Delane Atcitty

Delane Atcitty is the Executive Director of Indian Nations Conservation Alliance (INCA) based out of Taos, New Mexico. INCA works to build a balanced native resource management approach to protect native culture and natural resources while improving economic opportunities on tribal lands. Delane earned his MS in Ranch Management and Agribusiness.

Cherylin Atcitty

Cherylin Atcitty is the Director at Indian Resources Development (IRD) at NMSU’s College of ACES. In her capacity at IRD she he promotes agriculture, business, natural resource management, education and workforce development. Since 2020, she has owned and operated a store in historic downtown Taos, NM. Cherylin earned her MS in Environmental Science.

Michael Venticinque

I have been with the New Mexico Farmers Marketing Association since January of 2018. For 20+ years before that I was in grocery retail and was an area manager with 38 stores. In 2018 I made the shift to the local food system here in New Mexico. I not only wanted to support farmers but to help provide nutrient-dense Foods into the communities. I teach Farm food safety for the approved supplier program that is housed within New Mexico grown. In 2020 I became a USDA internal Gap auditor offering the services through the Farmers Marketing Association at a highly discounted rate if Farmers chose to go that route. Also in 2020 through the University of Nebraska I became a HACCP writer. I continue today to take food safety across the state of New Mexico. By doing this it provides Farmers access to areas of sales (institutional) and fair market pricing that they've never had before. -Michael Venticinque, New Mexico Farmers Marketing Association

Shelley Brown

Shelley Brown, Lender Relations Specialist with the U.S. Small Business Administration. As a Lender Relations Specialist, Shelley supports the lending community with SBA loan programs and regulations. In addition to assisting and training lenders, Shelley will counsel business owners to start, build and grow their businesses. Prior to joining SBA, Shelley worked at USDA Rural Development as a Loan Specialist of the guaranteed Business and housing loan programs. Shelley joined the federal government after serving 25 years in the private sector as a mortgage loan officer and an account manager specializing in training, marketing, sales and finance.

Rachael Ryan

Rachael Ryan, is the Owner and CEO of Backyard Farms LLC, that specializes in the practices of Regenerative Agriculture farming and lyophilization (freeze drying) food manufacturing. Backyard Farms is leading improvements to the food system in the Borderland Region by empowering rural small farmers by using fruits and vegetables with aesthetic imperfections for lyophilization to create nutritious healthy food products. These shelf stable healthy foods are used to reach vulnerable food insecure populations in food deserts without the need for refrigeration. Backyard Farms received an award for Success from the USDA in 2022, and Rachael became the USDA Rural Development’s “Featured Entrepreneur,” and was inducted into the NMSU Entrepreneur Hall of Fame in December 2023.

Rachael was able to distribute freeze-dried foods to families in the Village of Ruidoso displaced during the McBride wildfire in 2022 and worked with a youth suicide prevention counselor working with Mescalero Apache elementary students to collect local apples that she processed through her freeze-drying facility. She then distributed these freeze-dried apples back to the students as healthy snack foods while encouraging the next generation of farmers! Since 2022, Backyard Farms has been working with the Arrowhead Center’s American Indian Business Enterprise (AIBE) on a project with Native American farmers and ranchers from New Mexico and West Texas to create freeze-dried value-added agricultural products.

Ray Melton

Ray Melton, Business & Cooperatives Program Director USDA, Rural Development – New Mexico

Ray has worked with USDA Rural Development (RD) New Mexico Business Programs since 2008. He has served as the Business and Cooperatives Program Director since 2018. He oversees the delivery and overall success of each business program through 7-9 employees. Ray has Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and a Minor in Marketing and Economics from Eastern New Mexico University. He has attended Western States School of Banking through the Anderson School of Management at the University of New Mexico. He also has training with the special asset division and appraisal division of Farm Credit at Wichita Kansas 9th Farm Credit District. Prior to working with USDA Ray had 22 years of commercial lending experience. He worked for Farm Credit of New Mexico, ACA as Vice President/Loan Officer, and Chattel Appraiser. Ray enjoys the work he does with Rural Development Business Programs because he enjoys helping customers with financial goals and successful projects that benefit the customer and the rural communities.

Edward Lewis

My name is Ed Lewis. I am from the Pueblo of Acoma, New Mexico. I am an artist in my Pueblo pottery and have made this my livelihood for the past ten years. I do specialize in natural pigments and do work with natural clay. A lot of my designs all have symbolic meaning and representation. I really enjoy doing my work and am always up to talk about my pottery.

Emigdio Ballon

Emigdio Ballon is Quechua, from Bolivia, a decendent of the Inca people. He is an expert in high altitude crops, including quinoa, kaniwa, amaranth, and potatoes. He is the Agricultural Director of the Pueblo of Tesuque, and Board President of Four Bridges Traveling Permaculture Institute.

Theresa E. Clay, M.S

Theresa Clay received her Master of Science degree from the University of New Mexico in Community Health Education and Promotion. Ms. Clay is a Health Promotion/Disease Prevention (HPDP) Specialist and Public Affairs Liaison with the Albuquerque Area Indian Health Service providing culturally appropriate trainings, seeking best practices and resources, and building networks.Prior to joining the Indian Health Service nineteen years ago, Theresa worked as a Health Education Manager with the University of New Mexico (UNM) Prevention Research Center working on several research studies.

Theresa is an enrolled member of the Diné (Navajo Nation). She loves spending time with family and friends, traveling, running and has completed 22 marathons, 1 Ultra marathon, various half marathons, and other local fun runs.

Christina Turner

Christina Turner serves as the Northern District Department Head for Cooperative Extension Service at New Mexico State University. She provides leadership to the 13 northern County Extension Programs as well as the Tribal Extension Program in the state.

Christina Turner started her career with New Mexico State University Cooperative Extension Service in 2000. Throughout her career in extension, she has experienced many different program areas including Tribal Extension programming and 4-H Youth at Risk programming. In 2004 Turner moved to Santa Fe County where she served as the 4-H Ag Agent and later the County Program Director. During her time in Santa Fe, Turner developed a robust 4-H program. Her areas of focus included youth livestock programs, shooting sports, leadership, and volunteer development. Turner also established a strong special interest and school enrichment presence in the county, providing education to local schools in the areas of Ag Literacy, Water Education, and Natural Resources.

Throughout her career Turner has served on numerous state and national committees. One of her passions is leadership development. She currently serves as the state representative for the Western Extension Leadership Development Program, a multi-state collaborative effort aimed at developing leadership skills in Extension Professionals throughout the west.

Turner is a native New Mexican. She grew up in Las Vegas, NM and attended New Mexico State University. Turner holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Animal Science and a Master’s Degree in Agricultural Extension and Education, both from NMSU.

Tom Dominguez

Tom Dominguez has over 20 years of experience in Extension Education and a wide array of experiences and expertise. Tom has served in three counties in New Mexico working alongside and educating producers in the dryland wheat industry in the East to rangeland cow calf producers in the south and now small acreage producers of fruit and vegetables in the north. He grew up in an are rich in agricultural production from vegetables, cotton, pecans, and cattle. He brings that production experience to the job along with his passion for agriculture and the constituents he serves.

Kristin Morehead

Dr. Kristin Morehead is a dedicated professional with a Ph.D. in Educational Leadership and Administration from New Mexico State University, her research specializes in the careers of executive women leaders. With a rich background in economic development and program management, Kristin has led interdisciplinary initiatives at NMSU's Arrowhead Center, managing entrepreneurship education programs, technical assistance programs, federal contracts, and extensive mentorship programs. Her efforts have significantly contributed to economic growth in New Mexico, assisting small businesses with strategic guidance and impactful resources. Kristin’s expertise spans project management, virtual community building, and fostering women’s entrepreneurship, making her a pivotal figure in bridging the worlds of education and economic development.

Carissa Trujillo

Carissa Trujillo is a program specialist and lead instructor for Arrowhead Center’s Sprint accelerator programs. She has an NMSU Bachelor of Business Administration with a major in Marketing and a minor in Accounting. Over the past ten years, she has worked with several non-profit organizations and educational programs both nationally and internationally. Carissa is passionate about giving back to the community and helping to empower New Mexico small business owners. She has assisted over a hundred entrepreneurs throughout our great state and has also served on Las Cruces’s non-profit organization board.

Lisa Foreman

Co-Founder, Native Women Lead

Hello! I'm Lisa Foreman. I'm a proud mom of three (ages 3, 5, and 10) with a rich heritage (Filipino, Shawnee, & Scott-Irish). My husband and I run One World Advisory Group, a consultancy that supports businesses like One World Rug Care (non-toxic rug cleaning) and Pohaku Inc. (land/real estate). I'm also passionate about empowering others, especially through my work with Native Women Lead.

John Garlisch

Agriculture and Natural Resources Agent
Bernalillo County Extension Director

John is originally from rural Central Illinois where he grew up on a family farm. He was actively involved in 4-H representing Illinois at National Junior Horticulture Judging and at the National Club Congress. He attended the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign where he earned a BS in Horticulture (2002) and an MS in Agriculture Consumer Economics (2008). He served in various leadership capacities with the Hort Club, Collegiate 4-H, and Beta Sigma Psi (National Lutheran Fraternity), and he was a member of Pi Alpha Xi (Honorary Horticulture Fraternity) and Alpha Zeta (Honorary Agriculture Fraternity). During his schooling, he studied for a semester at Wageningen Agriculture University in the Netherlands and interned in Germany with the Deutsche Bauern Verband (German Farmer's Union) working at an arboretum and a rhododendron nursery. John is also a professional organist.

John joined the Bernalillo County staff in Spring 2010. He is working with 4-H youth, assisting local farmers with business and production planning, facilitating agricultural educational programs and outdoor classroom projects with area schools, and answering questions from the public concerning the identification of plants and their culture, production, diseases, and pests.

Bill Stimmel

Indian Pueblo Entrepreneurial Center (IPEC) Entrepreneurial Director

Andrew Thomas

Navajo Flutist and Storyteller

Andrew Thomas is a contemporary Dineh (Navajo Nation) flute player. He gives thanks to his extended family: Haltsooi Dine'e (maternal)-Meadow People Clan, Bit'ahnii (paternal)-Folded Arms Clan, Kin Yaa'aanii (maternal grandparents)-Towering House Clan, and Tse Nahabilnii (paternal grandparents )-Over Hanging Rock Clan. He was born and raised in Rock Spring Chapter near Gallup, New Mexico. He is self-taught, and plays music composed from the heart. He has chosen the flute's voice to express his way oflife, heritage and culture.

The flute provided him the opportunity to create the music and narration for a video documentary about male Navajo weavers entitled Men Who Weave. He feels fortunate that his music has allowed him to travel widely, both nationally and internationally. He has performed all over the United States, including the Indian Summer Festival in Milwaukee, the Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, and over 10 years at the American Indian Powwow Gathering in Hawaii. He has performed in Mexico, Peru, South Korea, and throughout Europe, including Sweden where he had a story published in the book, They Call Us "Indians". He was also the first Native American artist to play at the World Performing Arts Festival in Lahore, and was honored to perform for the president of Pakistan. Most recently, he returned from a performance at the Folk on the Rocks festival in Yellow Knife, Canada.

His first venture into recording has resulted in a CD titled Changing Woman's Blessing. More recently, he recorded in Perth, Australia, with a well-known Aboriginal actor and musician, Heath Bergersen. This cross-cultural collaboration culminated in a CD titled Friends for Life that mixes the sounds of the didgeridoo, a traditional Australian instrument, and the Native American flute.

Through his music and his life, he is an activist in preserving Native ways, creating awareness of the need for communication across cultures, and protecting all human rights. In this way, he strives to give back to the community. He most enjoys connecting with people of all cultures and sharing the musical language of the flute.