WHO WE ARE
Santa Fe School for the Arts & Sciences is an independent expeditionary learning school in Santa Fe, New Mexico, serving 135 students in Preschool through 8th grade.
Mission
Arts & Sciences nurtures academic excellence and healthy social-emotional development in an environment of respect, inclusion, and diversity. Arts & Sciences utilizes expeditionary learning, global perspectives, and a multicultural art and science curriculum – and equips each student with the knowledge, skills, and passion to create their vision of a better world.
Vision
Each student’s skills and talents grow through collaborative learning processes that support self-expression and growth. Each student imagines and pursues their own journey within a community that strives toward a lifelong passion for learning and exploration. Each student comes to embody the values of compassion, leadership, world citizenship, equity and service.
FACULTY AND STAFF
Adelyn Smith
Adelyn teaches middle school science and is entering her 5th year at our school. She was born and raised in Santa Fe and is really happy to be back home close to mountains and family. She has a Bachelors of Science from Boston College in biochemistry and environmental studies and a teaching license from Santa Fe Community College. She taught math and science to at-risk youth in Santa Fe working towards their GED before teaching and coaching in India for two years at a non-profit girls’ school in rural Jharkhand. Adelyn is really involved in the soccer community in town, coaching for Santa Fe Prep and playing on various teams throughout the year. She also likes to hike, practice Muay Thai, garden, do woodworking projects, travel, snowboard, and ride her bike. adelyn@santafeschool.org
Andrew Lescht
Andrew is entering his 8th year as our 3rd-4th grade teacher. He is dedicated to teaching the whole child and recently began integrating teaching mindfulness in the Centaur class. As a lifelong learner Andrew is dedicated to advancing his practices. He is currently a fellow with Environmental Education New Mexico’s Exploring Equitable Education Outdoors, helping further equal access to outdoor learning opportunities for all New Mexican youth. He has a B.A. in Anthropology from State University of New York Plattsburgh, and for many years he split his seasons between working as an archaeologist, environmental educator and a ski instructor. His passion for teaching led him back to school to obtain an MA in Elementary Education from the University of Northern Colorado. Prior to Arts & Sciences, Andrew’s classroom experience includes third and fourth grades in Colorado, and teaching at an international school in Ecuador. In his free time, he enjoys spending time with his wife, reading, hiking, travel, music, skiing, and mountain biking. andrew@santafeschool.org
Annie McLaughlin
This is Annie’s 4th year at Arts & Sciences, and her third year as an Assistant teacher for the Unicorns. She was previously a Centaur class assistant, a Grasshopper Creative Movement teacher, and an elementary Drama teacher at SFSAS. Annie was born and raised in Northern Virginia as the youngest of five children, and she has 15 years of experience in the early childhood field. She previously taught at La Mariposa Montessori in Santa Fe. Annie graduated from Boston College with a B.A. in Human Development and a minor in Irish Studies. She obtained her Masters of Education and AMI Montessori Diploma & Teaching Certificate from Loyola University in Maryland. Annie lives in Santa Fe with her 12 year old son. She loves to incorporate music and movement into her teaching whenever possible, and she will soon be leading Music Together classes in Santa Fe. When she’s not at school, Annie loves to hike, swim, bake and spend time with her family and friends. annie@santafeschool.org
Aurora Hvidsten
This is Aurora’s 14th year at Arts & Sciences. She is the Lead Teacher for the preschool and pre-k students in the Unicorn classroom. She received her BA from the University of California Santa Cruz in 2008 and her MS in Early Childhood Education with an endorsement in Dual Language Learning at the Erikson Institute of Chicago in 2015. Aurora enjoys integrating her love for stories into the classroom and feels passionately about supporting each child to feel comfortable, loved, and seen at school. aurora@santafeschool.org
Bret Luboyeski
Bret joins Arts & Sciences as our Learning Specialist and Facilities Coordinator. Bret worked for nine school years as a teacher and administrator at May Center for Learning, a Santa Fe-based non-profit organization dedicated to serving students who learn differently. He is trained in Orton-Gillingham-based structured literacy programs and has extensive experience supporting students with academic and executive functioning skills. Before his career in education, Bret worked in online sales and operations at Google. He earned a Master of Arts in Eastern Classics at St. John’s College and a Bachelor of Science in Communication at Northwestern University. When not working, you can probably find him playing soccer, watching birds, or eating Chicago-style deep dish pizza. bret@santafeschool.org
Chintan Kess
Chintan is the lead teacher in the combined first and second grade Stargazer class. She is committed to bringing best practice to her primary students, offering them a curriculum rich in inquiry, play and the arts. She has been teaching at Arts & Sciences since 2001 and holds an A.A. in Early Childhood Multicultural Education from Santa Fe Community College, a B.A. in Early Childhood Education from New Mexico Highlands University and a M.Ed. in Integrated Teaching through the Arts from Lesley University. She is licensed to teach in New Mexico with a Level Three-A Instructional Leader B-3 Early Childhood License. chintan@santafeschool.org
Cynthia DelBello
Cynthia joined Arts & Sciences in 2018 as our Volunteer Coordinator and Admissions/Office Assistant. She brings over 20 years of Administrative work experience and 6 years of them in Management. She attended Marymount Manhattan College in New York City studying Communications and Media Arts. After a decade in Seattle, she moved to Santa Fe so their children could grow up closer to their Grandparents. She enjoys spending her free time exploring small towns and has a passion for cooking and gardening. Her daughters, Mia and Rosie, are students at Arts & Sciences. cynthia@santafeschool.org
Daniel Lockley
Daniel has been studying and performing music since he was 10 years old. Growing up in Santa Fe, and attending the Waldorf School ensured that he was exposed to a lot of musical styles from an early age. His true passion was discovered when he began learning Zimbabwean Marimba in 1997. Since then, he used marimba as a vehicle to perform and teach all over the country and beyond! In 2010, he taught marimba in the Portland Public Schools through an organization called Ethos Music Center. He later taught in Boulder, CO with the Kutandara Center, a non-profit dedicated to teaching Zimbabwean music. Thanks to Kutandara, Daniel was able to work with students of all ages and from all walks of life as well as a number of excellent schools, including CU Boulder, and Regis University. Daniel moved back to Santa Fe in late 2019 and has been teaching at the Santa Fe Waldorf High School, Desert Montessori, and even at our very own after school program! Daniel is very excited for this new chapter and his role at Arts & Sciences as our music teacher. daniel@santafeschool.org
Debbie McFarland
Debbie is our Bookkeeper and has been happily working at Arts & Sciences since 2016. She did her undergraduate and graduate work at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, earning a BA In Psychology and a Masters of Social Work. She also received her BS in Accounting after moving to New Mexico and currently owns Eldorado Bookkeeping, through which she serves many clients in the Santa Fe and Eldorado areas. Debbie teaches payroll and accounting workshops to small business owners throughout the year and is a Quickbooks Proadvisor. She is also a knowledgeable herbalist and owned an herb and natural medicines shop in Eldorado named Rowan’s Leaf Herbal. She has lived in New Mexico for over twenty years and is grateful to call such a magnificent place home. eldobooks1@gmail.com
Elisa Boyles
Director of Admissions. Elisa was born in Venezuela and grew up in many places, including Santa Fe. She has always enjoyed working with children and got her BA in Early Childhood Education with a teaching license for PreK-3 from Tufts University in 1998. In college, she studied art history and Italian in Florence, Italy and delved into learning about the schools in Reggio Emilia. She jumped right into teaching Art for New York City Public Schools and then a 3rd grade Bilingual teacher. Later, she moved to The Peck School, in New Jersey, as Assistant to the Upper School Head, Spanish teacher, and tutor. She and her husband Patrick, a native Santa Fean, happily returned to Santa Fe to start their family. She taught the 3 and 4 year olds at Dragonfly School, before homeschooling her son. She has fun being in nature, gardening, cooking, supporting local organic farmers, and being creative with life. She is a proud mama of Luca and Valentina, an alumnus and current student at Arts & Sciences.
Elli Hindmarch
Elli (she/her), Finance Coordinator, started at our school in 2010. She has a B.B.A. in Management from New Mexico Highlands University and over two decades of administrative and financial experience. She also enjoys teaching and performing swing, tango & salsa dance and is a bodyworker. Some families may remember Elli’s parents, Willy & Phil, who helped start Arts & Sciences and taught at the school, and her sister Lucia, who was in our first graduating class. Her son Sebastien is an Arts & Sciences alumnus. elli@santafeschool.org
Gina Kinstle
In her 10th year at Arts & Sciences, Gina is our Graphic Designer and Office Manager. In addition to coordinating many details of student and school activities, Gina designs our school yearbook and many of our expedition products, like books and posters. She even designed a board game for the Grasshopper class this past school year. After living in Brooklyn, NY for 8 years, working in the fashion industry as a handbag designer, she reestablished her roots back to Santa Fe. As a creative person with experience in the hospitality industry, Gina happily brings attention to detail in all of our visual messaging, and thoughtfulness to the complex task of keeping the wheels in the office running smoothly. Gina’s daughter is an Arts & Sciences alumna. gina@santafeschool.org
Isaac Hernandez
Isaac is our school’s Information Technology Administrator. He has a B.S. from Liberty University, 13 years of experience as a Communications Officer in the Army National Guard, and 5 years as a Federal Civilian managing the New Mexico National Guard’s financial datacenter. Via the military, Isaac has had an opportunity to travel the globe spending time in Japan, Alaska, Georgia, Washington and New Mexico while working in an airborne infantry unit, State emergency operations, and several comms staff positions. Besides technology, he also enjoys a myriad of hobbies including: cooking, backpacking, making music, teaching his son new things and adventures of any kind. He has a true passion for learning and teaching whenever the opportunity arises. isaac@santafeschool.org
Jessica Patti
Joining Arts & Sciences in 2021, Jessica is the middle school history teacher and co-leads Student Council. She earned her BS in Anthropology and English from Tulane University, her Texas Teaching Credential and a post-baccalaureate in Secondary Education (6-12) from Southern Methodist University, and an Ed.M in School Leadership from Harvard University. Her 20 years of experience in education span every grade, but her passion and expertise lie with middle school. She strives to create an environment where every child feels known and valued. Prior to her move to Santa Fe, Jessica was a head of school of a preschool through eighth grade school in the Bay Area. She has taught middle school humanities, English, math and leadership and high school US history and AP Human Geography. Jessica chose to be an educator to aid students in being curious, engaged, creative, and passionate. She is an avid reader and often can be found exploring the mountains with her rescue dogs or traveling cross-country in her vintage Airstream Trailer. jessica@santafeschool.org
Jordy Angel-Coldwell
Jordy is entering her fourth year at Arts and Sciences with a BA in Education, focusing on multiage education, from Goddard College in Vermont. Jordy passionately believes in the power of play and games, infusing this philosophy into every role she undertakes. Whether serving as a Substitute Teacher, PE Teacher, Aftercare Director and Teacher, or Summer Camp Director, Jordy playfully engages learners of all ages, creating environments where fun and learning coexist harmoniously. She brings creativity and enthusiasm to each position, fostering dynamic and interactive experiences that inspire and delight. jordy@santafeschool.org
Joseph Smith
Joseph is in his 9th year at Arts & Sciences. He teaches Middle School Creative Writing. Born and raised in Santa Fe, he earned his BA in English from UNM in 2004. He previously taught as a Special Education Teacher, with a focus on Gifted Education, and was the Education Coordinator at Santa Fe YouthWorks. Joseph tutored students in the Santa Fe area for many years, and also coached and continues to promote youth baseball. He is the proud father of alumnus, Cruz, and 8th grader, Lea. joseph@santafeschool.org
Kati Novak
Kati is an Assistant Preschool Teacher and Preschool-Kindergarten Lead Aftercare Teacher at Arts & Sciences. At nearly 19, she left Santa Fe for the Pacific Northwest, and for almost 16 years lived in Washington on the Kitsap Peninsula, working first as a line cook and being a young mother before finding her calling as a teacher. She was part of the Boys & Girls Club of Seattle for eight years in Bainbridge Island, where she worked as the Program Director then taught a toddler program at Building Block Preschool. In 2014, She returned to Santa Fe to teach at Dragonfly School until its closing in 2017. Textile arts, gardening and nannying filled the days until landing at Arts and Sciences. Kati’s strengths include allowing children the space and time to accomplish their own goals, her playful yet calm nature and inspiring inquisitiveness through asking pertinent questions. kati@santafeschool.org
Kim Shakespeare-Jones
This is Kim’s 3rd year as the Designer for Arts & Sciences’ CoLab Initiative. Kim has worked in program development and arts education for more than 20 years, including positions with the Santa Fe Opera as Manager of Strategic Planning & Evaluation for an in-school arts integration program, and Program Founder & Manager for a Reggio-inspired early childhood program. Kim received a BA from UCLA’s film school, and a Master’s degree in Education and Innovation, with certification as a Pedagogical Coordinator in the Reggio Emilia Approach, from Webster University. She enjoys co-developing community-led and equity-centered collaborative learning opportunities that support, inspire and empower teachers and children. colab@santafeschool.org
Lani Ersfeld
In her 11th year at Arts & Sciences, Lani is our Kindergarten-8th Grade Spanish Teacher as well as the Aftercare Coordinator and 5th-8th grade Aftercare Teacher. Lani is from Placitas, NM and attended the Albuquerque Academy for middle and high school. She then attended Lewis & Clark College in Oregon, majoring in Hispanic Studies and English. During her studies, Lani lived in the Dominican Republic and in Chile, where she solidified her love of the Spanish language and various cultures, and her desire to teach it to others. She earned her Master of Arts in Teaching at Lewis & Clark Graduate School with an emphasis in ESOL. She holds licenses in both New Mexico and Oregon for Elementary Education and Early Childhood Education. Lani is instrumental in organizing and planning our 8th grade International Trip to Costa Rica in the Spring. In her off time, Lani enjoys time with her menagerie of animals on her farm in Española. lani@santafeschool.org
Leilani Maloney
Bio coming soon
Lisa Goldman
Lisa is the 5th-8th grade Art Teacher at Arts & Sciences. She has been involved in media arts education and gifted education for over 25 years, and has taught college courses for the Santa Fe Community College, The Institute for American Indian Arts, Santa Fe University of Art and Design, and the Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design. She earned her BFA from University of Wisconsin, and her M.A. in Special Education from University of New Mexico. She acted as Director of Education and Training for Youth Media Project and has taught the joy of creating radio narratives and podcasts. Working with Media Savvy Citizens, she conducts teacher trainings on radio production. Lisa is also an award winning radio producer and musician, currently in the local post-punk outfit, Titmaüs. When not rocking out, Lisa enjoys painting and drawing, writing, reading, hiking, camping, circuit-training, hot springs, traveling, snorkeling, cooking, and sitting around dreaming. lisagoldman@santafeschool.org
Liza Stanton Hitt
This is Liza’s 14th year teaching at Arts & Sciences and her 11th year as lead teacher in the “Grasshopper” Kindergarten class. Liza is a graduate from the College of Santa Fe, with a BA in Elementary Education with a TESOL endorsement. Liza is committed to creating a developmentally appropriate early childhood classroom, which instills a love of learning within our little ones. This is accomplished through an environment that nurtures wonder, discovery, exploration and learning through play. Liza’s has three daughters who have attended Arts and Sciences, one in the Middle School and two Alums. Liza is looking forward to another wonderful year in the Grasshopper class! liza@santafeschool.org
Matt Burke Newsum
This is Matt’s 20th year teaching our 5th-6th grade Badger class. Matt has a BS in Environmental Biology and Resource Management from UC Davis and has teaching certifications in all subjects from San Francisco State University with endorsements in Math and Science. Prior to teaching in Santa Fe, Matt worked for several years in the business world before deciding to become an educator. He then student taught for two years in Mountain View, CA, coached middle school basketball and helped run the Farm and Wilderness camp programs at Hidden Villa. Matt loves spending his free time in the mountains and in the ocean with his family. Matt’s daughter is a Arts & Sciences alumna. matt@santafeschool.org
Nate Moore
This is Nate’s 16th year at Arts & Sciences. Nate is a core teacher in the Middle School and teaches algebra and STEM electives. He is also the Middle School Director, spearheading the organization of activities such as 100 Elk, supporting crew (our advisory program), and coordinating the middle school curriculum and program. Nate is a proud father of two. A fluent Spanish speaker, Nate has also been a lead teacher during the 8th grade service trip to Costa Rica. Nate received a BA from Oberlin College in Environmental Studies, Hispanic Studies, and Latin American Studies and Masters in Science Teaching at New Mexico Tech. He earned a New Mexico Teaching License with a Secondary Science certification. In 2009 he was a fellow in the New Science Teacher Academy; in 2019 he was a Fund for Teachers Fellow; and in 2020 he was a Ramsden Project Fellow. Nate has presented at the EL Education National Conference and the MidSchoolMath Conference. He taught Spanish in Oberlin’s SITES program, worked at the Big Sky Summer Camp, and volunteered at Escola Bosque in Brazil. nate@santafeschool.org
Perli Cunanan
Perli Cunanan is starting her 12th school year as the Arts & Sciences Executive Director. Perli has worked as a volunteer and a development professional in the nonprofit sector for more than 30 years, including positions as Development Officer of Con Alma Health Foundation, Vice President of Development at United Way of Santa Fe County and Development Director at Youth Shelters. Before joining the Arts & Sciences staff, she served on the school’s Board of Directors. She is the Chair of the Grants Committee for The Reading Group, an Opportunity Santa Fe Working Group at the Santa Fe Community Foundation, focused on supporting striving readers in Santa Fe. Perli is proud mom to Arts & Sciences alumni Isa and Tom (Class of 2020 and 2018). perli@santafeschool.org
Reagon Heikes
Reagon is a licensed mental health counselor (LPCC) and the school counselor at Arts & Sciences. She graduated in 2018 from Southewestern College with her masters in clinical counseling, and has since completed extensive post graduate training in working with children and families ages 0 to 18. She is a credentialed Child-Parent Psychotherapy provider, an attachment based psyhodynamic therapy model for working with very young children and their caregivers. She has worked in many elementary and middle schools across northern New Mexico, doing both individual therapy with students and working on system school wide trauma informed intervention plans. Reagon is the mother to four beautiful and rambunctious children that consume all of her spare time. She recently moved back to Santa Fe after five years of living in Los Alamos, and is very happy to be home. reagon@santafeschool.org
Ree Gray
Ree has spent the last ten years working with kids from nannying, to after school care, to summer camp counselor. She graduated from Mills College in 2022 with a degree in education and the intention of becoming an elementary school teacher. Currently she is attending SFCC to receive her teaching credential. She works with Andrew in his 3rd and 4th grade class as an assistant teacher. She also uses her creative skills as the Kindergarten-4th grade art teacher. She is excited to continue to build meaningful relationships within this community during her second year at SFSAS! ree@santafeschool.org
Satori Murata
Satori is the middle school Japanese teacher. Born and raised in Nagano Japan, the mountain area in main island she grew up watching her mother who was a chado (way of tea) teacher. She loves poetry and storytelling and studied literature in English (M.A. in English in Tokyo). She came to the USA at the age of 26, lived in Navajo nation and attended Dine college in 1992-1995. While in Navajo nation, she enjoyed listening to their stories. She has been studying way of tea passionately since 1998. She was a president of Santa Fe JIN (Japanese Intercultural Network) 2013-2014. Currently, she enjoys teaching Japanese language and Japanese culture, catering Japanese food and sweets privately organizing the Japanese cultural gatherings & practicing “Way of Tea”. satori@santafeschool.org
Stephanie Smith
Stephanie has worked with young children for over thirty years, both in California and in northern New Mexico where she has been living for twenty five years. Stephanie is a teacher in our Unicorn classroom during the school year and directs the summer camp program during the summer months.She studied early childhood education at Cabrillo College in Aptos, CA, though she has learned largely through her long experience in education. Co-founder and director of Dragonfly School in Santa Fe for ten years prior to joining Arts & Sciences five years ago, Stephanie holds the National Administrators’ Credential for directors of preschool programs. Her expertise includes facilitating compassionate communication, dynamic curriculum planning, implementing dramatic storytelling in the classroom and teaching early literacy skills. stephanie@santafeschool.org
Suzanne Maheshi Shakespeare Jones
This is Suzanne Maheshi’s 21st year working at Santa Fe School for the Arts & Sciences. As a founding teacher, she brings her knowledge of the school’s core practices, values and culture, as well as her experience as State Licensed Educator, to her new role as the Curator to help lead the newly formed Arts and Sciences’ CoLab Initiative. She has a background in Early Childhood Education, the Reggio Emilia Approach; as well as advertising, design and marketing. Suzanne has a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Advertising from the Pasadena Art Center College of Design in CA and studied Early Childhood at Highlands University and the Santa Fe Community College. She loves working in collaboration with community members to co-create enriching learning opportunities driven by collective wisdom, and designed to enhance the lives of educators as well as the children they serve. suzannem@santafeschool.org
Terry Ngo
Terry is our 3rd-8th Theatre Teacher and Middle School Moving Images Teacher. She is also a local filmmaker with a BA in Theatre Studies from Emerson College and an M.A.T in Early Childhood Education from Queens College. Her teaching techniques are aligned with that of Expeditionary Learning and the Reggio Emilia Approach. Terry is a proud descendant of oceanic refugees. She enjoys all that Santa Fe has to offer with her husband and two children. terry@santafeschool.org
Todd Stiewing
In his 19th year at Arts & Sciences, Todd serves as our Principal and Leadership Teacher. For eleven years, Todd taught our 3rd and 4th grade Centaur class and has served in a variety of leadership positions, including Assistant Principal, Elementary Curriculum Coordinator, Staff Liaison to the Board; lead member of the Campus as Curriculum Committee; and Summer Director of Facilities. Todd received a B.S. in Elementary Education and a Master’s in Education from the University of Connecticut. He has over 20 years of teaching experience both in the classroom and working with children, teens and adults in outdoor experiential settings. Before moving to New Mexico in 2004, Todd taught 4th grade and Pre-K through 5th elementary science in Maryland. Todd has many years experience leading wilderness and experiential education courses at schools around the country. He has shared his outdoor experience in his leadership classes and by running several hiking and backpacking camps in the summer. Todd’s daughter is a alumna and his son is in 4th grade at Arts & Sciences. todd@santafeschool.org
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
The dedicated volunteer members of our Board of Directors oversee our school’s policies and are the guardians of our mission and vision. The Board meets regularly, and is happy to provide access to Board Meeting Minutes.
Elege Simons Harwood
Elege Simons Harwood is a 3rd generation New Mexican, born and raised in Santa Fe. She is very grateful to be able to raise her three boys in Santa Fe with her husband Kyle Harwood. Elege received her A.A. in Philosophy from New York University and B.A. in Psychology from the College of Santa Fe. She received her J.D. at the University of New Mexico School of Law. Elege is a lawyer by training, with a practice focused on Mediation and Settlement Facilitation of domestic relations matters including divorce, custody and child support issues.
Lucy Foma
Born in Santa Fe to a family of West African dance and drum artists, Lucy Gent Foma is a mother, dancer, city planner, and writer who has lived in Senegal, Cameroon, and Brazil. She has received merit-based funding to conduct research and implement projects in American and African cities alike. After graduating from Smith College, she was a Fulbright Fellow and a Rotary Scholar in Senegal before attending Cornell University with a Foreign Language and Areas Studies Fellowship for her master’s degree. Her book about finding funding to pursue life’s passions, Funded, came out in 2016. She currently works as a community planner for Santa Fe County, facilitating and writing long-range plans with traditional communities like Galisteo and Tesuque. In her free time, Lucy enjoys studying West African and Haitian dance with her mother and occasionally substitute teaching. After traveling around the world, Lucy and her husband bought a house around the corner from her childhood home so their children could grow up with their grandparents and cousins. Lucy’s daughters attend Arts & Sciences.
David Wharram
David Wharram serves as the Board Treasurer and is a personal financial consultant that specializes in providing strategic investment advice, retirement preparation, and information on life insurance options, as well as administering retirement benefit plans for small businesses. He works as a fiduciary on behalf of his clients to help them build the financial future they deserve and is an Investment Advisory Representative with LPL Financial. Born in the UK, he began his career in construction moving up the ranks as a supervisor with British Airways at Heathrow Airport, and later managed maintenance and construction at the Royal Naval Air Station Culdrose in Cornwall. It was here that David experienced the financial side of the industry, as he oversaw and planned major facilities work at Europe’s largest helicopter base. After living in Germany, South Africa, New York City, and the UK, David & his wife moved to Santa Fe in 2008 and spent four years as an independent contractor for the Los Alamos school district. David currently serves as treasurer at Arts & Sciences, Financial Advisor to Escuela del Sol Montessori Albuquerque, and Finance Committee Member at Council for International Relations. David is the alum father of Luke Wharram, Arts & Sciences Class of 2019.
Allan Oliver
Allan Oliver is the Executive Director of the Thornburg Foundation. He oversees the Foundation’s Strategic Initiatives in early childhood education, good government reforms and food and agriculture, as well as Community Funding grants for human services and civil rights, opportunities for children and youth, environmental protection and public policy. Previously Allan has served as Cabinet Secretary-Designate and Deputy Secretary for the New Mexico Economic Development Department, and Director of Cabinet Affairs, Deputy Communications Director. He also established the Partnership for Responsible Business and the New Mexico Green Chamber of Commerce, a business association with over 1100 members supporting renewable energy technology and responsible business practices. He earned a Master’s in Public Administration from the Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government and was named a William Hodson Fellow for International Public Service. He also served as an NGO specialist and initiated the municipal development program for the US Peace Corps Volunteer in Guatemala. His son is in 7th grade at Arts & Sciences.
Rikki Vieira
Originally born in Cairns Australia, Rikki has spent the majority of her life living in Santa fe. Where her and her husband raise their two young boys. For over 15 years she has worked as an award winning self employed jeweler alongside her husband Bo Lopez. Her long standing dedication to creativity has nurtured a natural inclination to be mindful, to support individuals unique paths in life and to recognize and respect the qualities, gifts and skills we each possess. Through her life experience of observing her parents initiate a successful nonprofit she shares a significant appreciation for all that is involved in running a thriving nonprofit organization, and is honored to contribute her skills and knowledge to Arts & Sciences’ amazing community.
Antoinette Villamil
Antoinette Villamil grew up in south Louisiana in a multicultural, bilingual family. Since moving to New Mexico in 2004, she has worked in nonprofits and educational institutions throughout the state, including Colonias Development Council, Eight Northern Indian Pueblos Council, NewMexicoWomen.Org, and The Sky Center. With an MFA in poetry from New Mexico State University, Antoinette has also taught secondary and college level writing classes at Santa Fe University of Art & Design, Institute of American Indian Arts, and New Mexico School for the Arts. She has 1000 hours of training as a yoga and meditation instructor, studying at The Yoga Institute in Mumbai, India. From 2018 to 2022, Antoinette served as the Executive Director of the Santa Fe nonprofit Many Mothers and was named one of the “Ten Who Made a Difference” by the Santa Fe New Mexican for pivoting the work of Many Mothers to address the needs of families affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. As the Director of Advancement at Reading Quest and an English instructor at Northern New Mexico College, Antoinette is passionate about equitable education for all in our beautiful community. She is the proud parent of a lively Badger.
Shabd Simran Priel
Simran Priel (she/her) originally trained in both midwifery and cultural anthropology at University of Otago in Dunedin, New Zealand, where she lived and worked for 10 years before moving to New Mexico in 2009. She holds a Master’s degree in Public Health (OHSU) with an emphasis on Maternal & Child Health and Health Disparities. For the past 18 years, her work has focused on a number of community-based health initiatives supporting pregnancy, birth, infant feeding and early parenting in the Pacific Islands, New Zealand and Northern New Mexico. She is the Executive Director of The Birthing Tree, a local non-profit focused on supporting parents through pregnancy through the postpartum period with education, doula services and parent support groups. She is currently the Director of Gender Equity at Project ECHO at UNM, a public health role focused on improving the status of women & girls worldwide. Simran has been a SFSAS parent since 2015, she has three children ranging from unicorn to badgers. She has also been part of the Equity and Inclusivity Committee (EIC) for SFSAS since its inception. Simran loves being part of the SFSAS community!