Meet the Team

Extension Family and Consumer Sciences

Department Head: Efren Delgado, Ph.D.
Associate Department Head: Laura Bittner, Ph.D.
Administrative Assistant, Intermediate: Elisa Anderson
Administrative Assistant, General: Cheyenne Cano

Specialists

Provide statewide leadership in planning, coordinating and evaluating FCS programs. Provide resource material and subject matter training for county Extension personnel. Responsible for securing and managing funding, reporting program results to administration, and maintaining partnerships with other faculty, agencies, and organizations.

Food Technology

Visit the Food Technology Website.

Food safety training for food business:

Better Process Control School for Acidified Foods: has been converted to an online course for managers and supervisors of food processing operations of thermal procession systems, acidification, and container closure evaluation programs for low-acid and acidified canned foods.
FSPCA - Preventive Controls for Human Food Course for Preventive Controls Qualified Individual -training for the food safety professional in the efficient management of an FSMA Food Safety Plan and Good Manufacturing practices; conducting a risk assessment to determine controls for process, food allergen, sanitation, and supply chain procedures in the food processing environment; implementation of the requirements for verification, validation, and record keeping.

Food safety training for consumers:

Understanding Food Preservation course support the practice of food preservation starting with home canning. Learning materials, such as videos and publications presented in this course, support each of the learning objectives. Activities allow for practice or application of concepts presented in each module.

Nutrition (potential programs)

Visit the Nutrition Website.

Building nutrition practices to meet your needs and promote optimal development and health, including eating well on a budget.
Developing healthy relationship with foods.
Addressing and applying nutrition habits to lower specific disease risks, such as heart disease, cancer, osteoporosis, and inflammation.
Using nutrition to improve sports performance.
Improving nutrition in areas with limited food access.

Bryce Jorgensen, Ph.D., AFC, CHC, Family Resource Management

Visit the My Money Website.

Family Finance

Easy Ways to Grow Your Savings.
Eliminate your Debt Quickly and SAVE $1,000’s.
Student Loan Debt: What Should I Know?
Improve your Credit Score and SAVE $100’s every Month.
Why Everyone Needs a Will.
How to Get a $500 per/ Month Raise Without Asking Your Boss!
Building Wealth: How to Become a Millionaire.
How and Where Should I Invest My Money?
Banking Safely in Today’s World.
Protect Yourself from Identity Theft!
Should I get a Reverse Mortgage? Facts and Myths.
Forming Financial Futures: Teaching Your Children about Money (Two-part program).

Family Resource Management

Why Resolutions Fail and How to Create Goals That Work
The 6 Principles of Strong Families
The Productivity Factor: Accomplishing More by Doing Less
The 6 Principles of Happiness
The 8 Success Habits Everyone Should Implement
Families and Technology: The Realities and Improvements for Technology Management

Laura Bittner, Ph.D., Health and Well-Being

Visit the NM Health & Wellness Website.

Chronic Disease Self-Management Education Program (CDSMEP) - Strategies for living a healthy life with any chronic condition. The suite of self-management programs, most are offered in both English and Spanish, include: general CDSMEP, Diabetes Self-Management Program (DSMP), Cancer: Thriving and Surviving Program (CTSP), and Chronic Pain Self-Management Program (CPSMP).
General Health - The Health Program revolves around activities related to healthy lifestyles, including maintenance of social, emotional, and physical health. The goal of the Health Program is to provide reliable, research-based information that covers the lifespan in all areas of individual, family, and community life. Topic areas include cancer facts, vaccinations and public health, osteoarthritis pain management, selecting over-the-counter medications, stress management, sun safety, and other general health areas of interest.
Healthy Homes and Communities – Programs are designed to administer guidance and provide resources for maintaining or rehabilitating areas both within and outside the home or workplace in a manner that supports the health of residents. The program area provides education focused on a variety of human health issues that are impacted and/or exacerbated through the environment in which people live, work, and play. Examples are mold control and remediation, air quality, and controlling pest infestation. The program covers disaster preparedness as it impacts individual, family, and community health.

Karim Martinez, Ph.D., CFLE, Family Life and Child Development

Visit the Family Website.

Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) - understanding how childhood trauma influences health outcomes across the lifespan.
Stress and Resilience - understanding how stress affects brain development and learning strategies to build resilience; this included the related program, Resilient Mothers, Resilient Children.
Behavioral health and wellness - understanding mental health and reducing the stigma of seeking treatment for mental health challenges.
Aging and caregiver education - understanding how caregiving changes relationships; managing grief and loss; and support for New Mexico delivery of Keys to Embracing Aging, a research-based curriculum developed by Extension professionals at Kansas State University, University of Arkansas, and the University of Kentucky.
Interpersonal communication - strengthening couple and family relationships through the development of communication skills.
Parenting - promotion of online Just in Time Parenting newsletter through Extension.

Extension Associates II

Masters-level Extension professionals, similar to Extension agents, but housed in the EFCS department. These positions can be involved in a variety of FCS programs at the county or state levels. Many of the programs are grant-funded initiatives.

Lucinda Banegas-Carreon, MPH, CHES, Extension Associate II

Fit Families (Program Manager): 12-week nutrition program delivered to families with children 5-12 years of age. Benefits are increased knowledge about healthy food choices, physical activity, and promoting social and emotional well-being. Instruction includes a cooking demonstration and a nutritious meal. Available in Doña Ana County. Fit Families
National Diabetes Prevention Program (NDPP) (Program Manager): evidence-based, lifestyle intervention program taught by lifestyle coaches trained through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The target audience is people with pre-diabetes or risk factors for developing diabetes. Meet weekly for 6 months and then monthly for 6 months. There are multiple NDPP curricula such as Native Balance and Spanish-language curricula.

Lourdes Olivas, MA, Extension Associate II

On the Road to Living Well with Diabetes (Program Manager): program provided to individuals with prediabetes and those at risk for developing diabetes. It covers the five most important tests for diabetes; how to discuss test results with your healthcare provider; how to prepare healthy meals; and why it's important to be physically active.
Familias en Forma (Fit Families Spanish Curriculum Program Manager): 12-week nutrition program delivered to families with children 5-12 years of age by promotoras. Benefits are increased knowledge about healthy food choices, physical activity, and promoting social and emotional well-being. Instruction includes a cooking demonstration and a nutritious meal. Available in Doña Ana County.
Assists with Kitchen Creations, National Diabetes Prevention Program – Lifestyle Coach, Chronic Disease Self-Management Program – Master Trainer, and Healthy U.
Undergraduate degree in Kinesiology, (studied human movement as well as the impact of age, injury, and/or disease on normal, human function and performance). Interested in assisting with physical activity programs.
Supervise graduate dietetic interns. If agents would like dietetic interns to research nutrition-related topics, let Lourdes know.

Cassandra Vanderpool, MS, RDN, LD, Extension Associate II

Kitchen Creations (Program Manager): 4-part diabetes cooking school funded by a grant from the NM Department of Health Diabetes Prevention and Control Program.
Part-time position (20 hrs. per week) from Albuquerque, NM.

Program Coordinators

Gabe Calderon, Chronic Disease Self-Management Education Program

Certified master trainer.
Trains and provides support to workshop leaders, assist with scheduling community workshops, and promotes the program through collaborative networks with agencies and organizations.
The suite of programs includes the general CDSMEP, Tomando Control de Su Salud, Diabetes Self-Management Program (DSMP), and Manejo Personal De La Diabetes.

Center of Innovation for Behavioral Health and Wellbeing (COI)

Visit the COI Website and COI Email.

This program is housed in the EFCS department and was created with a focus on Children’s Behavioral Health and its services. COI staff collaborates with State of New Mexico funding partners, including the Children, Youth and Families Department (CYFD), on a number of initiatives and federal grants. The COI serves as a training hub and workforce development center, providing training and program implementation support to the State of New Mexico and Community Behavioral Health Provider agencies. The center also coordinates and provides continuing education training to social workers, attorneys, advocates, law enforcement, educators, peer support workers, and community members. Please contact the Center of Innovation for custom content requests.

COI Staff can deliver the following training to agents:
- Nurtured Heart Approach
- Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction
- Infant Mental Health
- Question, Persuade, Refer (QPR)
- Trauma Informed Care
- And More!

Our staff is able to develop and facilitate curriculum by custom design to meet the needs of a particular population. Contact us for custom training requests at centerofinnovationnm@nmsu.edu.

COI Staff:
- Brooke Stanley Tou, MPH, LMSW, Director
  - Specializing in strategic planning for Child Mobile Response and Stabilization Services, in-house lead for Family Peer Support and NM High-Fidelity Wraparound programs, and provides direct support to State of New Mexico partners.
- Liz Bennett, MPH, LMSW, Program Manager, Sr.
  - Specializing in a mindfulness approach to behavioral health workforce development, the training and application of the Nurtured Heart Approach, and the design and implementation of innovative youth programs.
- Sandra Gallegos, LBSW, Program Manager
  - Specializing in curriculum development for NM High-Fidelity Wraparound and eLearning Course Development.
- Enas Khaleq, Program Manager
  - Specializing in developing and training behavioral health curriculum, youth suicide prevention, and engagement with LGBTQ+ youth and their families.
- Claudia DeJesus, Marketing Communications Specialist
  - Specializing in strategic digital media and mass communication planning, designing, and distribution for COI training, programs, resources, and events.
- Priscila Solis, Program Specialist, Sr.
  - Specializing in COI training coordination and registration, CEU applications, and data system development.
- Bob Brazell, Program Specialist, Sr.
  - Works with New Mexico High-Fidelity Wraparound and leads Family Peer Support Worker Training Coordination. Serves as a designated liaison to the New Mexico Credentialing Board for Behavioral Health Professionals (NMCBBHP).
- Alana Hancock, Program Coordinator
  - Provides program and training coordination for two of New Mexico’s Behavioral Health Programs: High-Fidelity Wraparound and Family Peer Support.
- Jesus Romero, Program Specialist
  - Assists in the coordination of trainings and events partnered with CYFD-Behavioral Health Services and other community providers such as: Youth Peer Support, Youth Engagement, Nurtured Heart Approach, Safe Zone, and CSE-IT.
- Melissa Spence, Program Specialist
  - Training Coordinator for the Infant Mental Health Program. Works with the logistics and planning of CYFD, UCSF, and other supplemental trainer’s events.
- Stephanie Frisch-Riddle, Program Specialist, Sr.
  - Oversees planning and coordination efforts for the annual Children’s Law Institute Conference.
- Sarahi Soto-Talavera, Program Coordinator
  - Assists with the coordination of registration and logistics for the Children’s Law Institute Conference, as well as provides support for various other COI trainings.
- Lorretta Diaz, Event Planner & Program Support
  - Oversees all grant fund accounts, which includes approving fund requests and vendor invoices. Also reconciles monthly accounting invoices for each grant and submits to CYFD for payment.
- Mary Ortaleza, Program Coordinator - Fiscal
  - Liaison to ACES HR Department for all new positions, hiring, timesheets, and other fiscal-related tasks.
- Alexa Copeland, Graduate Assistant
  - Assists program managers with curriculum development, training data collection and evaluation, and technical assistance during COI trainings and events.
- Allison Boyce, Graduate Assistant
  - Assists with curriculum development and training moderation with a focus on youth-serving programs.
- Christina Roy, Social Work Intern
  - Plays a supportive role to several COI program managers and also takes on a learning role with multiple COI projects.
- Nancy Patterson, Graduate Assistant
  - Plays a supportive role in several COI programs, including Quality Service Review (QSR), the Children’s Law Institute Conference, Respite Care, Wraparound, Children’s Mobile Response and Stabilization Services, and E-learning development for the NM Crisis and Access Line and Family Peer Support.
- Priscilla Vasquez, Student Assistant
  - Assists the COI’s program specialists and coordinators with CEU certifications.
- Kate Gibbons, Ph.D., Co-Director Quality Service Review
  - Works with numerous state, university, provider, and non-profit entities in New Mexico providing leadership and organizational development, coaching, mentoring, implementation of change initiatives, strategic planning, and increasing accessibility of Wraparound services for youth and families.
- Tami Spellbring, Co-Director Quality Service Review
  - Organizes and develops protocols for the State of New Mexico, including scheduling, training, reviewing in a lead capacity and conducting debriefings, data presentations, and final written reports for ongoing practice improvement.
- Rebecca Tarango-McCabe, QSR Program Manager, Sr.
  - Organizes and coordinates QSR reviews in partnership with behavioral health agencies and the State.
- Lynda Moore, QSR Senior Reviewer Program Manager, Sr.
  - Specializes in program development, quality oversight, and is certified to provide training and supervision in multiple evidenced-based practices.
- Linda DeMarino, QSR Program Manager
  - Conducts case-based reviews to providing a point-in-time qualitative evaluation and analysis of the status and wellbeing of clients and the quality, consistency, and effectiveness of an agency’s practice.
- Jessica Chacon, Program Specialist, Sr.
  - Supports the implementation of a comprehensive Quality Service Review program in the State of New Mexico. Also assists in the development of QSR program protocol, staff training materials, and project management tool and data collection.

ICAN (Ideas for Cooking and Nutrition)

Visit the ICAN Website.

Ideas for Cooking and Nutrition (ICAN) is a New Mexico State University Cooperative Extension Service (NMSU CES) program funded by Federal grants to provide nutrition education to SNAP-eligible audiences in New Mexico. Our mission is to inspire New Mexico’s families to make healthy food and lifestyle choices and to make those choices possible by creating health-friendly communities. ICAN is the largest implementing agency for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Education (SNAP-Ed) grant in New Mexico, and the only agency for the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) grant.
ICAN State Office Staff:
- Donna Sauter, MS, RDN, LD, Director (Albuquerque)
- Gabriel Gomez, BS, Regional Coordinator - Northern District and EFNEP (Albuquerque)
- Brenda Weatherford, BA, Regional Coordinator - Eastern and Southwestern Districts (Lincoln County Extension)
- Marisa Van Dommelen, MS, Program Manager (Las Cruces)
- Angie Jonsson, MS, ACSM-CEP, Food Systems Specialist (Albuquerque)
- Abigail Orta, BS, Financial Manager (Las Cruces)
- Marisa Stevenson, MS, Data Manager (Las Cruces)
- Ester Thompson, MBA, Administrative Assistant (Las Cruces)

Anna, Age Eight Institute/100% New Mexico Initiative

Visit the Anna, Age Eight Website.

Provides statewide and local leadership in transforming the adverse social determinants of health into positive ones, with a focus on ensuring within each community in a county has access to the ten vital services for surviving and thriving. These services include medical care, mental health care, housing security, food security, transportation, parent supports, early childhood learning, community schools, youth mentors, and job training. The goal is to prevent adverse childhood experiences, family trauma, and social adversity.
Institute staff work with county-based 100% New Mexico initiative participants (currently in 15 counties) in the data-driven continuous quality improvement process that includes assessment, planning, action, and evaluation. Provide resource material, subject matter training (including adaptive leadership, collective impact, and using the social-ecological model), and opportunities for local engagement in the local initiative for county Cooperative Extension personnel eager to innovate in food security and end local hunger. Responsible for securing and managing funding, reporting county-based assessments revealing service barriers to the public, lawmakers, and high education administration, and maintaining partnerships with other faculty, agencies, and organizations committed to turning science into real-world solutions to benefit every New Mexican child, student, and family.
Anna, Age Eight Institute Staff
- Katherine Ortega Courtney, Ph.D.
- Dominic Cappello, MA

County Family and Consumer Sciences Agents

Bernalillo

Phillip Alden, 4-H FCS
Dianne Christensen, FCS
Amber Benson-Lehmer, FCS
Suzanne Porter-Bolton, ICAN Sr. Program Educator

Chaves

Tamara Schubert, FCS/4-H

Eddy

Vonda Frost, FCS

Curry:

Mindy Turner, FCS

Doña Ana

Esther Hernandez, FCS
Crystal Guzman, ICAN Sr. Program Educator

Guadalupe

Susann Mikkelson, FCS/4-H/AG

Grant

Lauren Baker, FCS

Lea

Grace Krueger, FCS

Lincoln

Melody Gaines, FCS/4-H

Los Alamos

Desaree Jimenez, FCS/4-H

Luna

Katherine Turner, FCS/4-H

McKinley

Patricia Largo, FCS/4-H

Otero

Kelly Knight, FCS

Quay

Erin Smith, FCS/4-H

Rio Arriba

Joy Russell (Czmyrid), FCS

Sandoval

Madeline Gurney, FCS/4-H

San Juan

Augusta Ahlm, 4-H FCS
Rick Griffiths, FCS

Santa Fe

Michelle Stizza, FCS
Paige Miles, 4-H FCS

Torrance

Debby Maberry, FCS/4-H

Valencia

Crystal Garcia-Anaya, FCS/4-H