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New Mexico Civil Rights Committee

The Human Resources Officer and all of the Special Emphasis Program Managers serve as advisors to the Civil Rights Committee. 


Committee Members:
Name Office Phone Fax Photo & Biography
John Tunberg, Chair and State Office Representative State Office (505) 761-4488 (505) 761-4462 Learn More
Aaron Hird, Vice-Chair and Northwest Area Representative Grants Field Office (505) 287-4045 (505) 287-7049 Learn More
Ramona Brooks, East Area Representative East Area Office (575) 762-4769 (575) 763-0034 Learn More
Geriline Daye-Driscoll, South Area Representative Lordsburg Field Office (575) 542-9141 (575) 541-3295 Learn More
Relissa Nials, Member-at-Large Tucumcari Field Office (575) 461-3801 (575) 461-0285 Learn More
Sharon Elias, Member-at-Large Santa Fe Field Office (505) 988-6253 (505) 988-6615 Learn More

 
Special Emphasis Program Managers:
Name Program Office Phone Fax Photo & Biography

Raquel Montoya

Federal Women's Emphasis Carlsbad Field Office (575) 887-3506 (575) 887-5700 Learn More

Mike Jones

Black Emphasis Las Vegas Field Office (505) 425-3594 x114 (505) 425-1430 Learn More

Donna Lisby

Disability Emphasis and Veterans Emphasis Lovington Field Office (575) 396-5857  (575) 396-5768 Learn More

Thomas Gonzales

American Indian Emphasis Espanola Field Office (505) 753-7390 (505) 747-1104 Learn More

Pearl Armijo

Hispanic Emphasis Taos Field Office (575) 758-3863 (575) 758-7650 Learn More
Jean Foster Asian Pacific Emphasis Albuquerque Field Office (505) 761-5445 (505) 761-5448 Learn More

 
Advisors:
Name Title Office Phone Fax
Rosabeth Garcia-Sais State Administrative Officer State Office (505) 761-4411 (505) 761-4463
Victoria Suazo-Chanza Human Resources Officer State Office (505) 761-4409 (505) 761-4463
Rita Yarbrough Recorder State Office (505) 761-4402 (505) 761-4463

 
Photo Civil Rights Committee Biographies


John Tunber, Chair and State Office Representative
John Tunberg
 


John Tunberg is the New Mexico NRCS State Range Management Specialist located at the New Mexico NRCS State Office in Albuquerque. He has been working for the NRCS for 26 years. John is currently serving as the State Office Representative on the New Mexico NRCS Civil Rights Advisory Committee (CRAC) and has recently been selected as the Chair for the CRAC. Before coming to the NRCS, John worked as a Range Conservationist with the Forest Service, Bureau of Indian Affairs, and the Bureau of Land Management.

John attended Washington State University and received a B.S. in Rangeland Management.  John has been married to his wife Gail for 29 years. His hobbies include hunting and fishing. John’s favorite part of being with NRCS is working with the great team of conservationists here in New Mexico.


Aaron Hird, Northwest Area Representative
Aaron Hird


Aaron Hird is the Northwest Area Civil Rights Advisory Committee Representative and has recently been selected to serve as Vice-Chair for the Committee. Aaron has worked for the NRCS for 3 years as a Rangeland Management Specialist in the Grants and Crownpoint Field Offices.  Aaron worked as a Student Career Experience Program trainee in Nebraska during college and started with the New Mexico NRCS after graduation. 

Aaron graduated with a B.S. in Environmental Biology with minors in Plant Sciences and Wildlife Management from Chadron State College in western Nebraska.  Aaron has been married for 3 years to his wife Megan and they are expecting their first child in January.  He enjoys archery hunting, fishing, hiking, gardening and home improvement work.  One of the most rewarding parts of Aaron’s job has been seeing projects successfully implemented on the Navajo Nation despite much adversity and many challenges.  It has been rewarding for him to see the effects of the implemented projects on the land and the peoples’ lives.


Ramona Brooks, East Area Representative
Ramona Brooks


Ramona Brooks is New Mexico’s East Area Civil Rights Advisory Committee Representative.  Ramona has worked for the NRCS East Area Office as the Program Assistant for 5 years.  She previously worked for the Central Curry Soil and Water Conservation District.  Ramona worked for the District for 18 ½ years before transitioning into her current position.

She has two sons and one daughter all of whom are married.  The highlight of her life is her three grandsons and four granddaughters. The most rewarding part of Ramona’s job has been the opportunity to meet so many great people in the NRCS family.


Penny Daye-Driscoll, Southwest Area Representative
Penny Daye-Driscoll


Geriline (Penny) Daye-Driscoll is the District Conservationist for the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Lordsburg FO. Penny has worked for NRCS for 9 years. She has been the New Mexico NRCS Civil Rights Advisory Committee Southwest Area Representative for almost a year.

Penny graduated from New Mexico State University with a B.S. in Agricultural Biology. Before coming to NRCS, Penny worked for USDA – APHIS Plant Protection & Quarantine in El Paso, TX. Penny and her husband Brian, operate a small scale farm in San Simon, AZ. They have two children, one in 1st grade and the other in 4th grade. Penny feels the most rewarding part of working with NRCS is when a producer comes into our office with a question and we are able to provide a technical answer that is sufficient, doable and above and beyond the producer’s expectation. 
 


Relissa Nials, Member-at-Large
Relissa Nials


Relissa Nials holds one of the two Members-at-Large positions on the New Mexico Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Civil Rights Advisory Committee. Relissa has worked for the NRCS for 9 years and is a Soil Conservationist for the Tucumcari FO. Before coming to the NRCS as a full time employee, Relissa worked on a local ranch, was employed by a windmill and pump repair service, and was a Co-op student with the NRCS in the Tucumcari FO.

Relissa attended college at West Texas A & M University and received a B.S. in Plant, Soil, and Environmental Science and a B.S. in Biology. Relissa has been married for 8 years and has one daughter that is 5 years old and a son that is 2 years old. She enjoys riding horses, reading, and running around chasing her children. One of her favorite projects with NRCS was an extensive water system that was installed successfully for a ranch.  Initially the producer was skeptical that the system would not function as designed and planned but the final result proved the project a success.


Sharon Elias, Member-at-Large
Sharon Elias


Sharon Elias holds one of the two Member-at-Large positions on the New Mexico NRCS Civil Rights Advisory Committee.  Sharon is a Soil Conservationist in the Santa Fe Field Office and has worked there for 15 ½ years.  Prior to that Sharon worked developing soil surveys in Loving and Winkler Counties in West Texas and Young County in North Central Texas for 4 ½ years.

Sharon graduated with a B.S. in Geology and minors in Biology and Range Management from Sul Ross State University in Alpine, TX.  Sharon most enjoys spending time with her daughter watching movies, swimming or playing tennis, and her favorite foods are New Mexican (Christmas), Chinese and Indian food.  The most rewarding part of Sharon’s job has been working with people who care about the land and helping them reach their conservation goals.  She has enjoyed working for the NRCS.


Raquel Montoya, Federal Women's Special Emphasis Program Manager
Raquel Montoya


Raquel Montoya is the New Mexico Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Federal Women’s Program Manager. Raquel is a Soil Conservationist for the Carlsbad FO. She has worked for the NRCS for 8 years.  Raquel graduated from New Mexico State University (NMSU) and received a B.S. in Environmental Science with an emphasis on Soil Science. Before coming to NRCS, Raquel worked for one year as a laboratory aide for field operations at the Carlsbad Environmental Monitoring and Research Center and for two years as a research assistant for Extension Plant Sciences at NMSU.

Raquel has 4 daughters ages 13, 7, 4, and 3. She is the Vice President of the local Little League; a member of the building committee for the new sports complex in Loving, NM;  a member of the Loving Middle School Parent Advisory Council, and is Regent of the very first Catholic Daughter’s of the America’s Court in Loving, NM.  Raquel feels that the most rewarding part of being a Soil Conservationist for the NRCS is getting to serve people and help conserve resources on the land. This is made easier, in her opinion, since the NRCS is not a regulatory agency. She also enjoys outreach efforts to bring conservation to youth. This includes career fairs, sharing of expertise in the field or classroom, and being a mentor.


Mike Jones, Black Emphasis Program Manager
Mike Jones
 


John (Mike) Jones is the New Mexico NRCS Black Emphasis Program Manager (BEPM). He has been the BEPM since May 2009.  Mike has worked for the NRCS for 4 years. Currently, he is a Soil Conservationist at the Las Vegas Field Office. Mike says that he loves working with producers and seeing the positive affects of our (NRCS) projects. Before working for the NRCS, Mike was a NMACD Farm Bill Specialist in Raton, NM; a science teacher in Maxwell, NM; an Analytical Chemist for Hall Environmental in Albuquerque, NM, and for 5 summers Mike was a Backcountry Camp Director at the Philmont Scout Ranch.

Mike went to college at Northeast Louisiana University and received a BS in Biology. Then Mike attended the University of Arkansas and received a MS in Entomology.  Mike plays the guitar and has 2 dogs, Jip and Buck. His other hobbies include fly-fishing, motorcycles, and eating spaghetti.


Donna Lisby, Disability and Veteran's Special Emphasis Program Manager
Donna Lisby


Donna Lisby is the East Area Office Assistance for the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and works out of the Lovington FO. Donna has worked for NRCS for 17 years. Donna has dual appointment as the New Mexico NRCS Civil Rights Disability Emphasis Program Manager (DEPM) and as the New Mexico NRCS Civil Rights Veteran’s Emphasis Program Manager (VEPM). Previously she served two terms as VEPM and served on the committee a total of 6 years.

Donna went to college in Hobbs, NM. Before coming to NRCS, Donna worked for the Department of Defense and with the Federal Bureau of Prisons. Donna has been married for 33 years and has 2 daughters and 2 grandchildren. Donna feels the most rewarding part of becoming an Area Office Assistant is that she has learned a lot more about NRCS and the different positions and programs that are involved.


Thomas Gonzales, American Indian Special Emphasis Program Manager
Thomas Gonzales


Thomas Gonzales is the New Mexico NRCS American Indian Program Manager (AIPM). He has been the AIPM since April 2009, but he was the AIPM in the past. Thomas has worked for the NRCS for 12 years. During these 12 years, he has worked at Los Alamos National Laboratory as a Co-op student, Santa Fe Field Office as a Co-op student, Las Cruces Field Office as a Co-op student, Estancia/Mountainair Field Office as a Soil Conservationist, Estancia Field Office as the District Conservationist, and now he is the District Conservationist at the Espanola Field Office. Thomas feels that his favorite jobs with NRCS are working on Acequias.

Thomas went to college at New Mexico State University. He has a degree in Agricultural Biology. One of his hobbies is fly fishing.


Pearl Armijo, Hispanic Special Emphasis Program Manager
Pearl Armijo


Pearl Armijo is the Hispanic Special Emphasis Program Manager for New Mexico. Pearl has worked for the NRCS for 15 years and is currently the District Conservationist in the Taos Field Office. Before working for the NRCS Pearl worked for the Bureau of Land Management in Carlsbad and the New Mexico State University Research Station in Tucumcari. Pearl graduated with a B.S. in Agronomy with a minor in Range from New Mexico State University in Las Cruces.  Pearl is a member of several professional societies including NOPHNRCSE, NM Vegetative Management Association, Native Plant Society and the Society for Range Management.

Pearl is the proud mother of 4 children and has one grandchild.  Pearl enjoys hiking, camping and fishing as well as spending time with family and friends.  Pearl is a commeasure of ethnic foods, especially Spanish food.  One of the most rewarding projects for Pearl out of many and many was the opportunity to work side by side with her daughter Marisa on a special Earth Team Volunteer project to plant trees and shrubs for riparian restoration.


Jean Foster, Asian American Pacific Islander Special Emphasis Program Manager
Jean Foster


Jean Foster is the Asian American Pacific Islander Special Emphasis Program Manager for the New Mexico NRCS Civil Rights Advisory Committee.  Jean is a Soil Conservation Technician for the Albuquerque Field Office and has worked there for four years.  Prior to working with the NRCS she worked as the Farm Bill Specialist in the Albuquerque Field Office and in various other jobs in the private sector.

Jean attends Central New Mexico College with a focus in Environmental Studies.  Jean has three grown children and enjoys hiking and backpacking as well as gardening and dancing.  Jean greatly enjoys working for NRCS, with people who care about conserving water, soil and other resources.

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Last Modified: 01/15/2010