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New Mexico Civil Rights CommitteeThe Human Resources Officer and all of the Special
Emphasis Program Managers serve as advisors to the Civil Rights
Committee.
Advisors:
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Civil Rights Committee Biographies |
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John Tunberg
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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.
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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. |
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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. |
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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.
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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. |
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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. |
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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. |
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Mike Jones
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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.
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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. |
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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.
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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.
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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
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