Meet our innovative and enthusiastic team of professionals

who will transform your ideas and goals into a successful event.

Laura Kesselman, president, founded Kesselman-Jones, Inc. in 1990 after moving to Albuquerque from Los Angeles, CA.  Kesselman-Jones, Inc. initially provided public relations and marketing services.  This work was recognized with awards by the Public Relations Society of America and the New Mexico Advertising Federation, including the Federation’s coveted “Marketer of the Year” award for a campaign to reduce stigma for children with mental health problems. As the firm began to grow, so did the demand for their event coordination services, and in 2000, Kesselman-Jones, Inc. modified its mission to specialize in conference and event management.  In Los Angeles, Laura held numerous communications positions including those of special events coordinator and entertainment publicist. Laura graduated from Syracuse University, S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communication in 1986 with a bachelor of science degree in advertising.  She studied for a year in London, England with Syracuse University and for two years in Munich, Germany at the University of Maryland. In 2000 and 2006, the Albuquerque Convention & Visitors Bureau named Laura an Ambassador for her “outstanding service in bringing conventions to the city of Albuquerque."  She was most recently honored as role models for business ethics and community involvement at the eighth annual Celebration of Excellent Women, New Mexico’s largest networking event for women, where she was named an "2008 Excellent Woman" in the communications category. As indicated by the continued growth and success of Kesselman-Jones, Inc., Laura is a driving force in New Mexico’s event planning industry.

Tisha Aldredge, event manager, joined Kesselman-Jones, Inc. after moving back to New Mexico from Arizona where she lived for eight years.  During that time she worked as an activities director for the SunBird Golf Resort HOA, an active adult community of 2,900+ residents in Chandler.  She was responsible for planning the daily activities for the residents, designing and producing a monthly newsletter and planning/assisting in all other special events.   Tisha developed an annual Community Day for the residents that involved over 100 community businesses exhibiting their services and products.  Other annual events planned were the Ladies Candlelight Dinner and the New Year’s Eve Bash, both attended by more than 250 people. Tisha graduated from Eastern New Mexico University with a bachelor of arts degree in music with an emphasis on vocal performance and pedagogy. 

Carol Labryadae, office manager, is the friendly voice answering our telephones and is responsible for managing all of Kesselman-Jones, Inc. internal operations.  She has more than eleven years experience as an executive administrator and most recently with the Four Hills Country Club, prior to that the Albuquerque Petroleum Club. Carol also worked for many years with adults with disabilities; overseeing an employment program and providing life skills and behavior support course curriculum design and implementation.

Hilary Real, event manager, recently joined the team at Kesselman-Jones, Inc. after serving three and half years as the Director of Special Events for the Greater Albuquerque Chamber of Commerce. During this time she planned and executed a wide variety of events, ranging from issues and industries to honoring the military, and recognizing the achievements of business in Albuquerque. Annual events included the Congressional Luncheon Series featuring the delegates of the 1st Congressional district, Partners in Pride, one of the largest military galas in the state and Chamber’s Annual Meeting, both of which host 500 people, as well as the Links for Literacy golf tournament and the Corporate Citizenship Awards, a high energy event in the fashion of Hollywood’s Academy Awards, that recognizes organizations for the their achievements in business and throughout the community. A graduate of the College of Santa Fe, Hilary holds a Bachelor’s degree in Theatre with a minor in music.

Tabatha Roybal, event assistant, is a recent graduate from the University of New Mexico, where she earned a bachelor of university studies degree with emphases in theater education, photography and communication & journalism. She is a lifelong Albuquerque resident and volunteers her time to a variety of organizations including, The Weekly Alibi, where she is a photography intern.  Her photographs have been published nationally; she is also a published author with work on various public relations topics in journals and, most notably, The  Encyclopedia of Business Ethics.

Terri Ruegger, accountant/ human resources manager, comes to the organization with a vast and varied background.  She has performed accounting duties at CEMCO, Inc. a manufacturing company in Belen; the State of New Mexico – Crime Victims Reparation Commission; the New Mexico Coalition Against Domestic Violence; and within the aerospace industry at Goodrich Aerospace. In addition, she was the human resources administrator at Crime Victims Reparation Commission and prior to working for the State of New Mexico, at S.A.F.E. House – the shelter from domestic violence in Albuquerque.  Terri has also served on the board of directors for S.A.F.E. House as the treasurer and co-chaired the personnel committee. Terri graduated summa cum laude from the College of Santa Fe where she majored in Accounting and Business Administration.

Kelly Willems, event assistant, is one of the newer members to join our team. She received her bachelor of university studies degree with emphases in communication and family studies from the University of New Mexico, in 2008, after taking a few years off to raise a family and work primarily in law and education. Kelly volunteers with the Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) program where she is the child’s voice in court.