Manager with the University of New Mexico. He received a Ph.D. in Gerontology from the graduate center for Gerontology, College of Public Health, University of Kentucky.  In his prior experiences, Dr. Schwar has served as a nursing home ombudsman, elder health insurance counselor, and elder care assistance specialist. His research interests are global aging, globalization, social policy on aging, and preventive-primary and long-term elder care systems, particularly in the Americas and post-Cold War Cuba.

Kathleen Sullivan comes with experience working with immigrant populations, in community organizing, and more than 10 years teaching in middle school and university environments. She is a native New Yorker who is bilingual (Spanish-English) and has an anthropological background. She will be instrumental in helping Elev8 NM define its social justice effort over the next few years and will also help identify school-community resources that can support sustained supports to students and their families.

Danette Townsend has over 14 years of afterschool programming in middle schools and community development experience, most recently with the YMCA. She has a bachelor's degree in Criminal Justice and a master's degree in Counseling. Ms. Townsend now leads the school-site integration and implementation effort with a focus on quality-building and developing best practice.