Anthony (He/Him) was born in San Francisco, California and grew up in Detroit, Michigan. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science from Western Michigan University and a Master’s Degree in Environmental Management from Webster University. He graduated from the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College, was a Daniel K. Inouye Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies Fellow and completed Syracuse University’s Project Management Course. Anthony is a retired U.S. Army Officer with 24 years of service and specialized in Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear (CBRN) operations, Emergency Management, Anti-Terrorism, and Operations Security. He served as a Battalion and Brigade Chemical Officer, Platoon Leader, Senior Logistics Officer, Company Commander, Senior Operations Officer, Division Chemical Officer, Corps Deputy CBRN Officer, and Senior Program Director of Emergency Management and Protection Programs. His deployments include Bosnia as a medic, and Kuwait to support Operation Iraqi Freedom IV as a Chemical Platoon Leader and Quick/Area Reaction Force Commander. Anthony certified through FEMA and the Department of Defense Firefighter Certification System in Hazardous Material Management and planned disaster response exercises in the United States, Middle Eastern and Asia-Pacific region. In 2016, he participated in Homeland Security Working Group at the U.S. Army War College as a CBRN advisor. He volunteered at the Saguaro National Park in Tucson, Arizona, Mountain T.O.P. Youth Camp in Tennessee, participated in an archaeological excavation project in Niles, Michigan and was a Special Olympics Washington State project planner. Anthony is an El Paso Chamber of Commerce member. In 2021, Anthony became Executive Director of Conservation Corps New Mexico.

Genevieve (She/Her) started out with a career dream of becoming a radio host. While living in Arizona, she fell in love with the desert and began seeking opportunities that would involve being outdoors. She joined an AmeriCorps field crew in fall of 2009 and never looked back. Since then, she's held a myriad of outdoor positions including trail maintenance, stream habitat ecology, watershed monitoring, wildlife surveys, and even bat mortality monitoring! She's lived in 9 different states and in Central America, and is always looking for more travel opportunities. On her days off you can find her hanging out with her son, baking, or doing yoga.

Joy (She/Her) grew up in El Paso, TX and developed a passion for nature and the outdoors during camping trips to nearby Ruidoso, NM and summer vacations visiting National Parks with her grandparents. Graduating from UT Austin with a degree in Zoology, Joy’s professional career spans wildlife research, animal science and more recently, work as an administrative coordinator for a nonprofit nature preserve in Austin. Joy worked closely with interns and volunteers in this position and is excited to support the IP program at Conservation Corps New Mexico. Personal contribution is very important to Joy, and she was a volunteer Texas Master Naturalist for 6 years, participating in land stewardship and public outreach. She hopes to continue volunteering in the Southwest and completed Certified Interpretive Guide training in preparation for leading hikes. When she’s not working or volunteering, Joy can be found hiking with her dog Luna, practicing Spanish or summoning the courage to ski one day.

SamJean (She/Her) joined AZCC/CCNM in 2019 as an individual placement intern, working with the BLM New Mexico State Office in development and outreach programming. The opportunities in her internships gave her the privilege to travel all over the state. Fostering relationships between federal agencies and local communities throughout NM was the foundation of her servitude for public lands. The chance to become a part of the staff for CCNM became available in 2021, currently she is an IP Program Coordinator for CCNM. Originally raised in the hill country of central Texas. She now calls The Chihuahuan desert home. As an artist herself, she has always found a way to incorporate the arts into her passion for land stewardship and reconnecting peoples with the natural world. Much like the medley of colors in a southwest sunset, it takes us all to see the big picture. 

My name is Valerie Herrera (She/Her), I am the Administrative Specialist with the Las Cruces office since November 2021. I am very happy to be a part of this wonderful organization! My professional background is in Non-medical homecare for the elderly. I have really enjoyed moving into the direction of being a part of an organization that gives back to our community. I was born in Phoenix and raised in Tucson, Arizona and moved to Las Cruces in 2014. My husband and I have three kiddos and two very rumbustious golden retrievers, two horses, three sheep, and one cow. My family and I very much love the outdoors, we do a lot of camping and enjoy our 1 acre homestead. My hobbies are canning (food preserving), gardening, cooking/baking and of course spending time with my family.