Who can serve on the JPEC?

Name:

Felix Briones, Jr.

Title:

Co-Chair

City:

Farmington

Appointed to JPEC:

JPEC Member since 1997

Biography:

Felix Briones, Jr., has been in private law practice in Farmington since 1959. He is also secretary of the board of directors of Four Corners Community Bank and is vice chair of the Farmington Public Utility Commission.

Briones is an active community volunteer. He has served on the New Mexico Mortgage Finance Authority Board, the UNM Foundation Board, and the San Juan Community College Foundation Board. In 1997, he received the UNM School of Law Distinguished Achievement Award. In 2001, he received the State Bar Association of New Mexico Professionalism Award.

Briones earned a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from the University of New Mexico in 1956, and a juris doctor degree from UNM Law School in 1957. From 1957-1959, he served in the U.S. Air Force's Staff Judge Advocate's Office at Amarillo Air Force Base, Texas.

Name:

Denise Torres

Title:

Co-Chair

City:

Las Cruces

Appointed to JPEC:

JPEC member since 2008

Biography:

Denise Torres was admitted to the New Mexico Bar in 1993 and began her legal career with Angel Saenz. She was subsequently elected a partner of the legal firm, Saenz & Torres, which limits its practice to personal injury, wrongful death and medical malpractice.

A native New Mexican from Truth or Consequences, Torres was a Presidential Scholar and earned an undergraduate degree from the University of New Mexico Anderson Schools of Management in 1989. As a National Hispanic Scholar, she earned a Juris Doctor degree from the University of New Mexico in 1993, graduating with honors in clinical law.

One of the American Trial Lawyers Association's Top 100 Trial Lawyers in New Mexico, Torres is President of the New Mexico Trial Lawyers Association Board of Directors and was selected by peers for inclusion in the 25th anniversary edition of The Best Lawyers in America in the specialties of Alternative Dispute Resolution and Personal Injury Litigation.

Torres previously served on the New Mexico Uniform Jury Instruction Civil Committee and was President of the Board of Directors of La Casa Inc.

Name:

Barbara Castillo-Velarde

City:

Raton

Appointed to JPEC:

JPEC member since 2007

Biography:

Barbara Castillo-Velarde retired in 2007 after completing more than 31 years in county government. She served as Colfax County Clerk for 16 years, Chief Deputy County Clerk for 10 years, Deputy Assessor for three years and Deputy Clerk for more than two years.

Castillo-Velarde was the first Hispanic woman in New Mexico elected as president of the New Mexico Association of Counties and served on the organization's board of directors for 10 years. She is listed in the Two Thousand Notable Women, Sixth Edition and in the World Who's Who of Women, 13th edition, 1995-1996.

She has volunteered as a teacher with the confirmation class at Patick’s/St.Joseph’s Church and is a former ward secretary and former secretary for various county political organizations.

Currently, Castillo Velarde is a volunteer at the Miners Colfax Medical Center Hospital Auxiliary, the St. Vincent De Paul Food Pantry and the St. Patrick's/St. Joseph's Second Grade Catechism Education Program.

Name:

Avilio Chavez

City:

Los Lunas

Appointed to JPEC:

JPEC member since 2007

Biography:

A New Mexico native born in Belen and raised in Los Lunas, Avilio Chavez currently teaches in the Los Lunas schools and is the owner and operator of a small business.

He has been teaching for 23 years, and coached football and track for 19 years, including serving as head football coach at Belen High School and Los Lunas High School for a total of 10 years. His most recent coaching assignment was head coach of the 2003 South All-Star Football team.

After graduating from Los Lunas High School, Chavez volunteered to join the U.S. Marine Corps. He spent most of his enlistment at Quantico, Virginia, and received a meritorious promotion for outstanding performance.

After fulfilling his military obligation, Chavez attended New Mexico Highlands University on an athletic scholarship, where he earned a Bachelor’s degree in education.

In addition to continuing his career in education and owning a business, Chavez is involved in a number of community organizations.

Name:

Karen O. Cortese

City:

Fort Sumner

Appointed to JPEC:

JPEC member since 2008

Biography:

Karen O. Cortese is co-owner of CC, Inc., a farming and ranching entity, as well as Cortese Family Properties, LP. In addition to ownership of the family business, she has been a substitute teacher for the Fort Sumner School System since 1988.

Cortese earned a Bachelor of Business Administration from New Mexico State University in 1974 and an Associate's Degree in Office Administration from NMSU in 1972.

Cortese is a very active and enthusiastic community volunteer. She volunteers with the Friends of the Bosque Redondo Memorial, the local Powderhorn CowBelles, and the Fort Sumner High School Athletic Parent's Club, She received the Fort Sumner High School Honorary Fox Award. Cortese has served as presiding judge in all county, state, and local elections for the past five years. She is a member of First Baptist Church serving on various committees, primarily as Women's Ministry coordinator. A talented entertainer, she also performs with the "Not So Andrews Sisters" singing group.

Name:

Phyllis A. Dominguez

City:

Corrales

Appointed to JPEC:

JPEC member since 2007

Biography:

Phyllis Dominguez began her legal career as a prosecutor in Sandoval County, and is currently employed as an Assistant District Attorney in the Violent Crimes Division of the Second Judicial District Attorney's Office in Albuquerque.

Her previous legal experience includes employment with Advocacy, Inc. as a guardian ad litem and Deputy General Counsel with the New Mexico Corrections Department. She taught elementary education in the Grants/ Cibola County and Albuquerque Public School systems.

Ms. Dominguez is a member of The Network, a statewide collaborative of multi-disciplinary, multi-cultural domestic violence and sexual assault program providers and organizations dedicated to strengthening policies, protocols and services to reduce the incidence of sexual assault and domestic violence in state and tribal communities, and is a member of the Albuquerque Sexual Assault Multi Disciplinary Team

Ms. Dominguez has lived in New Mexico since 1981. She graduated from the University of New Mexico in 1993 with a Bachelor's Degree in Science, and received her law degree from UNM in 2003.

Name:

Leonila Durán Serna

City:

Taos

Appointed to JPEC:

JPEC member since 2007

Biography:

Leonila Durán Serna, a native of Taos, New Mexico, earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in education from New Mexico Highlands University. Her post-graduate studies have taken her to the University of Madrid, the Autonomous University of Guadalajara, the University of Kansas, the University of Texas, and the University of New Mexico.

During her career in education, she has held various positions. She has taught students from kindergarten to the university level. She began her early career in administration as a Ford Foundation Fellow. As the Director of Bilingual Education, she received the Joseph Montoya Award. For seven of the 15 years that she worked as an educational leader, she held the position of Superintendent. Currently she is the Reading Coach and Language Therapist for the Taos Day School.

Durán Serna has been an active member of the National Dyslexia Association, the American Association of School Administrators, the Southwest Educational Development Lab (where she served as Chairman of the Board), and the International Reading Association. She has also served in several local civic organizations.

Name:

Patrick S. Freeman

City:

Truth or Consequences

Appointed to JPEC:

JPEC member since 2008

Biography:

Patrick S. Freeman is general manager of Lordsburg Mining Company, which specializes in gold and silver mine and mill development in Hidalgo and Grant Counties. He previously was president of St. Cloud Mining Company and a senior geologist at Texasgulf, Inc.

Freeman has been a member of the Society of Mining, Metallurgy and Exploration since 1970. Previously, he was a member of the New Mexico Mining Commission of the Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Dept and served on the Director's Advisory Board.

He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Geology at Monmouth College in 1968 and has been a Certified Professional Geological Scientist of the American Institute of Professional Geologists since 1984.

He currently serves as a Citizen's Review Board member for the New Mexico Children, Youth and Families Department in Sierra County and previously was a board member of the Sierra Vista Hospital and Sierra County Chamber of Commerce.

Name:

Joseph E. Gant III

City:

Carlsbad

Appointed to JPEC:

JPEC Member since 1999

Biography:

Joe E. Gant III has been in private law practice in Carlsbad since 1974, focusing on civil and criminal trial law. Previously, he served as an Assistant District Attorney, then worked for a private firm in Gallup before opening his own practice.

Gant earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics (double minor in English and American Studies) from the University of New Mexico in 1965. He earned a Juris Doctor degree from the UNM School of Law in 1968 and served as a law clerk on the Court of Appeals to Judge Joe Wood from 1968-1969.

Gant belongs to numerous professional and community organizations, and serves as executive board member and vice president for finance for the Conquistador Council of the Boy Scouts of America.

Name:

James Hall

City:

Santa Fe

Appointed to JPEC:

JPEC member since 2009

Biography:

James Hall was appointed a district court judge in the First Judicial District in 1995. He was elected in 1996, retained on the bench by voters in 2002 and 2008 and retired in 2009. While on the bench, he served in the First Judicial District's Civil Division, Criminal Division and Family Court Division. He was twice elected Chief Judge by his colleagues and also acted as the first Drug Court Judge for Santa Fe.

Prior to being appointed, he worked in private practice and served in the First Judicial District Attorney's Office, as well in the New Mexico Attorney General's Office.

Hall received his undergraduate degree from DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana and his law degree from the University of Michigan School of Law in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

He currently has a private law practice in Santa Fe specializing in mediation and arbitration.

Name:

Lori Hartley

City:

Texico

Appointed to JPEC:

JPEC Member since 2005

Biography:

Lori Hartley has lived in southeastern New Mexico for more than a quarter century with her husband, Tom. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Interior Design from Texas State Technical Institute (now part of the Texas State Technical College network). She pursued a different area of interest at Eastern New Mexico University (ENMU) in Portales, earning a Bachelor’s Degree in Secondary Education with an emphasis in coaching. While attending ENMU, she was in Epsilon Mu Beta, an academic honor organization.

Hartley was selected outstanding physical education female student of the year during her final year in college. While in high school, she coached Little Dribblers, assisted with community basketball camps, played on her high school’s team and made the All-District team for three years. She has continued her interest in basketball, coaching several Amateur Athletic Union teams in Clovis. Hartley has served on the board of directors of the United Way and was chosen United Way Volunteer of the Year in 1997. She is also a member of Beta Sigma Phi, a service sorority, and was previously named their woman of the year. In addition, she is a member of the Central Baptist Church in Clovis.

Name:

Francesca Martinez Estevez

City:

Silver City

Appointed to JPEC:

JPEC Member since 2004

Biography:

Francesca Martinez Estevez is a criminal and civil trial attorney who has practiced law for more than 25 years. Since 1995, she has served as a prosecutor at the office of the District Attorney for the Sixth Judicial District in Silver City. Currently, she is a Deputy District Attorney and the Supervisor of the Domestic Violence/Sexual Assault Unit.

Her previous experience includes positions as a child support enforcement attorney for the State of New Mexico and as a managing attorney for Southern New Mexico Legal Services.

Estevez was an adjunct professor for Seton Hall Law School in Newark, New Jersey. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science at City University of New York-City College and a juris doctor at New York Law School.

Estevez volunteers as a lifetime member adviser and is a past president of the board of directors for El Refugio, a shelter for battered women. She is also a member of the Grant County Community Health Council, the Grant County Domestic Violence Task Force and the board of directors of Legal Aid, Inc. of New Mexico. In 2007, she received a "Prosecutor of the Year" award from the Prosecutor Section of the State Bar of New Mexico.

Name:

Lorri McKnight

City:

Alto

Appointed to JPEC:

JPEC member since 2009

Biography:

Lorri McKnight is vice president of lending for City Bank New Mexico in Ruidoso. She has more than 27 years of professional experience, including previous positions as manager and finance director for the Village of Ruidoso, bank examiner for the State of New Mexico Regulation and Licensing Department Financial Institutions Division, and as a Certified Public Accountant.

She earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Lamar University in Beaumont, Texas, and a Master of Business Administration degree in Management and Organizational Behavior from the University of Houston in Houston, Texas. In addition, she completed doctoral studies at the University of Houston and accounting courses at New Mexico State University in Las Cruces. She is a licensed CPA and a licensed real estate agent in New Mexico.

McKnight volunteers as a board member and secretary for the Alto Lakes Golf & Country Club. She is a former member of Kiwanis, the Rotary Club, and a graduate of both Leadership Lincoln and Leadership New Mexico. She served as president of the New Mexico City Manager's Association from 2005-2007 and is a former board member of the Ruidoso Valley Chamber of Commerce.

Name:

Regis Pecos

City:

Cochiti

Appointed to JPEC:

JPEC member since 2007

Biography:

A native of Cochiti Pueblo, Regis Pecos is co-founder and co-director of the New Mexico Leadership Institute. He is a member of the Cochiti Pueblo Tribal Council, and serves on the Advisory Council of Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government’s Honoring Nations Program and the University of Arizona's Udall Center for Studies in Public Policy International Advisory Council, Native Nations Institute.

A dedicated educator and public servant for more than 30 years, Pecos has served as Governor of Cochiti Pueblo, chief executive director of the New Mexico Office of Indian Affairs, chair of the board of Santa Fe Indian School, and director of research for Americans for Indian Opportunity as well as director of the National Bilingual Education Center at the University of New Mexico.

A native of Cochiti Pueblo, Regis Pecos is co-founder and co-director of the New Mexico Leadership Institute. He is a member of the Cochiti Pueblo Tribal Council, and serves on the Advisory Council of Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government’s Honoring Nations Program and the University of Arizona’s Udall Center for Studies in Public Policy International Advisory Council, Native Nations Institute. He is also a retired Trustee of the Board of Trustees of Princeton University. A dedicated educator and public servant for more than 30 years, Pecos has served as Governor of Cochiti Pueblo, chief executive director of the New Mexico Office of Indian Affairs, chair of the board of Santa Fe Indian School, and director of research for Americans for Indian Opportunity as well as director of the National Bilingual Education Center at the University of New Mexico. He is pursuing a doctorate from the University of California-Berkeley and holds an undergraduate degree, with honors, from Princeton University. He is the recipient of a New Mexico Distinguished Public Service Award, a New Mexico Department of Education Recognition Award and a New Mexico Legislature Recognition Award for Strengthening State/Tribal relations.

Name:

Ruth M. Schifani

City:

Albuquerque

Appointed to JPEC:

JPEC Member since 1999

Biography:

Ruth M. Schifani earned a Bachelor of Arts degree and a Juris Doctor degree from the University of New Mexico.

She practices real estate and banking law and is a member of Modrall Sperling’s renewable energy team.  She has represented numerous financial institutions in public finance, real estate and asset-based secured transactions throughout the State of New Mexico and has represented both bank and retail establishments in regulatory and consumer compliance matters. In real estate matters, she assists clients to negotiate, structure and document transactions involving the purchase, sale, exchange, development, leasing and financing of commercial and residential real estate.

Schifani also handles business law matters, including transactions involving the formation, merger, sale and purchase of corporations, partnerships, limited liability companies and their assets. She has been an attorney with Modrall Sperling since graduation from law school except for a short stint as Associate General Counsel for Sunwest Bank. She is past president of the Albuquerque Bar Association, a regent of the American College of Mortgage Attorneys and a member of the executive committee of the UNM Alumni Association.