Board of Directors

Board Member Nomination Form

Executive Board

Elaine Luna
CHAIR

As a social worker, a community partner and collaborator, Elaine serves as the director of the Montañas del Norte Area Health Education Center at Luna Community College. She participates in many statewide partnerships to support the increase of health care professionals/providers in rural New Mexico.
Working with the youth of the community is her passion. She has helped coordinate AAUW ‘Girls Can’ events for seven years, an organization that provides free technology to after school programs through Project GUTS (Growing Up Thinking Scientifically) for middle school students. She has taught religious classes at IC Parish for over 30 years. Presently she is on the Board for the Luna Community Foundation, Chair of the LVNMCF, and member of AAUW.

Toby Dolan
VICE-CHAIR

Toby Dolan has lived in this area since 1987, locating here for the serenity and the once beautiful view from his home of Hermit’s Peak. But now, the fire has devoured his house, his mother’s house, and his grandmother’s house too. Having retired from a career with the NM State Police, he now works as a ranch manager in San Miguel County. He and his family love the Las Vegas area and the people that live here. Toby currently manages a ranch west of Las Vegas. Previously, he was a captain with the New Mexico State Police as the district commander for Las Vegas and Raton.
The Hermit’s Peak/Calf Canyon Fire greatly affected Toby’s family, he has been serving on the grant review committee for the LVNMCF. He hopes to see our beautiful area and great people recover as well as possible from the disaster. He has been married to his wife Audry for 37 years, they have 2 sons with one living locally and the other in Texas. They have one grandson who they consider their pride and joy. His mother and grandmother also live in this area. Toby loves spending time with their sons and extended family.

Lorraine Martinez
SECRETARY

A life-long resident of Las Vegas, NM, Lorraine has been an educator for the past 45 years in the secondary and post-secondary setting. She retired from the LVCS as an Administrator and implemented the Immersion Program at Los Ninos School. Currently, Lorraine serves as full term faculty at the School of Education at NMHU.Lorraine serves on the NMHU Legislative Leadership Fellowship Board, Area Health Education Corporation and the LVNM Community Foundation Boards in many educational capacities.
Working with the youth of the community is her passion. She has helped coordinate AAUW ‘Girls Can’ events for seven years, an organization that provides free technology to after school programs through Project GUTS (Growing Up Thinking Scientifically) for middle school students. She has taught religious classes at IC Parish for over 30 years. Presently she is on the Board for the Luna Community Foundation, Chair of the LVNMCF, and member of AAUW.
She and her husband Peter are the proud parents of four children: Kimberly, David, Kelly, Kristen and seven grandchildren. She loves traveling to visit her grandchildren as well as sewing with the Tea Time Quilters and crocheting with the Norteño Knitters and Crochet Club.

Carla Romero
TREASURER

Carla S Romero has lived in Las Vegas since 1969. She grew up on a ranch homesteaded on the Harding/Mora County line, 18 miles east of Wagon Mound. After retiring as the Director of the Business and Professional Studies department at Luna Community College in 2003, she taught Developmental Mathematics at NMHU for 10 years and business classes for 6 years.
Working with the youth of the community is her passion. She has helped coordinate AAUW ‘Girls Can’ events for seven years, an organization that provides free technology to after school programs through Project GUTS (Growing Up Thinking Scientifically) for middle school students. She has taught religious classes at IC Parish for over 30 years. Presently she is on the Board for the Luna Community Foundation, Chair of the LVNMCF, and member of AAUW.

Board of Directors

Elizabeth Ratzlaff moved to Las Vegas in 1999 with her husband, Tracy, and three sons, Adam, Ben and Jacob. With a master’s degree in food science and human nutrition, she has worked with the San Miguel County Maternal & Child Health Council, the San Miguel Family & Community Health Council, the West Las Vegas School-based Health Clinic and for many years at New Mexico Highlands University to help establish, coordinate and write grants for the ARMAS (Achieving in Research, Mathematics And Science) Center.
Currently Elizabeth divides her work time between working as a Reading Specialist with the Reading Quest program and working with her husband at his procedural pain clinic. She is a member of the leadership team for the San Miguel County Early Childhood Coalition, a member of the Literacy Council of Northeastern New Mexico, and coordinates the San Miguel Chapter of Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library. She has been a board member with the Las Vegas NM Community Foundation since 2017.
Elizabeth and Tracy live just north of Las Vegas on the beautiful llano and have horses, goats, sheep, chickens, dogs and cats that keep them busy.

Elizabeth Ratzlaff

Dr. Edward Martinez is the current Interim Chair of the NMHU Department of Forestry. From 2021 to 2024 he was the President of Luna Community College, where he was committed to enhancing the partnership between Luna and the communities in its service area for the benefit of students and community members alike. During his tenure at Luna, Martinez implemented community education, opened a community kitchen and a food pantry for students, initiated continuing education programs, increased state and federal revenue for the institution, led the removal of the institution from HLC probation, and re-established academic programs placed on hiatus during the pandemic and created new workforce programs.
During the historic wildfires of the spring and summer of 2022, Martinez opened the college campus to more than 1000 emergency response personnel as Luna became the US Forest Service Incident Command Center. Post-fire, Martinez has played a major role in bringing land restoration workshops to the community to help address erosion, bring back vegetation and build marketable skills for assisting others impacted by the wildfires and subsequent floods.
Prior to serving as president at Luna, Martinez served at New Mexico Highlands University as Special Assistant to the President, founding Vice President of Strategic Enrollment Management, and Professor of Forestry. In 2019, Martinez was selected as an American Council on Education fellow, completing his fellowship at the University of Nevada-Reno. Martinez’s numerous successful grant authorships and publications have received national recognition for their focus on supporting underrepresented populations to succeed in STEM fields.
Martinez received his diploma from Mora High School, his welding certification through Luna Community College, and his Bachelor of Science in Environmental Sciences from NMHU. Martinez earned both his Master’s in Environmental and Regional Planning and his Doctorate in Environmental and Natural Resource Sciences from Washington State University-Pullman. Martinez lives north of the College in the Monte Aplanado region of the Sangre de Cristos.

Keith Tucker

Keith Tucker first joined the community full-time in 1982. He originally grew up in Las Cruces and outside Wagon Mound
He currently works for New Mexico Highlands University in accreditation and teaches business classes. Previously Keith was in banking for 30 years. Everything from the receptionist to the president. He has volunteered for and belongs to numerous community groups and associations including NERH and Alta Vista hospitals, various local financial advising committees, various NMHU committees and councils, the Santa Fe Trail and the NM Cattle Growers associations. He is most passionate about clean air, water, and ground initiatives. .
When he is not working or volunteering, his wife and kids can find him somewhere on their family ranch lost in work or thought.

Aaron Atencio

Native of Rociada, NM. Raised on the families cattle ranch. Married to Lena Atencio for 23 years and they have two teenage daughters. Worked most of his life in Agriculture and Trucking. Currently is Manager of Rociada Properties/ Pendaries Rv Park and has done so for the past 11 years. Is a volunteer firefighter with Rociada-Sapello-San Ignacio Fire Dept. Is also the head coach for Robertson High School Golf. Enjoys traveling with his family and competing in golf. He looks forward to contributing to our community through the LVNMCF.

Edward Martinez

Jorge Martinez

Jorge Martinez was born and raised in Brownsville, Texas, and has spent the past 15 years living and working across the U.S. In late summer 2023, he relocated to Las Vegas to support the region’s recovery from the Hermit’s Peak/Calf Canyon Fire as part of the North Central New Mexico Economic Development District.
With a professional background in all-hazard emergency response and management, Jorge specializes in serving remote and rural communities across the U.S. Southwest.
Beyond his work, he enjoys boxing, hiking, and exploring the outdoors. He shares his home with two beloved pets — his dog, Juniper, and his cat, Boquillas.

Staff

Elmo Baca
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

The Las Vegas New Mexico Community Foundation has contracted with their long-time board member and former chairman to work as executive director of the Foundation. As executive director Baca Will work on major Foundation objectives including long-term wildfire disaster recovery; development of a housing/land trust; management of the recently established Anchorum Community Health Fund; and fundraising. Baca is a native of Las Vegas and has been involved in downtown revitalization and historic preservation for over 40 years. He served as state Main Street director and state historic preservation officer during a nearly twenty-year career with state government.
Baca’s work related to the long-term recovery from the Hermit’s Peak and Calf Canyon Wildfire will include ongoing collaborative relationships with FEMA, related federal and state agencies, local municipalities, community nonprofit organizations, and others. The housing and land trust is envisioned as a critical project for the community and regional sustainability and long-term growth of the Foundation’s service area of Mora and San Miguel Counties. The trust will enable the Foundation to stimulate the private sector housing industry, leverage private and public sector funding, support workforce and affordable housing supply, and attract new residents.
Baca’s work helping manage the $750,000 fund recently established at the Foundation by the Anchorum Health Foundation, will focus funds on projects that will power an ambitious effort to make Northern New Mexico healthier. That goal involves bolstering efforts to address social factors that influence people’s health, like access to food or housing or education. He will also work on fundraising efforts such as enhancing the Foundation’s grant-writing capacity; negotiating with federal, state and local government agencies to leverage public funds; and attract major donations and bequests to the Foundation.

Betty Bastai
HERMITS PEAK/CALF CANYON FIRE RECOVERY VISTA

Betty Bastai is serving as a VISTA member with the Las Vegas New Mexico Community Foundation (LVNMCF). Betty has been a VISTA for three years after moving from Washington State to New Mexico in 2018. In her first year (2018-2019), she served as the STEAM Design Specialist with UNM Social Media Workgroup, an organization that promotes STEAM education. In Betty’s second year (2019-2020) she was a Cities of Service Experience Matters VISTA with the City of Albuquerque, Office of Civic Engagement. She collaborated with another VISTA member and the Department of Senior Affairs to develop a multigenerational mentoring program. Betty carried out her third year as a VISTA with the City of Santa Fe, Office of Economic Development (OED). She helped the OED compile and edit an extensive newsletter, manage the 11,000 newsletter subscribers, promote OED’s events and newsletter on its Facebook page, and assisted the OED with the implementation of a Free Wi-Fi Program in low-income mobile home parks. Betty is very excited to bring her extensive experience and enthusiasm to LVNMCF to help the foundation’s ongoing effort to support the communities and individuals impacted by the Hermit’s Peak and Calf Canyon Fires.

Sarah Martinez
ADMINISTRATIVE COORDINATOR

After a fulfilling career as an administrative assistant with the Las Vegas Schools, I have embraced retirement. I’m a proud mother of three and a grandmother to three wonderful grandchildren. Celebrating over 40 years of marriage, I cherish my family and memories we’ve created together.

Anchorum Staff

Arielle Hawney
ANCHORUM FELLOW

Arielle is a passionate community advocate with a strong foundation in natural health and wellness. Following nearly seven years in health and wellness retail, and with more than a decade of experience in community organizing, she seamlessly integrates her aptitude in natural approaches to wellness, permaculture systems, and holistic prevention with her commitment to promoting health literacy, empowering individuals, and fostering thoughtful community development and resiliency.
Arielle's entrepreneurial spirit extends to include her work as a freelancing writer/marketer and farmers market vendor. She is a devoted mother who finds joy in outdoor pursuits and the simple pleasures of music and fiber arts.
Originally from the scenic Olympic Peninsula of Washington State, she has embraced Las Vegas as her chosen home since 2006, where she currently resides with her partner and young daughter.

Ariel is a social worker who describes herself as fiercely loyal to her home state of New Mexico. With twenty-five years of experience in social services and healthcare, she offers valuable perspectives to the organizations she serves. She is dedicated to supporting groups and collaborations in making positive change.
Outside of work, Ariel enjoys watching comedy and trying to be funny herself. She lives near Pecos, in western San Miguel County with her husband, two children and cute little doggie.

Ariel Cordero
ANCHORUM FELLOW

Advisors

VINCE HOWELL

SARA JO MATHEWS

SAM MINNER

LEVEO SANCHEZ

VICTORIA SANCHEZ