Meet the NARO Facilitators!
We are excited to announce that we will be working with Everette Hill of the Social Innovation Strategies Group and Eduardo Martinez of Meridian Strategies. Both Everette and Eduardo have worked in community, youth, economic and organizational development arenas in Albuquerque and statewide for over twenty years. Both are accomplished facilitators specializing in community dialogue and dialogue to change processes. We are excited to bring them on as partners in this project!
Everette W. Hill, MA
Everette W. Hill, MA, is a Principal & Managing Director of the Social Innovation Strategies Group, LLC or SISGroup. He is an expert in asset-based community, youth and organizational development and a certified ToP facilitator through the Institute of Cultural Affairs (ICA). A resident of the South Valley of Albuquerque for 23 years, he has worked in the non-profit, government and private sectors developing and managing programs, grass-roots community-based public policy, and provided strategic planning and technical assistance supports to individuals and organizations throughout the social sectors. Everette is a graduate of Occidental College where he double-majored in Psychology and History; and in 2001, earned a Masters Degree in Counseling Psychology from the University of Phoenix. Everette is also a Senior Associate with Everyday Democracy-a national deliberative dialogue organization dedicated to community change and racial equity, a member of the American Psychological Association (APA) and a member of the Society of Industrial & Organizational Psychology (SIOP).
E-mail Everette at: [email protected]
Eduardo X. Martinez
Eduardo Martinez is owner and lead facilitator for Meridian Strategies, a consulting firm that provides nonprofit management services throughout New Mexico. Eduardo also serves as Revitalization Specialist in Organization and Leadership Development for the New Mexico MainStreet Program (NM Economic Development Department). Eduardo spent for 16 years with the U.S. Department of Commerce (NOAA) as a research scientist and data analyst where he served as co-coordinator of joint US-Mexico research initiatives, and assisted with the initial deployment of the Malcolm Baldridge Quality Standards. Eduardo is certified as a ToPâ facilitator (Institute of Cultural Affairs) and has worked on numerous strategic foundation and government initiatives in New Mexico. Eduardo currently serves as an officer on four nonprofit boards, including Enlace Comunitario, an organization that provides Prevention, Intervention and Legal Services for Immigrant Women impacted by domestic violence, the New Mexico Resiliency Alliance and the Amy Biehl High School Foundation.
E-mail Eduardo at: [email protected]
Lara Bryson
Lara is a professional contract grant writer and enjoys crafting proposals for socially progressive nonprofit organizations. Lara has spent decades working and volunteering for democratic candidates in local, statewide and presidential elections. Lara has worked as a pharmaceutical sales representative promoting innovative treatments to healthcare providers for patients suffering from severe depression and migraine disorders. Lara has worked as an educator and clinical assistant for Planned Parenthood and as an information specialist for The Information and Referral Center, helping nonprofits and government entities provide resources for at-risk individuals and families. Lara lives in Albuquerque with her 10-year old son, Alec. Lara enjoys family time, reading, writing, running, cooking, researching and connecting with neighbors and her community. Lara earned her Baccalaureate of Arts in English Literature from the University of Utah and her Professional Proposal Writing Certification from The Grant Training Center.
Barbara L. Garcia, MEd
Barbara Garcia is co-owner of Tandem Consulting, LLC. She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in English and her Master of Education degree in multicultural education and literacy from the University of Cincinnati (UC). Her professional background includes more than twenty years in higher education, with a large focus on civic engagement. While at University of Cincinnati, she directed numerous programs including College Success for underprepared college students. Service learning programs at UC and at Northern Kentucky University connected college students to identified community needs. She was very involved with inner-city and rural public schools as well as a wide variety of nonprofit organizations. Since retirement from UC in 2012, she has consulted for Tandem Consulting doing grant work, community engagement research and facilitation, and a variety of technical writing and editing. Barbara is an active volunteer.
Rudy M. Garcia, EdD
Rudy M. Garcia is the co-owner of Tandem Consulting, LLC. In 2017, he retired from Central New Mexico Community College (CNM) after 27 years of service. He was a faculty member and senior administrator. Rudy has worked with local, state, and federal governments on a variety of community-based programs and is an expert on community-based leadership and organizational development. He is a native of Albuquerque with deep roots in the South Valley. He spent a good part of his childhood at El Modelo Mexican Foods, which his grandparents opened in 1941. Rudy received his doctorate degree from New Mexico State University in Educational Leadership and his master’s degree from Webster University in Management. He has worked nationally with the American Association of Community Colleges and the National Center for Civic Engagement organizations, assisting colleges with establishing community engagement programming for students to serve in their communities. Locally, he trained parents in the ENLACE program in community leadership via the LeadershipPlenty program. Rudy has assisted numerous city administrations on a variety of community-based outreach initiatives. He has served on numerous boards including City of Albuquerque Public Access TV (board president), Hispanic Statement of Cooperation (founding member), the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Education Committee, and the National Society for Experiential Education.
Antonio Maestas
Antonio Maestas is a seasoned community organizer and social justice trainer based in the Albuquerque area. Having grown up in the South Valley and later moving to his family’s land grant, Antonio is passionate about environmental justice and land grant advocacy. He has worked with many community organizations across the state of New Mexico coordinating grass-roots leadership development, community-based policy advocacy, and developing pathways for youth engagement. Antonio graduated from Earlham College in May of 2018 with a Bachelor’s degree in Sociology and Anthropology with a concentration in land grant communities and environmental justice. In the spring 2018, his community-based research titled “New Mexico Land Grants: A History of Conflict” was published in the Earlham Historical Journal. This researched focused on highlighting community members’ life stories to challenge the negative stereotypes of their community. Antonio is passionate about continuing community-based research to develop the proper pathways for authentic community engagement.
Jamie Welles
Jamie Welles received her degree from the University of New Mexico in Chemical Engineering, with a minor in Waste Management, Education and Research. After several years as an employee of other engineering and consulting firms, she founded JWelles and Associates, LLC. As CEO, Jamie worked to establish the first ISO 9001 registered quality management system for Sandia National Laboratories (SNL). She has since guided other SNL organizations in becoming similarly registered and has received both gold and turquoise President’s Quality Awards from them. Jamie is committed to sustainable communities globally and locally and believes that quality should be considered in all projects —personal and professional. Jamie has been actively involved in projects for the city of Albuquerque, serving as chair and member of the Indicators Progress Commission and as chair of the Bernalillo County Open Space Advisory Committee. Jamie actively volunteers in the community.