Leadership

Shirley Russell - President

Shirley has been in Healthcare Management since 1983 and is formerly the Chief Operating Officer for New Mexico Heart Institute with responsibility for statewide operations.

She was the Director of Ambulatory Care for St. Joseph Healthcare before coming to NMHI in 2002. Her educational background is at UNM and University of Phoenix.

Shirley is an Albuquerque native and is married with 3 children.

Judy Montanes - Vice President

Judy was born and raised Albuquerque. Her professional career is predominately with the utility industry. She retired from PNM after 32 years and currently is employed by New Mexico Gas Company as an Account Manager to the large commercial and industrial gas customers.

Judy had supported the community by serving on the Recreational Health and occupational Center, and the Rio Grande Adoption Exchange. Judy supported the NM Lodger’s Association by working as an Executive Board member and was awarded the 2002 Allied Member of the Year.Judy is currently a member of the Greater Albuquerque Innkeepers Association.

Larry Ahrens

Larry Ahrens was the morning host on 770 KKOB Radio for 25 years and became known as “The Voice of New Mexico.”

Currently Larry is a marketing Coach at Larry Ahrens Marketing and Promotions. You can hear him as talk show host at KIVA AM 1550 radio

Larry is in the New Mexico Broadcasters Hall of Fame. He has received several awards for his work in both media and in our community.

He is originally from Southern California. Married to his wife Susan, they have 3 children and 2 grandchildren.

Frank Castillo

Frank R Castillo received his bachelor’s degree in physical education from the University of New Mexico in 1974. He is an educator and was educated in the Albuquerque Public School System.

Frank started his teaching and coaching career at Cibola High School in 1974 and moved to La Cueva in 1986. He has been a teacher and coach at La Cueva for over 23 years.

Coach Castillo was named the NMHSCA coach of the year in 1989, 2002 and 2006. In 2006 he was also named regional coach of the year. He was also named coach of the year in 1997 by the Albuquerque Coaches Association.

In addition to coaching, Frank has been active in both the NMHSCA and NMAA. For 6 years he sat on the NMHSCA board of directors and represented that organization on the NMAA Commission. The NMAA has also named him a member of the Basketball Sports Specific Committee and the OCC.

Del Esparza

Del Esparza, President, of Esparza Advertising provides strategic marketing, advertising, and business solutions to a broad range of national, public and private clients.

Del currently sits on the Executive Board of Directors for the Albuquerque Chamber of Commerce, where he is Chair for the Leadership Committee. He also serves on the board of the March of Dimes, the Leadership Council Board for Wells Fargo Bank and Governor Richardson’s Insure New Mexico Task Force.

The NM Business Weekly presented Del, a native of Albuquerque, as one of New Mexico's top 40 leaders under the age of 40. He is also a regular lecturer for the University of New Mexico.

Ted Garcia

Ted A. Garcia is the General Manager and Chief Executive Officer of KNME-TV, a multi-award winning public television station (PBS) serving northern and central New Mexico. Garcia sits on the Board of Directors for the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) in Alexandria, VA. He also sits on the Technology and Distribution, Budget and Finance, and Content and Policy Committees.

Ted was recently elected Chair of the Executive Council of the Pacific Mountain Network (PMN). He also serves as the Chair Emeritus of the National Educational Telecommunications Association (NETA) Board of Directors.

Shamaine Giannini

Shamaine is an Albuquerque native. She has worked in the hospitality industry for over 20 years and over the last 12 years was employed by the Albuquerque Convention and Visitors Bureau where she was a Senior Tourism Sales Manager.

Shamaine has served on the board for the NMSO Allegro Society, Hospitality & Tourism Advisory Board for CNM and the editorial Advisory committee for the Albuquerque Arts Magazine. She is a volunteer for Defenders of Wildlife, Tricklock Theatre Company and 516 Arts.

Shamaine currently is the owner of New Mexico Visitors Network, a travelogue of Albuquerque designed to enhance the guest experience for visitors staying in our city hotels.

Matthew Morgan

Mathew Morgan is currently an administrator for the Heart Hospital of New Mexico at Lovelace Medical Center.

Mathew has a Master of Science in Health Administration degree from The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, and a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and from Arkansas State University, Jonesboro, Arkansas.

Cynthia Sanchez Bleicher

Cynthia Sanchez Bleicher is a Financial Executive/Director of Marketing with Innovative Investment Professionals. Cynthia is a graduate of New Mexico State University with Bachelors Degree in Business Administration. Since 2003, she has been licensed with the state of NM, with a Life, Accident and Health insurance license.

Cynthia has been in the marketing and sales industry for over 20 years.

Cynthia is married, mother of two boys in elementary school.

Nancy Welker

Nancy started her career in Durango Colorado where she and her husband opened a print and framing gallery. The gallery was her first entrepreneurial business.

She moved to Albuquerque and opened a gallery specializing in Limited Edition prints and framing. Her sales, marketing and public relations experience led her to launch a career as artist consultant.

Today she and her husband own and operate Image Resources, Inc. in Albuquerque, NM. They provide large format printing services.

Dr. Harvey White

Dr. Harvey White, interventional cardiologist with New Mexico Heart Institute and Medical Director for the Heart Hospital of New Mexico, has dedicated himself for the past 15 years to direct patient care, clinical research initiatives, and leadership activities designed to improve New Mexico's cardiovascular health care system. Dr. White has participated in multiple clinical trials and is the cofounder of the Carotid Stent Research Program in New Mexico distinguished by an early recruiting effort, which stands in the top ten in the country.

Terry Harris

A native of Albuquerque, Terry Harris has been in marketing and sales for almost twenty-five years. In 1987 she started Information Systems of New Mexico, a kiosk network that promotes area cultural and retail attractions to our visitors.

Terry is also the area manager for Interspace Airport Advertising, an advertising company, recently awarded a 10-year contract with the City of Albuquerque to handle the advertising program inside the Albuquerque Airport.

Terry sits on numerous boards in the city including the executive Board of the Albuquerque Convention and Visitors Bureau, the Hispano Chamber of Commerce, and Tourism Association of New Mexico.