Our Breakout Session Presenters

Ginny Adame, BS, CPS, works for the Village of Los Lunas as the DWI prevention/enforcement coordinator for Valencia County.  Ginny brings substance abuse prevention education to the community, works with all 5 of the local law enforcement agencies to provide grant funded check points, saturation patrols, and Underage Drinking Task force operations, and is the vice president for the Valencia Community Partnership, which is the acting Health Council for Valencia County.  Prior to working for the Village of Los Lunas, Ginny has worked in Victim Advocacy, Crisis Counseling, Violence Prevention Education, Violence Prevention curriculum development, Community Crisis Intervention, and the Criminal Justice System.  Ginny’s educational background includes: Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice with a Minor in Psychology from the University of Maryland European Division (2003) and is an Internationally Certified Prevention Specialist (2008) through the International Certification & Reciprocity Consortium and the New Mexico Credentialing Board for Behavioral Health Professionals.  

Steven Adelsheim, MD, a board-certified child, adolescent, and adult psychiatrist, is the director of the Center for Rural and Community Behavioral Health and a professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center. He also consults to the New Mexico Behavioral Health Purchasing Collaborative through the New Mexico Department of Health (DOH) and is the former School Mental Health Officer of the New Mexico Department of Health. Named as one of the Best Doctors in America, Dr. Adelsheim is a nationally recognized consultant in the field of school-based mental health. In 2006 he was awarded the Agnes Purcell McGavin Award for Prevention from the American Psychiatric Association and in 2005 he received the Academy’s Irving Phillips Award for significant contributions to the field of prevention of mental illnesses in children and adolescents.

Marco Arviso is employed full time at Navajo AIDS Network, Inc. as the HIV prevention services manager. He has been in the field of HIV work for 6 years. In 2003, Marco worked under an Arizona Department of Health Services grant as a community health educator where his task was to provide HIV prevention services to the Gay, Bisexual and Transgender communities on the Navajo Reservation. In 2005 he provided Capacity Building Assistance to the surrounding primary Health Care Providers who work with People of Color. Work of this capacity was funded under the National Minority AIDS Education and Training Center. Marco has presented locally and nationally regarding issues facing Native GBT with an emphasis on HIV/AIDS prevention.

Magdalena Avila, DrPH, MPH, MSW, is an assistant professor in Health Education, in the College of Education, at the University of New Mexico. Dr. Avila is a co-founder of the New Mexico Health Equity Working Group, and is committed and dedicated in working with communities to address health issues through research, advocacy and education. She has a lifelong commitment to addressing and ameliorating social inequities and working for social justice.

 Odile Ball, RN, is a specialty nurse with the UNM pediatric pulmonary center for the last 6 years. Her area of emphasis is with the chronic lung diseases, especially asthma.  She is responsible for inpatient and outpatient asthma education, biweekly asthma outreach clinics and trainings throughout the state for all levels of health care providers, provide medical resident training and nursing orientation as well as work with the UNMH asthma core measures team. Odile has also been involved with the New Mexico Asthma Coalition. Her goal is to facilitate coordination of asthma care and reduce barriers of care in New Mexico. UNM is one of seven national Pediatric Pulmonary Centers.

Lonnie Barraza, MS Ed, currently works for the Public Education Department as the HIV Prevention Program Administrator. In this position, she coordinates efforts around HIV/Sexuality issues throughout New Mexico. Before taking on this program, she worked as the Consultant for the Safe Schools Program. In that role, she assisted school districts in the development of their New Mexico Safety Plan. Lonnie continues to provide technical assistance and support to NM families, schools and other youth-serving community agencies in relation to health issues and health education curricula. Both experiences relate to healthier students and safer schools.

Theresa Belanger, MA, BSW, children’s medical service social worker with approximately 26 years of social work experience with special focus on medical social work, disability/developmental disability and American Indian culture.  For the past five years, Ms. Belanger has worked with Region 2 (NE NM) Children’s Medical Services as a medical management social worker and as the Region 2 Pediatric Specialty outreach Clinic Coordinator.

Enriquetta Benitez is the coordinator for the Plain Talk/Hablando Claro program in Albuquerque's South Valley.

Kirsten Bennett, MS, RD, LD, is a registered dietitian who specializes in the nutritional care of children. Her background includes over 15 years of hospital-based clinical nutrition experience working with families and children and 3 years of teaching at the university level. As a member of the Envision New Mexico staff she has continued her contribution to the nutrition education of the pediatric community in New Mexico through participation in the education and support of pediatric health-care providers statewide.

Lynn Bethel, RDH, MPH, is the director of oral health for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. A dental hygienist for more than 25 years, Ms. Bethel is experienced in developing, implementing and evaluating school-based oral health prevention programs, as well as integrating oral health into the school curriculum. A past-president of the Massachusetts Dental Hygienists’ Association, Ms. Bethel is on the faculty of Mount Ida College, and serves in leadership positions for national organizations including the American Public Health Association and the Association of State and Territorial Dental Directors.

Beverly Billie is an experiential educator/facilitator and presenter She currently works at the Santa Fe Mountain Center and contracts her services as well.  Beverly has been project coordinator to a variety of SFMC programs, from Therapeutic Adventure Programs, which is funded by NM ValueOptions, to the Health Services Program where she is the VOCA Project Coordinator for the Courage to Risk Curriculum that provides Adventure Therapy for survivors of Domestic Violence and Trauma, including serving Native American women and families. In Emergence Native Department she does outreach to the Nineteen Pueblos, the Navajo Nation and Apache tribes. She works in these communities coordinating and facilitating projects, program planning and design with the schools, behavioral health departments, treatment centers & Native children in the public school system, including contributing to on-going projects. Beverly has strong therapeutic facilitation skills and is often-in high demand. She is enthusiastic and energetic, as well as passionate about her work.

Debbie Birkhauser, Ed.S, MA, is the deputy director of the New Mexico Alliance for School-Based Health Care.  She is a retired educator with administrative experience at the school and district level.  She has been involved with school-based health care for over 15 years.

Jeanne Block, RN, is a registered nurse with a master’s degree in Health Education. Her 20+ years of prevention experience includes 5½ years of college teaching and development of several peer education programs for teens. She has written a broad range of health education and training materials, including curricula and fotonovelas on HIV/AIDS, violence against women, and substance abuse. She is currently the methamphetamine project coordinator for Drug Policy Alliance New Mexico.

Kathi Brown, BA, BS, is the coordinator of the NM Girls Institute, a program of the Commission on the Status of Women, for whom she is also the public relations specialist. Ms. Brown is originally from Minnesota, where she earned a Bachelor of Science in mass communications, and a Bachelor of Arts in criminal justice, both from the University of Minnesota - Moorhead. Since relocating to New Mexico in 1994, Ms. Brown has been employed with or volunteered in several non-profit organizations focusing on women's and children's issues

Cheryl Brubaker, MSN, FNP-BC, is a family nurse practitioner with an extensive background in chronic illness and disability in the school environment. She is currently a Resource Nurse for Special Education/Special Needs with Albuquerque Public Schools. She brings nearly 30 years of varied experience to help you answer your questions.

Pamela Burnham, PhD, LISW, SEP, has her doctorate in Clinical Psychology has been working in clinical practice for 30 years with a focus on developmental and shock trauma in infants and children and has conducted research in parent-infant attachment. She is in private practice in Santa Fe, NM. Dr. Burnham is a Somatic Experiencing Practitioner (SEP) specializing in developmental trauma and has completed the SEP Touch Training Advanced Level. She participated in trauma outreach teams in Thailand and Louisiana to assist tsunami and hurricanes Rita and Katrina survivors. Dr. Burnham is Senior Faculty for Trauma First Aide, and developed TFA for Professionals Working with Children.

Alejandra Carmona is a peer health educator with South Valley Peers in Action. The South Valley Peers In Action Project began at the South Valley Academy in 2005 and is composed of young women and men at South Valley Academy interested in community service and in addressing issues around sexuality, sexual health, and individual empowerment. SVPA also addresses issues affecting young women and men at the school and in the community. The group currently is developing a peer educator program in conjunction with Planned Parenthood of New Mexico. Youth facilitators for this session have been trained in the peer educator program.

Christina Chavez, BS, is a Native American from Cochiti Pueblo with background in Health Education previously working with tribal communities for the past 10 years. She recently returned from working in Bethel, Alaska as a diabetes health educator and with the native Alaskan tribes. Ms. Chavez graduated from the University of New Mexico with a Bachelor of Science in Health Education with a minor in Community Health. She has recently been hired as the first ever position created by the American Heart Association as the Native American Cultural Health Initiatives Director. This position is assigned to work with the tribal communities within NM and the Oklahoma area specifically around the area of heart health.

Tim Crofton, MA, BFA and BEd, is the Head of Theatre at The United World College of The American West. Mr. Crofton is originally from England and has 20 years of theatre experience which includes working with prison theatre groups, workshops on sexual assault, theatre of the oppressed, guerilla theatre and HIV/AIDS awareness. Mr. Crofton specializes in theatre for social change and education and has a BFA and BEd from the University of Victoria, Canada and a MA in Educational Leadership from NMHU.

Rose Daniel is a youth advocate for The Alliance For a Healthier Generation.

Yvonne Ellington, MPA, BS, AB, PA-C, a certified physician assistant has worked at the UNM SBHC program for 3 years.  She also teaches at the UNM-PA program.  She has a special interest in sports medicine and in the prevention and treatment of childhood obesity.

Brenda Enriquez is a peer health education with South Valley Peers in Action, a project which began at the South Valley Academy in 2005 and is composed of young women and men at South Valley Academy interested in community service and in addressing issues around sexuality, sexual health and individual empowerment. SVPA also addresses issues affecting young women and men at the school and in the community. The group currently is developing a peer educator program in conjunction with Planned Parenthood of New Mexico. Youth facilitators for this session have been trained in the peer educator program.

Geneie Everett, PhD, RN, SEP, is founder and director of Trauma First Aide Associates. Dr. Everett served as the director of the Foundation for Human Enrichment’s Trauma Outreach Program (TOP) where she led a team to Thailand to assist tsunami survivors and deployed multiple outreach teams to Louisiana in response to hurricanes Katrina and Rita. She has 35 years experience as an integrative practitioner incorporating multiple Body/Mind techniques from western medicine and native cultures. Dr. Everett and her colleagues developed Trauma First Aide, a short term stabilization model designed to treat symptoms of acute traumatic stress in urgent settings.

Paula Feathers, MA (Pawnee/Cherokee) was raised on the Zuni Reservation in Northwest New Mexico. Her career has been dedicated to health promotion and substance abuse prevention.  Having grown up in Zuni, and seeing how a community can embrace prevention, she is a believer in it whole heartedly.  She currently serves as the project director for the New Mexico Substance Abuse Prevention Training System out of the Southwest Prevention Center-University of Oklahoma.  Ms. Feathers has provided training, facilitation, technical assistance, and program development for tribes, federal agencies, and state agencies.  Ms. Feathers earned a bachelor's of University Studies focusing on Native American Studies and Psychology from the University of New Mexico and a Master's degree in Administrative Leadership from the University of Oklahoma.

Melody Fill, MSW, has a master’s degree in social work and is currently working as a school social worker for Albuquerque Public Schools.

Anthony Fleg, MD, MPH, is a family physician and has served as a co-founder and coordinator for the Native Health Initiative since 2004. As a former school teacher in Baltimore, MD, Anthony has a passion for seeing communities heal from within and in inspiring youth to do the same. Through NHI's Youth Leading the Way project grants and Day into Health events, young people of all backgrounds are empowered to become leaders in bringing health to their communities.

Shannon Fleg is a proud Navajo woman, a mother of one and a coordinator for the Native Health Initiative. Working in Coordinated School Health on the Navajo Reservation for 5 years and on youth empowerment in the Tribes of North Carolina for the past 3 years, she lives to inspire youth to greatness. Ms. Fleg is pursuing a master’s degree in health education at the University of New Mexico

Joseph Flippo, PhD, a licensed clinical psychologist and certified school psychologist who received his Ph.D. in clinical psychology from the University of Oregon was a faculty member at New Mexico Highlands University from 1970 to 1987 reaching the rank of professor of Psychology. At Albuquerque Public Schools, he has been instrumental in setting up Threat Incident Management (TIM) teams in all the schools he serves. He has served on the district-wide committee for five years to formulate and document protocols and guidelines to be followed for TIM teams in the district. He has been directly involved in training of the different health and mental health role groups and the APS Police in the TIM team process.

Julie Frank, MPH, CHES, is the director of Operations and Special Projects for SPARK, Sports, Play and Active Recreation for Kids. A public health educator and researcher, she has presented SPARK studies, projects and activities many times at professional conferences, especially those where she can showcase SPARK's unique nutrition integrations. She serves as the SPARK liaison to the California Nutrition Network and is currently leading SPARK’s development of Coordinated School Health programming. Ms. Frank has significant project coordination experiences with SPARK including three projects of national scope with Nike (PE2GO, HeadStart2GO and AfterSchool2GO), OPI (Obesity Prevention Initiative; a large 40+ schools coordinated school health effort in urban San Diego), and POPI (Pittsburgh Obesity Prevention Initiative; a research study of physical education effectiveness occurring in 7 urban high schools). Her professional interests lie in nutrition and physical activity health promotion as well as chronic disease prevention and combating Type 2 diabetes

Suzanne Gagnon, CFNP, is a family nurse practitioner with over 10 years of experience in family and pediatric care in New Mexico. Her role with Envision NM is as the provider outreach and training coordinator. She has spent the past 4 years training primary care providers in community and school based health clinics to identify, prevent and treat pediatric overweight. She also has a strong interest in helping providers find, create and utilize community resources. She has made multiple presentations on the topic of pediatric overweight at the state and national level.

Amanda Gallivan is a graduate of the Community Health Bachelors program at New Mexico State University and is currently working on her Master’s in Public Health at NMSU. She has been a SBHC Coordinator at Chaparral High School for a year and a half and absolutely loves working with teenagers. In fall 2008, Amanda participated in a project to redesign the behavioral health room at the Chaparral SBHC.

Julie Garcia, MA Ed, is the relationship manager for New Mexico with the Alliance for a Healthier Generation. Ms. Garcia comes from state government in New Mexico where her most current position was the community health improvement coordinator for the Northeastern Region (Region 2) within the New Mexico Department of Health. In this position, she worked with communities in Northern New Mexico around community health improvement initiatives. Prior to her work with the Department of Health, Ms. Garcia was the physical activity and nutrition coordinator with the Public Education Department and worked on obesity prevention using the Coordinated School Health model. She has been very active in both school health and obesity prevention coalitions as she has been on the executive board of the Southwest District and New Mexico Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance, the New Mexico Healthier Weight Coalition and New Mexico Action for Healthy Kids. Ms. Garcia received her bachelor’s degree in education from the University of New Mexico and her master’s degree from Central Michigan University.

Meredith Gilpin, MA, is a physical education and health specialist for the Las Vegas Fun and Fitness Grant. She was a graduate assistant for New Mexico Highlands University’s Wellness Center. She is currently the head assistant softball coach for the Luna Community College Rough Riders. She recently earned her MA in human performance and sports this December.

Georgia Glasgow, MSN, is the school nurse consultant and medicaid liaison for the New Mexico Public Education Department.   She has held this position for four years.  She worked as a school nurse in Santa Fe and for the Department of Defense Dependent Schools for 10 years.

Lori Goetz, MA, is a licensed professional clinical counselor and a licensed professional art therapist who has been employed by SDCCHP for the past one and a half years.  She has been employed as a teacher in New York for the past or 16 years, then attended Southwestern College in Santa Fe where she received an MA in Art Therapy 2005.   Lori has worked at the Life Link in Santa Fe, and is currently working for SDCCHP as a Behavioral Health Consultant has provided SBIRT services at Espanola High School for the past 18 months. She has recently transferred to Silver City to continue this work at Silver and Cobre High Schools.

Judy Goldberg, BA, established Viewpoint Productions in 1984, as an audio-visual production company specializing in programs about education, health, New Mexico's cultures & communities, and the arts. Currently Ms. Goldberg is the executive director of the Youth Media Project (YMP); a media arts, media literacy and community research program. She produces a biweekly radio show, "Back Roads Radio", a 1/2 hour, pre-produced program featuring writers, storytellers and community people telling stories which reflect upon our lives.  Ms Goldberg has been a producer, director, videographer, scriptwriter and editor for over 30 years in a variety of documentary, educational, instructional, and commercial video productions.

Melissa Gomez, MS, is the Prevention Program Coordinator for La Pinon Sexual Assault Recovery Center of Southern New Mexico. Ms. Gomez has been affiliated with La Pinon for 9 years.

Adrian Gonzales, BA, is a physical education and health specialist for the Las Vegas Fun and Fitness Grant. He has been an exercise technician for the City Recreation Center and is currently an assistant football coach for West Las Vegas High School.

Jessica Goodkind, PhD, is a community psychologist and assistant professor for the University of New Mexico Department of Pediatrics, Center for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention. She is also a Project TRUST co-PI and core working group member.

Bill Greaves, MSW, LISW, has been working in the schools for over 12 years providing direct service and administrative support. His interests are in working with families and students to find their direction and strengths. Everyone is important and full of potential. He has worked to develop school social work practice with Albuquerque Public Schools and school social workers state wide through the NASW school social worker alliance.  Bill has served on the district-wide committee for five years to formulate and document protocols and guidelines to be followed for TIM teams in the district.

Gabriella Gutierrez is a professor of architecture at the University of New Mexico and a board member of the NM Alliance for School-Based Health Care. She has a long time interest in SBHCs and has led her architecture students in academic work related to SBHC design in Houston, TX and Albuquerque, NM. Gabby worked with the Chaparral High School to redesign a room in their SBHC.

Janie Lee Hall, RN, PNP, is a school health advocate with the New Mexico Department of Health. Janie Lee has worked with Native youth, families, and communities for over 25 years, and is a Project TRUST core working group member.

Beth Hamilton-Ignacio, BS, is the coordinator at the school-based health center in Cuba, NM. She taught school for 15 years, mostly on the eastern Navajo Nation. Beth has had extensive sales and marketing experience within the recreation and health/human services fields as well as a stint promoting a national park as an interpretive ranger. Some of the promotional events she has worked include the 2001 World Rafting Championship, 1999 Solheim Cup Golf Tournament and many fundraisers for non-profits within the Appalachian region.

Jasmin Hendrickson , BA, works with the South Valley Peers In Action Project which began at the South Valley Academy in 2005 and is composed of young women and men at South Valley Academy interested in community service and in addressing issues around sexuality, sexual health and individual empowerment. SVPA also addresses issues affecting young women and men at the school and in the community. The group currently is developing a peer educator program in conjunction with Planned Parenthood of New Mexico. Youth facilitators for this session have been trained in the peer educator program.

Carrie Hicks is a student at Roosevelt Middle school and a gardening volunteer at Talking Talons Youth Leadership (TTYL). Carrie waters the fruit trees in the orchard and the plants in our butterfly garden. She has attended a Summer Science Camp program with TTYL in 2008, and started volunteering shortly afterward.

Penny Holland, MA, LPCC, provides professional development for educators and health professionals as they deal with children’s emotional needs and the behaviors that interfere with learning. She has developed and presented trainings, statewide, on the impact of trauma on learning, relationship and behavior. She is also a clinical counselor at a school-based health center and has a private psychotherapy practice. Penny’s perspective encourages us to relate to children and not their behavior;  to care well for ourselves as educators; and to build schools with standards that consider psychological as well as academic needs of children, thus supporting their innate love for life and learning.

Susie John, MD, MPH, is the medical officer for the Northern Navajo Teen Life Center in Shiprock, NM. Susie is a Navajo pediatrician, President of the Board of Directors for the New Mexico Alliance on School-Based Healthcare and a board member of the National Assembly on School-Based Healthcare. She is also a Project TRUST core working group member.

Whitney Kane, LMSW, is a social worker in Albuquerque Public Schools Special Education program for middle school students with severe emotional disturbance. Over the past 4 years Whitney has coordinated program staff, students and community volunteers to revitalize the school garden. Whitney also has experience in youth gardening through service-learning projects with the East Bay Conservation Corps in Oakland, CA. Whitney believes that gardens are excellent settings for meaningful educational experience and emotional growth.

Wendy Kalberg, MA, LED, is currently with the UNM/CASAA program. She has been instrumental in developing programs for individuals impacted by Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. Her work and background brings you a wealth of information to build sound, evidence-based plans on for your clients.

Nancy Kirkpatrick, BS, is the health services administrator with the Office of School and Adolescent Health

Katrina Koehler, BA, is executive director at Gerard’s House, a Santa Fe nonprofit supporting children and teens ages 3-20 who have experienced the death of a family member or friend. She has been facilitating grief support groups for children, teenagers and adults for the last eight years, as well as supporting grieving children and teens one-on-one. Her goal when training is to pass on what she has learned from grieving people of all ages about how we naturally grieve and how best to support others in that process. Ms. Koehler has a B.A. in Classics from Yale University, and is a Certified Bereavement Facilitator.

Sally Kosnick,MS, executive director of New Mexico GRADS, has taught GRADS for twelve years, nine of those years were spent acting as the Regional Mentor for Southern New Mexico GRADS programs. She brings a wealth of experience with pregnant and parenting teens from the classroom to the state level.

Diana Koster, MD, is the medical director for Planned Parenthood of New Mexico. During her entire career in women’s reproductive healthcare, Diana Koster has worked with teens, in college student health services, at the Maternity and Infant Care Clinics and at Planned Parenthood of New Mexico.  In addition, while raising her three children, she guest taught in elementary, middle and high school health classes in Albuquerque.  She enjoys participating in Head To Toe to help update teachers, healthcare professionals, counselors and school administrators on how to help prevent negative outcomes from teen sexual activity.

Madelyn Krassner, LISW (moderator) has over 23 years of multicultural social work experience, a majority of which focused on individuals with special healthcare needs. She has published and presented (including keynote) at various statewide and regional conferences.  For the past 9 years, Ms. Krassner has worked as the program manager for the Region 2 (NE NM) Children’s Medical Services Program. 

Avron Kriechman, MD, is board certified in adult, child and adolescent psychiatry as well as marital and family therapy. He is on the faculty of the Department of Psychiatry, University of New Mexico and the New Mexico Highlands University School of Social Work. Currently, Dr. Kriechman conducts videoconferencing consultations, trainings, and interviews throughout the state via the Center for Rural and Community Behavioral Health at UNM. He has been involved with school-based mental health for over 25 years.

Ryan Kueffer, BA, is a physical education and health specialist for the Las Vegas Fun and Fitness Grant. He is a certified personal trainer through the National Academy of Sports Medicine. Ryan also managed a corporate fitness center at General Motors Powertrain Headquarters.

Nancy Lacher has a master’s degree in education and is currently working as an elementary school principal with Albuquerque Public Schools.

Kate Latimer, MA, LMHC, is a therapist and training services provider at the Santa Fe Rape Crisis and Trauma Treatment Center. She works with children, adults and families who have been affected by traumatic experiences, including sexual assault, combat, violent crime, physical abuse, and natural disasters. Kate provides training and continuing education in stress management, communication and trauma recovery, both locally and nationally, while maintaining her clinical practice.

Perry Lawson, MS, is a domestic violence program community educator/trainer with the Center of Protective Environment. Perry administers and conducts orientations, workshops, and training seminars on domestic violence and its effects on victims and child witness’s. He assisted in developing a training video, "Our Children Are Watching" (produced in Alamogordo, NM by an Emmy award winning film maker) to define the hidden impact of domestic violence on child witnesses that has been used at local, state and national trainings and conferences. He plans, develops, coordinates and executes activities that promote zero community tolerance of domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking.

Laurie Leitch, PhD, is co-founder & co-director of the Trauma Resource Institute (TRI) based in Santa Fe, NM and Los Angeles, CA. She has spent over 25 years as a psychotherapist using competency-based, mind-body psychotherapy. She has extensive experience providing clinical training and consultation in diverse settings. She has particular interest in at risk populations including adult and child survivors of catastrophic events and provided treatment and clinical training in southern Thailand after the tsunami, in Louisiana following Hurricanes Katrina and Rita and in Rwanda with post-genocide counselors. Dr. Leitch is currently a coordinator of the China Earthquake Relief Project and is training earthquake responders (doctors, nurses, teachers) to use somatic intervention with children and adults in Sichuan Province, China. Dr. Leitch's research has included social program and clinical evaluations for national foundations, the federal government, and non-profit organizations. Her specialty is cross-cultural training and research with populations who have experienced complex trauma.

Paula LeSueur, MN, CFNP, is a certified family nurse practitioner who has worked in SBHC's for 14 years, as a provider, a consultant with the Office of School and Adolescent Health and the Medicaid School Health Office. She is now leading a quality improvement initiative at Envision NM.

Jean Lisiak, MA, LISW, ACSW, received her MA in Clinical Social Work from the School of Social

Service Administration, the University of Chicago, in 1973. For the next eighteen years, she worked in a variety of mental health and child welfare agencies within the Chicago metropolitan area. Prior to moving to Albuquerque in December 1990, she was outpatient clinical director for the Swanson Center (Community Mental Health Center) in Michigan City, Indiana. She worked as a therapist at Children’s Psychiatric Hospital, the University of New Mexico, where she served as director of Social Work Training for the Division of Child and adolescent Psychiatry at the UNM School of Medicine. Since August, 2003, she has been employed as a social worker within APS. She is member of the APS District Crisis Team. She has considerable experience in the diagnosis and treatment of children and youth who are violent and mentally ill.

Amanda J. Lopez, MS, currently works as the school mental health advocate for Region 5 based out of Las Cruces. Ms. Lopez has a master’s degree in marriage and family therapy and prior to joining the Office of School and Adolescent Health 3 years ago, provided support and clinical services for youth and families in the private and non-profit sector.

Gary A. Luna, LISW, LCSW, received a master’s degree in social work in May 2000 from New Mexico Highlands University. He has since worked in the field of mental health and prevention in the Las Vegas, NM area. He is currently a resource specialist with the West Las Vegas 21st Century Family and Youth Resource Program.

Frank G. Magourilos, SCPS, is a Sr. Certified Prevention Specialist with an academic background in behavioral psychology and intercultural communication.  Mr. Magourilos is the elected chair of the New Mexico Credentialing Board for Behavioral Health Professionals and he is the public relations officer of the New Mexico Prevention Network.   Additionally, Mr. Magourilos oversees all the Prevention Programming for the Santa Fe County DWI Program and is the technical prevention advisor for the NM Department of Finance & Administration Local DWI Programs.

David Markwardt, MSOD, MFA, serves as Teamwork in Action Director at Santa Fe Community College. David is a published poet, accomplished storyteller, and has developed many leadership programs for private and public sector organizations. He is currently leading the Coalition and Community Leadership Institute, funded by ValueOptions and supported by the New Mexico Department of Health. David received a B.A in English and History from Dartmouth College in 1984, a Professional Teaching Certification from the University of Houston in 1992, a MFA in Poetry from Vermont College in 1998 and Master of Science in organization development from Pepperdine University in 2007. David presented, “The Power of Poetry to Help You Become a Better Leader” at the 2008 Head to Toe Conference.

Jamal Martin, PhD, is a public health scientist -practitioner, scholar-activist and educator. His leadership, administrative, professional and technical experiences cross numerous borders and disciplines. Dr. Martín’s academic work includes: Human Services/Health Sciences; Community Health Development/Health Services Administration; and Community Health Education/Cognitive Behavioral Sciences. As a public health advisor he has worked with numerous colleges and universities, task forces, governmental agencies, non-governmental, and community-based organizations. Dr. Martín has held numerous appointments including Assistant to the Secretary General, Office of the Secretariat, Asia Pacific Academic Consortium for Public Health and Commissioner, Instructional Materials, New Mexico Public Education Department.

Stella Martin is Kinyaa’aanii, born for the Dziltl’ahnii. Her maternal clan is Tachii’nii, and paternal clanship are of the Tl’ogi. She is a Health Educator with the Navajo AIDS Network, working specifically with the Native American Men Who Have Sex with Men and Transgender populations (MSM/T). She is 1 year new to this field of work, and has found only positive experience in the work NAN has done for this community. Due to NAN’s interventions, she has been inspired to work more closely with the MSM/T community. Being transgender and of the community, she feels more confident sharing her experience with others by encouraging them to better themselves with self motivation. She hopes with her new found freedoms, to inspire others to look at themselves, and see the potential they have. Educating others and have them see the profound growth one person can make. To have others look beyond the physical, and see a person of beauty beneath, is an overall personal goal.

Elaine Martinez-Gonzalez, MA, has a master’s degree in educational leadership and a bachelor’s degree in Human Performance, Leisure and Sport/Physical Education. Currently the director of the Grant programs in the West Las Vegas Schools. Programs include: Las Vegas Fun and Fitness, 21st Century, Teen Outreach Program, Healthy Horizons, After-school Enrichment, and Family / Youth Resource. She is also an assistant girls basketball coach for West Las Vegas High School.

Janet Mason, RN, MSN is a school health advocate for the New Mexico Department of Health, Office of School and Adolescent Health, Public Health Region 1& 3. She has worked extensively with children and adolescents as a school nurse and psychiatric nurse.  Supporting school nurses, students and families in the treatment of head lice has been a major interest.  

Jennie McCary, RD, is a registered dietitian and the wellness coordinator for Albuquerque Public School District.

Nimsy Melendez is a peer health educator with the South Valley Peers In Action Project which began at the South Valley Academy in 2005 and is composed of young women and men at South Valley Academy interested in community service and in addressing issues around sexuality, sexual health and individual empowerment. SVPA also addresses issues affecting young women and men at the school and in the community. The group currently is developing a peer educator program in conjunction with Planned Parenthood of New Mexico. Youth facilitators for this session have been trained in the peer educator program.

Delia Mendoza, LISW, is a licensed independent clinical social worker. She is the Region 4 School Mental Health Advocate with the New Mexico Department of Health-Office of School and Adolescent health. In this role she provided behavioral health technical assistance and consultation to School Based Health Centers and schools in an eight county region in the southeast part of the state.  A New Mexico native, she has worked in a variety of community-based programs as well as intensive inpatient settings.

Margaret Migliorati, MA, LPCC, DTR, NCC has worked as a therapist in school-based health centers in Silver City, Bayard and Lordsburg, NM. She currently works as the clinical coordinator of the EARLY Program for the Mind Research Network and the University of New Mexico. Margaret is particularly passionate about the outreach component of the EARLY Program which is the key to early identification, treatment and potentially the prevention of a serious mental illness.

Carson Miller is a youth advocate for The Alliance For a Healthier Generation. She is 12 years old and attends Capshaw Middle School in Santa Fe, NM. Ms. Miller was selected this summer to be 1 of 20 youths on The Alliances Youth Advisory Board. The alliance is a partnership between the American Heart Association and The Clinton Foundation are working together to try to solve the problems of childhood obesity.

Nancy Miquelon, MA, LPCC, is a clinical mental health counselor. She graduated from the University of Colorado at Denver, specializing in marriage and family therapy. She has been in practice for 16 years, with a strong focus on trauma and cult recovery. Ms. Miquelon has been with SDCCHP for over 3 years, working with the Jicarilla Apache Nation.

Lucy Montes-Sandoval is a Psychiatric Clinical Nursing Specialist and a Counseling Psychologist at the Gadsden Middle School, School Based Health Center. In addition, Dr. Sandoval functions in the role of Program Director for the SBHC in implementing the comprehensive school-based health component of the Elev8 New Mexico Initiative. Since 2000, she has had experience in working at SBHC settings providing ongoing therapy and medication management to both middle and high school students.

Harry Montoya, MA, as CEO of Hand Across Culture Corp. (HACC, pronounced “Hawk”), leads a successful non-profit agency which is involved in community mobilization efforts and has taken on a much broader focus to include all types of educational, health, and social services programs. Commissioner Montoya has been involved in the alcohol, tobacco and other drug (ATOD) field for the past 18 years, working both in prevention and treatment programs. He also developed a dual-diagnosis program (chemical dependency/mental health) while he worked at a psychiatric/chemical dependency hospital. Commissioner Montoya has a Master of Arts degree in Counseling Psychology from New Mexico State University and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Westmar University in LeMars, Iowa. He has numerous publications in journals of research he has accomplished, beginning with his Master’s Thesis, continuing through his work with HACC.

Emily Moore, PhD, has maintained a private clinical practice in Albuquerque since 1981, specializing in adolescent, family, and relationship issues. She has over 30 years experience in working with teens in various settings, including juvenile-justice and diversion programs, psychological evaluation and treatment. Since 2003, Dr. Moore has developed and taught programs in relational aggression, cyberbullying and social empowerment skills for students, parents, educators and community leaders.

Ana L Moseley, LISW, ACSW is the clinical director of Sangre de Cristo Community Health Partnership (SDCCHP), a non-profit agency that has implemented and maintained the largest federal SAMHSA grant in New Mexico. The Screening, Brief Intervention, Brief Treatment and Referral (SBIRT) grant has been implemented in 34 medical settings and high schools and consists of 26 Behavioral Health Consultants. Ana has over 25 years of experience in working with Chronic Mental illness in psychiatric hospitals and out patient settings. During the past three years the focus of her practice has been primarily providing and supervising integrative mental health care in primary care facilities to include school based clinics. Ana is a member of the Motivational Interviewing Network of Trainers (MINT) and provides introductory, advanced and specialty focused MI trainings. She provides MI coaching and clinical supervision for advanced skill development. She is also a member of the National Association of Social Workers

Laurie Mueller is the Professional Development Coordinator for the NM Public Education Department.

Antoinette Najera has a master’s degree in social work and is currently working as a school social worker with Albuquerque Public Schools.

Linda Najjar, PhD, is currently a New Mexico Licensed Clinical Psychologist in a private practice called Inner Wisdom Counseling, serving adolescents and adults. She obtained a master’s degree in clinical psychology from University of Colorado and a Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology from the University of Utah. She has worked in a variety of settings as a mental health therapist with children, adolescents, and adults. Her primary specialty area is in multicultural counseling. Her previous experiences include working as a therapist in a residential treatment center for adolescents, acting as a therapist and diversity resource for students on a college campus, and conducting requested outreach services to the community in the area of social justice.

Susan Nelsen, MSW, LISW, is the school mental health advocate for Region 2 for the New Mexico Department of Health. Susan has 10 years experience as a social worker, working both for the Children, Youth and Families Department in Child Protective and Family Services Bureaus and DOH. During her time with CYFD she worked with families in crisis, providing In-Home Family Preservation Services and monitored children’s behavioral health contracts funded by CYFD’s Family Services Bureau. Her current position with DOH takes her into the school behavioral health arena and working closely with School Based Health Centers. She is involved in Suicide Prevention awareness and bringing attention to the effects that trauma has on children, their development and ability to learn.

Anna Nelson, LISW, is a licensed independent social worker providing direct services, programmatic consultation and policy development in New Mexico for the past ten years. Ms. Nelson possesses expertise in promoting resiliency and behavioral health for students and their families. In 2008, Ms. Nelson developed and promoted New Mexico’s first Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention week, an initiative endorsed by Governor Richardson. Currently, Ms. Nelson strives to develop a statewide system of school based and school linked behavioral healthcare guided by the principles of gender responsiveness, trauma and stigma-reduction, and cultural relevance through collaboration.

Patsy Nelson, BSN, MA, is a private community health consultant and the President-Elect of the NM Alliance for School-Based Health Care. She has a varied background in community and clinical health, with an emphasis in the health of children and adolescents.   She was a public health nurse, a school nurse and the director of the School-Based Health Center Program for the UNM Health Sciences Center.  At the NM Department of Health, Patsy was the comprehensive school health coordinator where she established the Office of School Health and served as the deputy director of the Public Health Division. Patsy has experience in policy development at the local, state and national levels and is a contractor with the NM Public Education Department.

Chris O'Donnell, RN, MBA / HCM, holds undergraduate degrees in Nursing and Psychology and his Master's in Business Administration / Healthcare Management. He has been active in the SBHC arena for 3 years, and currently serves as the Manager of the UNM SBHC Program. He has been a nurse in a variety of settings, with an emphasis on child and adolescent behavioral health care. He serves on many healthcare councils, advisory boards, and boards of directors focused on improving healthcare in NM. 

Letha S. Olmos, LISW, is an independent clinical social worker. She graduated from New Mexico Highlands University with her Masters in Clinical Social Work. She has been employed by SDCCHP for three years, assigned to the Rio Grande High School Based Clinic providing SBIRT services. She works along side a very supportive and collaborative medical staff at First Choice School Based Health Center, enjoying the opportunity to serve patients through screening, brief intervention, brief treatment, and community referrals to treatment (SBIRT).

Nancy Passikoff, RN, is the school nurse and coordinator for the School-Based Health and Wellness Center in Des Moines, NM. She has had a broad range of nursing experiences including work in behavioral health and substance abuse, consultation to Indian Health Services and home health care to medically fragile patients. Since her days at Boston University School of Nursing in the 60’s, Nancy has been an advocate for affecting change in health care delivery systems.  She is currently on the Board of Directors for the NM Alliance for School-Based Health Care.

Nissa Patterson, MPH, is a program manager for the NM Alliance for School-Based Health Care. She has been interested in the interior and exterior design of health care facilities for many years in the belief that our facilities need to reflect the deep care and respect we have for the young people we work with. Ms. Patterson has collaborated with the UNM School of Architecture and Planning on a SBHC design project and worked with the Chaparral High School to redesign a room in their SBHC. She has also worked with several school gardens and is particularly interested in how to gather human and financial resources for school gardens. She is also an avid gardener and loves growing, picking, preserving and cooking homegrown foods.

Thomas Peterson, PhD, is the associate clinical director and regional clinical supervisor for Sangre de Cristo Community Health Partnership / NM SBIRT.  Dr. Peterson is a licensed Psychologist educated at the University of Alaska Anchorage and the University of New Mexico.  His background includes the provision of inpatient and outpatient integrated mental health services at the Salt Lake City VA Medical Center and UNM Carrie Tingley Hospital, individual and family therapy for substance using adolescents and adults, and clinical research of evidence-based treatment models for substance-using adolescents. He is also actively involved in the development and implementation of telehealth technology as a resource to provide training, supervision, consultation and behavioral health services to rural New Mexico.

Erin Phipps, DVM, MPH, is a health promotion specialist with the New Mexico Department of Health. Based in the Southeast Heights of Albuquerque, her work has focused on healthy weight initiatives and access to care for underserved communities. She is the coordinator for the Action Communities for Health, Innovation, and EnVironmental Change (ACHIEVE) initiative in Albuquerque, which is focused on promoting physical activity and good nutrition through policy and environmental change.

Beth Pierson Klugman, MS, CHES, is a visiting faculty for the School Health Education, Health Education Program, College of Education, UNM. Health Chair-Elect for New Mexico AFFERD. Beth has worked in different capacities in School Health, and K-12 Schools in urban and rural areas of New Mexico. She has a strong commitment to Rural School Health Education.

Mary Ramos, MD, MPH is a pediatrician. She is the School Health Officer for the NM Department of Health and is a research assistant professor in the Department of Pediatrics at the University of New Mexico School of Medicine.

Dan Rifkin, MD, is a child and adolescent psychiatrist who provides psychiatric services in school-based health centers as well as training and consultation to SBHC medical and behavioral health providers around New Mexico. For the past sixteen years Dr. Rifkin’s practice has included consultative work with schools and SBHCs, emphasizing multidisciplinary, collaborative evaluation and treatment of psychiatric problems. Dr. Rifkin is on faculty in the Departments of Pediatrics and Psychiatry, UNM School of Medicine.

Troy Rodgers, PsyD, a native New Mexican, has a master’s degree and a doctorate in clinical forensic psychology. He is currently licensed in New Mexico as a professional clinical counselor and a clinical psychologist. He is also licensed as a school counselor, a school psychologist, and an educational diagnostician. Dr. Rodgers has been the agency director for Forensic Behavioral Health Associates (FBHA) since its inception five years ago.  Dr. Rodgers has been working in the mental health field for over ten years with particular areas of expertise including school psychology, police psychology, law enforcement assessment, criminal treatment and evaluation, violence risk assessment, school and workplace violence, crisis intervention, behavioral profiling, peak performance training, and stalking. Dr. Rodgers has extensive teaching experience and he is a New Mexico Law Enforcement Academy certified instructor. 

Jim Roeber, MSPH, received a Masters of Science in Public Health degree from the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill, with an emphasis in epidemiology and demography.  From 1987 to 1993 he worked for the Department of Health and Hospitals in Boston, MA, as evaluation and research coordinator for the Violence Prevention Project; and as senior epidemiologist and then associate director for the Office of Health and Vital Statistics.  From 1996-2004 he worked as a system developer and manager of membership reporting for the Kaiser Permanente Health Plan California Division.  His current position is with the New Mexico Department of Health, Epidemiology and Response Division, where he serves as alcohol epidemiologist in the Substance Abuse Epidemiology Section of the Injury and Behavioral Epidemiology Bureau.  His duties include disseminating reports and analyses that describe alcohol-related health problems in New Mexico.

Jerome Romero, BA, program coordinator for UNM CASAA, has been training Peer Educator for twelve years. He is well known around the state of New Mexico for working with adolescents to deliver the message of the dangers of risky behaviors such as Fetal Alcohol Syndrome/Alcohol Tobacco and Other Drugs.

Kimberly Ross-Toledo, BA, is the director of the McKinley Community Coalition for Healthy & Resilient Youth. She is a Navajo/Sioux woman who is a strong advocate for assets-based youth leadership development. She is also a Southwest Anti-Racism Training Institute facilitator and a Project TRUST co-PI and core working group member.

Sylvia Ruiz, BS, is the executive director for the New Mexico Teen Pregnancy Coalition. Ms. Ruiz acts as a spokesperson for NMTPC, providing information and consultation to organizations, communities, media and other entities. She also is responsible for forming partnerships and collaborations with local, state and national organizations. Prior to joining the New Mexico Teen Pregnancy Coalition Ms Ruiz for 24 years worked at Peanut Butter and Jelly, a leading regional agency that provides services to at risk populations.

Kathy Sallee is currently working as a school nurse with Albuquerque Public Schools.

Joseph Sanchez, MBA, is the coordinator for the McKinney-Vento Homeless Education program and the Family and Youth Resource Program at the New Mexico Public Education Department. He serves on the New Mexico Individuals with Disabilities Education Act panel and the New Mexico Interagency Coordinated Council panels, both of these appointments were made by Governor Richardson. He has also served 7 honorable, courageous and committed years as an Officer in the United State Navy. He graduated from the Naval Supply Corp School in Athens, Georgia with a certificate in Supply/Logistics. He currently has applied to graduate school to pursue a doctoral degree. His previous employment has included experiences in finance, management, analytical work (both programmatic and legislative), sales, customer service and operational management.

Jude Anthony Sanchez is 17 year old and entering his sophomore year in college. As an honor/advanced placement student, he took many credit hours at CNM while attending high school and also completed high school early. He is currently enrolled as a full time student at CNM and is looking forward to his continued education. His future goals are to receive a PhD in Psychology and an NA degree. He enjoys creating activities for teenagers to educate them about the risks and struggle against this growing problem that is overtaking and destroying our youth today.

JoAnn Sartorius, LISW, has focused on prevention in her work with families and youth since 1975 in a variety of settings, both clinical and educational. For the past ten years she has concentrated on suicide prevention and currently is an independent program manager, consultant and trainer for the Natural Helpers statewide SAMHSA program through the Office of School and Adolescent Health and also works with the Student Wellness Action Teams in Santa Fe. Mrs. Sartorius was one of the original participants in the Hope for the Heart youth suicide prevention work in the state and has since been active in the NM Suicide Prevention Coalition.

Nina Shah, MS has been working in substance use epidemiology with the New Mexico Department of Health for the past six years.  She supervises the Substance Abuse Epidemiology Section, the existence of which is rare among state health departments.  She received her Master’s from the University of Maryland and worked in HIV-related research for six years at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health before moving on to New Mexico.  Although Ms. Shah enjoys research, analysis and method, her role with the State Health Department has evolved into a sort of specialist in summarizing the landscape of drug use and overdose in New Mexico.

Carmen Sorge, PhD, is the evaluator for the TTYL programs for over a decade. Carrying a Doctorate in Research and Statistics, she conducts the TTYL program evaluation through her business, Leiden Consulting LLC, performing statistical analysis (including Structural Equation Modeling), research design, internet data collection and program evaluations. She has published multiple journal articles from 1995-2008 including: The relationship between Bonding with Nonhuman Animals and Students’ Attitudes Toward Science.

Howard M. Spiegelman is the executive director of the New Mexico Alliance for School-Based Health Care. Most recently, he was the executive director of the New Mexico Coalition for Charter Schools where he helped to restructure that organization and make it financially self-sufficient. Mr. Spiegelman has over twenty-five years of experience in health and education program development and management throughout the United States and overseas in developing countries. With the Pan American Health Organization, UNICEF, and International and American Red Cross, his posts and assignments have included health project management in Brazil, Mexico, and India. His work in the U.S. has concentrated on community and maternal-child health in primarily Hispanic communities from Los Angeles to Washington, D.C. He worked as the Director of Community Resources for the Alexandria, Virginia School System and as a consultant for the National Association of Partners in Education and the U.S. Department of Education.

April D. Stamper, LMSW, is a behavioral Health Consultant for SDCCHP. She has worked in Community Coordination for six years in Southern Dona Ana County with a small nonprofit before attending New Mexico State University and graduating in May of 2008 with a Master of Social Work Degree. She began her employment with Sangre de Cristo Community Health Partnership in October of 2008 working in La Clinica de Familia’s school based health clinic at Santa Teresa High School as well as at Gadsden High School in Southern Dona Ana County. Working with youth is her passion and she is ecstatic about being back in the Southern part of the county providing behavioral health services within the school and clinic settings.

Moneka Stevens-Cordova, BA, is the project director of the New Mexico Youth Alliance which is a project under the Lt. Governor and the New Mexico Forum for Youth in Communities offices. For the past eight years she has been involved in grassroots youth organizing through programs such as UNM Service Corps and New Mexico Civic Engagement. Across New Mexico she has presented workshops and trainings for youth and adults on youth planning and youth policy. Ms. Stevens-Cordova received her BA from the University of New Mexico in 2004 and will complete her master’s degree in community and regional planning from UNM with a focus on Youth Planning and Youth Policy, (2009). She considers herself a youth advocate and enjoys the opportunity to work with youth and adults on promoting positive youth development in our state.

Cherry Sublet, MEd, is the training and education coordinator for NM Suicide Intervention Project. A master’s degree in Adolescent Health Issues, years of teaching and training experience in prevention provides Cherry with a rich background in the issues that face youth today. Through her down to earth training techniques and ability to connect to all audiences, Cherry will put participants at ease and make learning simple.

Annie Chin Taylor, MEd, is the brain education coordinator for New Mexico. She has instructed both private and group BE classes, as well as outreach classes in the public school system. A mother of two and a former elementary school teacher, Annie’s desire to help children and adults create healthier, happier and more peaceful lives by utilizing more of their brain potential is being fulfilled through Brain Education.

Ryan Taylor is a 6th grader at Madison Middle School. Ryan has participated in Brain Education classes for the past two years. In the 2007 International Health, Smile, Peace Olympiad, he was a third place winner in the Brain Window event. He also enjoys mathematics, playing the French Horn, basketball, skiing and tennis.

Calle Treppiedi is a sophomore at Sandia High School and is a Youth Alliance Member. She is involved in her high school band. In August 2009, Calle and two other youth alliance members lead a workshop on drop-out prevention and increasing graduation rates in New Mexico. Currently, Calle is working with the Lt. Governor and the Children's Cabinet on a policy initiative Implementing a Community-Base Career Clusters Initiative which would address increasing graduation rates, internship opportunities, service learning grants, dual credit enrollment, stipends and much more.

Bruce Trigg, MD, is the medical director of the STD Program in Regions 1 and 3 (Albuquerque and northwestern New Mexico) for the New Mexico Department of Health. He has been a public health physician for 20 years. He is on the faculty of the Adolescent Reproductive Health Education Project of Physicians for Reproductive Choice and Health; a program sponsored by the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology and the Society for Adolescent Medicine. Dr. Trigg earned his BS Degree at the City College of New York in 1975 and graduated from George Washington University School of Medicine in 1981. He did his pediatric residency training at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York City and the University of New Mexico. From 1981 to 1985 he served with the Indian Health Service of the US Public Health Service on Native American reservations in New Mexico and Arizona. Dr. Trigg is a Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Pediatrics and Associate Professor of Nursing at the University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center. He serves as Chairman of the New Mexico Clinical Prevention Initiative Chlamydia and Gonorrhea Prevention Work Group.

Bethany Trujillo is a senior at Amy Biehl High School. She has been a New Mexico Youth Alliance

member since March 2008. Currently, she is completing her service learning project on developing a curriculum on comprehensive sex education. This curriculum will be launch at her high school to freshmen and parents in 2009 as a resource for comprehensive sex education. Bethany has presented at the Governor’s Summit and other conferences about her efforts to educate youth about the importance of being informed about comprehensive sex education.

Rebecca Trujillo, RN, MSN, is the School Health Advocate for Region 4.

Norma Vásquez de Houdek is the youth suicide prevention coordinator for the New Mexico Department of Health, Office of School and Adolescent Health. Ms. Vasquez de Houdek’s postion coordinates statewide activities that include developing partnerships with local community, state and federal partners, to provide education to the public and students about issues related to youth suicide.

Veronica Valdez-Anderson is a school counselor with Albuquerque Public Schools. She has a master’s degree in counseling.

Robert Valencia is the case manager for the Santa Fe Young Fathers Project working with young dads and dads to be in the Santa Fe and surrounding area.

Shirley Villegas has been the suicide prevention coordinator for the Pojoaque School District for the last two years. She been in the prevention field for over 20 years, working with youth, parents and community members on going back to the basics of taking care of each other and learning signs for abuse/use and how to help and access resources.  She currently mentors the Natural Helpers from Pojoaque Valley High School and works with them on the presentation and advocacy skills for their peer to peer program and suicide prevention materials.

Laurie Wearne, BS, is the program director at Talking Talons Youth Leadership. Having been with the organization for 12 years, Ms. Wearne has moved through all areas of the organization including curriculum & program development and delivery; animal care, health, and training; staff supervision; and grant procurement. While she is degreed in biology, her experience as a mother contributed to her performance in environmental education and classroom management.

Glen Wieringa, MRC, is the underage drinking prevention coordinator for the New Mexico Department of

Transportation.  His primary responsibilities include interagency coordination, training and technical assistance in the area of alcohol control policy development, strategic planning and Environmental Strategies. Current areas of emphasis include media literacy, social norms, working with the private sector (e.g., Wal-Mart) and partnering with the Attorney General to develop an underage drinking prevention legislative package for 2009. Mr. Wieringa has a B.A in American Studies/Pre-Law (1972) and a Masters in Rehabilitation Counseling (1975) from Bowling Green State University in Ohio.