I am a Native Born New Mexican, born and raised in Corrales, NM and my husband and I built a home in Rio Rancho four years ago and we just love it. I have three dogs and one kitten and have been raising a great-niece for the past 2 1/2 years. I graduated from Sandia View Academy, College of Santa Fe, and then Highlands University with my masters in social work. It was while working for corporate America as a claims adjuster and meeting someone that said that I make a large company feel small that I decided to enter social work. As a student, I was introduced to NASW and I fell in love with the organization that supports my interests and values and provides opportunities for my growth professionally and socially. While in this field, I have worked with youth in the Juvenile Justice system, court ordered adults for drug use/abuse issues, case management services for youth, and working for almost the past eight years as a school social worker, currently, at Cibola High School. While in these jobs, I have either been a member of NASW as either a member and/or an elected officer. I have served as secretary, vice-president, and now as president elect. Being a part of this organization has been a blessing to me because of the wonderful people that I have met and being a part of a larger organization that believes in the strengths of people and their potential. I also teach a grief and loss class at Highlands University which again goes to show the power of this degree and the options and opportunities it provides.

Dr. Wanda Whittlesey-Jerome is Vice-President of NASW-NM. Prior to her current position, she served NASW-NM as Secretary of the Board. Dr. Whittlesey-Jerome is an Assistant Professor at New Mexico State University. She currently teaches graduate research for the MSW Program in Albuquerque, New Mexico. With more than16 years of university teaching experience, she also has many years of diverse practice experience from services for the homeless to medical social work and from criminal justice and substance abuse to domestic violence. She has been an academic administrator for both undergraduate and graduate social work programs here in New Mexico. Her teaching focus is developing Student-Faculty Collaborations - a new direction in teaching and learning. Through these collaborations, she works side by side with her students to develop programs and evaluate and strengthen their communities. Her latest collaboration is Stand Down! Ranch: A Healing Ranch for Returning Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans.

Mrs. Concotelli-Fisk was born in Chicago Illinois and has lived in New Mexico since 1995. In May 2008 she Graduated from the New Mexico State University School of Social Work. In 2008 she received the NASW New Mexico Graduate Social Work Student of the year award.

During her practicum with State Senator Jerry Ortiz y Pino she coordinated the first NM Social Work Summit an event co-convened by the Senator and State Representative Antonio Lujan. The subsequent New Mexico Social Work Summits have been successful in bringing New Mexico Social Workers together to problem solve, develop policies improve practice and service delivery. She also helped The Senator and Representative amend the Social Work Act of 2006 to increase the social work provisional license from 6 months to one year.

Ms. Concotelli-Fisk is a recent LEND Fellow and has worked in Mental Health for 15 years. She is employed by the University Of New Mexico School Of Medicine: Pediatric Pulmonary Clinic.