Board of Directors and Staff

Jenny Kimball received her undergrad and law degrees from Southern Methodist University in Dallas. She is licensed in both Texas and New Mexico and moved from Dallas to Santa Fe in 1989 after she was drawn to the Land of Enchantment by family friends and owners of La Fonda on the Plaza, Ethel and Sam Ballen. Kimball practiced real estate law in Texas and New Mexico until 2000, when she accepted the position of president of ECMC Foundation, a national nonprofit organization involved in educational issues throughout the United States. Kimball was one of La Fonda’s attorneys since 1989 and has served as chairman of the board of La Fonda since 2007. In 2014, Kimball and her brother, along with a few select investors, purchased the hotel. In addition to her responsibilities at La Fonda, she is currently chair of the New Mexico Tourism Commission. Jenny’s husband, Rob, is a practicing attorney in Phoenix and they commute between Santa Fe and Phoenix.

Hank is a prominent attorney who has practiced in major Houston law firms as well as serving as its City Attorney. His work at Vinson & Elkins from 1984-2008 included the charge of General Counsel for the Houston Airport system. His educational credentials include a B.A. in Economics from Rice University, a J.D. degree from the University of Texas and a Masters’ degree in Theological Studies from the University of Saint Thomas. Hank served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Peru 1966-1969. In addition to numerous community service and volunteer posts, he has done large volumes of pro-bono legal work for organizations in Texas and New Mexico, particularly crafting the agreements between IFAM and the Department of Cultural Affairs for the use of Milner Plaza for the past five years. His wife Kathryn King Coleman served as Chair of the Board for IFAM and Hank has served on IFAM’s Finance Committee since 2015.

Nancy retired from International Business Machines (IBM) where she worked as a Client Executive for American Express and AXA Financial. Previously, she was Senior Vice President of Group Insurance at John Hancock Financial Services in Boston, MA. Nancy received her JD from Suffolk University Law School, an MBA from Boston University, and a BA in Economics & Business Administration from Vanderbilt University. Nancy has served as a board member of several organizations including the Huntington Theatre and the New England Conservatory in Boston, MA. She currently serves on the board of the School for Advanced Research (SAR) in Santa Fe, NM.

Lisa Adelman is a partner with the law firm of Sommer, Udall, Hardwick & Jones, P.A. in Santa Fe. Her practice focuses on real estate and business matters. A native of San Antonio, Texas, she earned her law degree at St. Mary’s University in San Antonio and practiced law in Austin and San Antonio in the area of public finance for many years. Lisa moved to Santa Fe in 2012. She is an avid traveler and hiker. Lisa’s appreciation for IFAM began as a volunteer at the annual market.

Amanda Alexander is a Santa Fe native whose passion for travel, story-telling, and artisan product began at a young age. She is the Creative Director at Peyote Bird Designs, a Santa Fe based wholesale jewelry company specializing in Native & American Artisan Jewelry. She has lived & taught in Costa Rica, Columbia, and Italy. Today, Alexander works with artisan workshops in Bali & Thailand to produce timeless jewelry design with a focus on traditional cultural techniques & high quality materials. She serves as lead buyer at Peyote Bird Designs, where she fosters business relationships & trend driven development with artisans from around the world, particularly members of the Santo Domingo & Navajo tribes of the American Southwest. Alexander is a graduate of the University of Denver, class of 2013, and previously served on the Vistage Executive Committee of NM. She lives with her fiancé and her dog Blue in Santa Fe, NM.

Ardith Eicher spent 20 years as a marketing executive for Procter & Gamble and Clairol. As Vice President, International Marketing for Clairol, she had line responsibility for an $800 million business in 20+ countries and oversaw all aspects of its management—including entry and exit strategies, investment allocation, strategic planning, marketing and sales, new product development, advertising, and promotion. In addition, she worked as a strategy consultant with McKinsey & Company in New York. Since moving to Santa Fe in 2003, she has run a successful marketing consulting business catering to business and non-profit clients, including Unilever, Revlon, La Fonda Hotel, Verde Juice, Museum of Indian Arts & Culture, Cancer Foundation for New Mexico, and Espanola Humane. She holds a BA from Wellesley College and an MBA from Northwestern University.

Suzanne has been active in a variety of art organizations in Texas and New Mexico for more than 45 years. She has served 12 years on the Board of Directors for the International Folk Art Alliance, where she was secretary for 2 years. She has been on the IFAA Advisory Board during the years when her board term expired. Suzanne has been on the Museum of New Mexico Foundation board of directors and its Advisory Board. She is a charter member of the Texas Women for the Arts, has served on the Board of Directors of the Taos Art Museum, City of San Angelo Public Arts Commission, and Oklahoma State University Museum of Art Advisory Committee. She has served as Board Chair of the San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts, San Angelo Cultural Affairs Council, the Texas Association of Museums Trustees, Texans for the Arts, and Meals for the Elderly, as well as, working with numerous other civic organizations. She attended Christies’ Decorative Arts Summer School in New York City and participated in many national conferences of the Museum Trustee Association, International Majolica Society, and New York Silver Society. Suzanne has traveled the world with her husband and on many adventure trips to India, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Myanmar, Sir Lanka, Cuba, Turkey and The World Craft Council in China with the International Folk Art Market and the Museum of International Folk Art. Suzanne has woven fabrics on an eight harness loom and designed day and evening handbags, clothing, jewelry, and home interiors using 18th Century antiques, folk art, European and ethnic textiles, and other related components. She and her husband, Joel, split their time between San Angelo, Texas, their ranch in west Texas, and Santa Fe, New Mexico. Their collections of late 19th and early 20th Century Gorham Martele Silver and N.C. Wyeth Illustrations have exhibited nationally. Also, they are collectors of antique European and ethnic textiles, Tlaquepaque pottery, majolica ceramics, other American illustrators, and New Mexico and California artists.

Helena Ribe is an international development economist, retired from the World Bank where she worked during three decades. She is now a non-profit director and is active in community and cultural activities. She was born in Colombia and is a US citizen. She holds a BA from Universidad de los Andes, and a Masters and PhD in Economics from Yale University.

She devoted her career to reduce poverty and improve social and economic development. She has worked with policy-makers, academics, civil society organizations and communities all over the world. She authored several World Bank Publications, including her book (coauthored): “From Right to Reality: Incentives, Labor Markets and the Challenge of Universal Social Protection in Latin America and the Caribbean” which has been widely quoted including in The Economist and in the World Development Reports published by the World Bank.

She had a number of senior managerial positions in the World Bank.  Her last assignment was as manager of the Social Protection program in Latin America and the Caribbean. Previously, she worked in the World Bank’s research and strategy Departments where she helped shape the Bank’s approach to poverty reduction, and managed the World Bank’s programs of studies, technical assistance and financing of Health and Education and Social Protection in Southern and West Africa.

She is now a non-profit Director and is involved in community and cultural activities. She is a founding Board member and Treasurer of WISC (Women International Study Center), a Board member of WOLA (Washington Office for Human Rights in Latin America) and a Board member of the GoPhilantropic Foundation and the International Folk Art Market (IFAM). She is a member of the International Women’s Forum in New Mexico and has been a Board member, a Program Committee Chair. She is also in the Advisory Committee of the Museum of Women in the Arts and in the Grants Committee of the Santa Fe Community Foundation. Previously she was a Board member of KSFR, the United World College in Costa Rica, the Desert Chorale and Pro-Mujer International. Helena loves and collects folk art and has been a volunteer with IFAM since it started. Her main involvement has been with the Mentor to Market program.

Leigh Ann and her husband, David, have lived in Santa Fe, NM since 1987. She has served on the boards of United World College, Santa Fe Pro Musica, Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival, St. Vincent Hospital Foundation, Buckaroo Ball Committee (Ball Chair, 1997), and the Board of Trustees for Santa Fe Preparatory School for six years (Board Chair, 2007-2010; capital campaign chair, 2003-2006). Formerly an executive with AT&T and Southwestern Bell, she is presently owner of Brown Thomason & Associates, LLC. Leigh Ann holds a B.A. from the University of Missouri, Columbia. She and her husband have two children.

Lisa Argrette Ahmad has been a thought leader in business innovation and strategic and financial sustainability for more than 25 years. She is an experienced independent director and former McKinsey & Co. consultant. Lisa’s professional experience is anchored in senior executive positions she held early in her career at Chase Manhattan Bank and The Leslie Fay Companies, where she launched a new division, manufacturing women’s sleepwear and loungewear. At McKinsey, and now as a freelance consultant, she continues to drive new leadership initiatives with her clients which increasingly include not-for-profits in the arts and culture space. Helping clients solve business challenges creatively, as well as improving the lives of the people her clients serve, is her passion. Lisa is a graduate of Wellesley College and The Harvard Business School. In her spare time, she writes and publishes personal essays. Together with one Pakistani-American husband, one shelter dog, and a revolving door of three adult children, Lisa lives in Westchester County, NY, and Martha’s Vineyard. She visits (and shops) Santa Fe often.

Judith Benkendorf recently retired after four decades as an internationally-recognized genetic counselor whose career was marked by a long-standing commitment to women’s healthcare, reaching underserved communities, and excellence in teaching, research and national service. A graduate of the University of Cincinnati and Sarah Lawrence College, Judith brings perspectives and expertise gleaned from the healthcare delivery, public policy, and higher education arenas to the IFAM Board of Directors.  Judith and her husband, Norman Marks, attended their first Folk Art Market in 2008 and soon became regular IFAM shoppers, donors, and passport travelers. They began volunteering as Artist Assistants in 2015. Judith served as Ambiance and Décor co-chair in 2018, upon relocating to Santa Fe from Washington, DC. She has been an active volunteer with the Advancement Team, procuring local business sponsorships, promoting the IFAM Community Membership program, and serving on the Advancement Committee since 2000. In 2021 Judith chaired the newly established Board Operations Committee, and she currently serves on the DEI (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion) Subcommittee. As the daughter of a prominent Cleveland graphic designer whose commitment to public service influenced nearly every local arts organization, Judith’s dedication to IFAM’s mission and to Master Folk Artists is truly in her DNA!

After 23 years in the Fashion industry in the Jewelry Design & Development field, Bonnie and her husband Tony, left successful careers in New York City to move to Santa Fe over 11 years ago. For the last decade she and Tony have poured their hearts into their business here, Kakawa Chocolate House, which over that time has grown to national acclaim and now offers two locations in Santa Fe and one in Salem, MA. Bonnie and Tony also chaired our IFAM Opening Night Party for the last 9 years, tirelessly supporting the IFAM mission and helping to create festive, successful events each year. Bonnie is involved in supporting many local organizations and events and also serves on the OTAB (Occupancy Tax Advisory Board) for the City of Santa Fe. Bonnie is a Black Belt Nia Instructor and teaches several days a week here in Santa Fe and on Zoom. She is also an animal lover enjoys relaxing (when she can find a moment!) with friends, Tony and their rescue puppies Lucy and Mackenzie.

After creating the first art program at the Harris County Juvenile Detention Center, Martha ‘Marty’ Braniff founded Houston’s Child Advocates, Inc. a non-profit organization providing volunteers for abused and neglected children. Braniff was the CEO for fourteen years. During this time, she expanded Child Advocates, Inc. budget from zero in 1983 to $2,200,000 in 1996, when she retired. In addition she spearheaded the creation of a $2,500,000 endowment.

To this day, Child Advocates, Inc. remains the largest Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) Program in the United States. In 1989 she co-founded the Texas CASA Association, a network of sixty-nine Texas CASA Programs. Braniff served two terms as Chair of the National Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) Association Board of Directors, a nationwide network of over nine hundred organizations working through the courts for abused children. She also served as Development Chair for both boards. While on the boards of both Texas CASA and National CASA, she gained extensive experience in crafting legislation, testifying before state and national legislators, and ensuring laws were passed to protect children.

Her executive experience includes: Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Child Advocates, Inc., the Harris County Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) Volunteer Program; Chair, Texas Governor’s Committee on Child Abuse Program Evaluation. Her current memberships include: Appointed by Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham to the New Mexico Children’s Trust Fund Board of Trustees; Appointed by Supreme Court of New Mexico to the Children’s Court Improvement Commission; Co-Founder, Restoring Hope for New Mexico Youth, a public/private partnership with the NM Children Youth and Families Department and the Human Services Department.

Braniff’s novel, STEP OVER RIO, was published in March 2012 by The Way Things Are Publications, Los Angeles, CA. This book, a saga about teenage boy caught in a child trafficking ring, won the 2012 Writer’s League of Texas Mystery/Adventure Novel Award. Since publication, Braniff has attended over sixty book events and has given numerous presentations to professional organizations, nonprofit organizations and book clubs. BROKEN MOON, her second novel was also a winner of the 2015 Writer’s League of Texas Mystery/Adventure Novel Award and is a sequel to STEP OVER RIO. Her book of short fiction and poems, SONGS FROM THE BONE CLOSET, published by Stone River Press, was a finalist in the Mark Twain Violet Crown Award for Literary Fiction and Poetry.

Anne is a retired California attorney. Her primary passions are international travel and cultural diversity. She is an avid supporter of folk art. She and her husband, James, moved from San Francisco to Santa Fe in 2016, where they are full-time residents. She currently serves on the Boards of the School for Advanced Research (SAR) in Santa Fe, NM as well as Felines & Friends New Mexico. She previously served on the Board of the Nob Hill Association, a community nonprofit organization in San Francisco. Past volunteer work includes working as an Artist Assistant at the Folk Art Market, working in schools with children of various ages, helping the homeless in San Francisco, and working in the office of a San Francisco Board of Supervisor.

Elaine Cole is an avid philanthropist and world traveler. She has strong connections to multiple charitable organizations and causes, particularly in the arts. Her previous involvement includes playing a significant role in the Smithsonian Women’s Committee which produces the Smithsonian Craft Show. Elaine is a fierce advocate for artists and remains dedicated to promotion and preservation of indigenous arts and cultural traditions. Elaine splits her time between Santa Fe, Washington, DC, and Florida.

Born and raised in Albuquerque, NM. Undergraduate degree in Art History from ASU. Married Rolf Ness in 1989. She has lived in Alexandria, VA since 1994. Two children, Kristina 27, Isabella 26. She was involved with the Santa Fe International Folk Art Market’s “Mentor to Market” program from 2013-2015.  1985-to present, Owner of Southwestern Silver, wholesale silver jewelry from New Mexico and Mexico; 2001- to present, owner of Domenici Design. Interior Design; 1985-1991 International Flight Attendant, Pan American Airlines; 1991-1994 International Flight Attendant, Delta Airlines; 1983-1985 J Paul Getty Center for the History of Art and Humanities, Santa Monica, CA Photo Archivist; 1982- 1983 J Paul Getty Museum of Art, Malibu, CA Education Department Lecturer; 1982-1984 MFA Art History from University of Maryland; 1981 The National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC Staff Lecturer; 1980 The Phillips Collection, Washington, DC.

Karen Durkovich attended the University of California at Berkeley, Bachelor of Arts and Graduate Degree. High School Teacher at private secondary schools (seven years in New Mexico). Assistant to the Dean and Director of the University of New Mexico Medical Center (Eight years). 1981 to present: active in politics, the arts and the environment; 2005 to Present Member, Vice President of the Lensic Performing Arts Center, Chair, Governance/Nominating Committee; April, 2017 to June 2019 – Member, Board of Directors, Center for Performing Arts (CCA); 2003 to 2013 -President, Board of Regents, Museum of New Mexico; December 2002-Chairman of the 2003 Inaugural Committee for Governor Bill Richardson; 1995 to 2005-Member Board of Trustees of the Nature Conservancy of New Mexico-Chair of Board, 2002 – 2004; September 2000 to January 2003-Board Member Valles Caldera National Trust representing conservation interests, Presidential Appointment.

Philip Fimmano is a curator and trend analyst for the design industries, consulting for a global clientele through his work with Trend Union and Edelkoort Inc. He co-founded Talking Textiles with Li Edelkoort in 2011, an on-going program that promotes the survival of creative textiles through exhibitions, a student prize, an annual conference, and New York Textile Month each September. Philip is also the editor of Talking Textiles magazine. Born in Australia, he is a resident of Paris and New York. As a contemporary design and trend expert, and as a curator of international exhibitions, Philip actively promotes the work of designers, weavers and artisans. He aims to connect IFAM to the craftspeople and collaborators he encounters on his global travels.

Jim Garcia is a native New Mexican and has an extensive career in the hospitality industry. Before becoming the Vice President for the Albuquerque Hispano Chamber of Commerce, he was involved in several unique clients through his consulting company HospiTotally. The company originated and operated the Destination Management services for the Hyatt Tamaya resort and spa. B2D Marketing in Seattle was a signature client providing advanced dental training services. Jim helped them relocate the company to Boston Massachusetts where the company is now expanded into International services.

As Director of Operations for El Pinto Foods, he helped to scale the company and developed the grocery business that features one of the top selling lines in New Mexico. The restaurant enjoyed several incredible moments like serving twice as the Official menu for the Cinco de Mayo celebration in the White house. He also was honored to be the last New Mexican to fly an F-16 with the New Mexico Tacos.

The foundation of his hospitality and restaurant background was forged in his eight years with Bennigan’s and seven years with The Olive Garden restaurants. Jim has served on several Boards including the National Board of The American Diabetes Association, Board of Advisors for CNM culinary arts, New Mexico Restaurant Association and his favorite The Board of Directors of The Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta. Jim has a passion for the service industry and has created many cooperative relationships.

Maggie Hanson-Muse is an award winning, bicultural former senior government executive. She is a second generation retired Foreign Service Officer, born in Calcutta, India. Her postings included the Western Hemisphere, Africa, and Southeast Asia where she provided vision, strategic direction, and creative programming for U.S. trade policy, exports, inward investment and to protect U.S. commercial interests. During her last overseas assignment, Maggie supervised the activities of the International Trade Administration, the U.S. Patent and Trade Office, and Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS), and managed a large, distributed workforce in ASEAN for the U.S. Department of Commerce.

At the Eisenhower School of the National Defense University, Maggie taught Leadership, Contemporary Topics in National Security, Global Agility, and BioTech. She also acted as a student advisor and supported the DE&I task force and was a founding member of the Women in National Security Chapter.

Maggie’s private sector experience includes entrepreneur, sales, finance, and marketing management positions with Sprint, GE, and Allstate Insurance Company. She has been recognized with Leadership awards from Pfizer, the American Chamber of Commerce, the Consejo de Empresas Colombianas, Women Corporate Directors, the U.S. Department of Commerce (ITA Under Secretary Award, Gold Medal, Silver Medal, Quarterly Awards), the U.S. State Department (Superior and Meritorious Honor Awards), U.S. Department of Defense and the Colombian Government (Knight of the Order of St. Carlos, State of Caldas, State of Atlantico) for work to protect U.S. business interests and support Colombian flood victims. She received a B.A. in Spanish and Latin American Studies from Brandeis University and an MBA from Columbia University Graduate School of Business. She co-authored and edited two articles about the impact of COVID on business: Achtmann, E., R Bono, A. Goel, M. Hanson-Muse, S. Jones, “Reality Injection: The True Cost of COVID.” PRISIM,  January 2022 and Achtmann, E., R Bono, A. Goel, M. Hanson-Muse, S. Jones, “How Might the COVID Pandemic End?” McKinsey & Company (July 19, 2021.)

Sarah grew up in Amherst, MA and graduated from Macalester College in 2013, with a double major in Geography and Chinese Language. She was awarded a Fulbright to study urban agriculture in Wuhan, China in 2013-14. From 2014-2019 she lived in Guiyang (in SW China) working with a local NGO devoted to handicraft and rural development. She worked in various villages with mainly Hmong women who do indigo dyeing and weaving, helping them to find markets for their work and to preserve traditional forms and technologies. She also coordinated academic travel and translated for US-based visiting scholars and university programs.

Sarah twice brought an artist and artists’ work from co-ops where she was working in China to IFAM. She wrote the applications, handled all collection and shipping of materials, communications between Sachiko and the participating group (in Mandarin), travel arrangements for the non-literate artist, and covered all aspects of running the booth. Her group was successful both years thanks in large part to Sarah’s efforts.

In a 20-year executive career spanning both the private and public sectors, Monique Jacobson has created measurable impact in every position she has held. She is a natural leader with keen intuition and a strong demonstrated history of results driven by data-based decision-making.

After graduating with honors from the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania, Monique spent 11 years at PepsiCo as one of the youngest directors in the company’s history. She led innovation for the company’s Gatorade brand, including overseeing the $500 million launch of Gatorade G2. She was then hand-picked to start and lead the Accessible Health and Wellness business unit, the first social enterprise undertaking for PepsiCo. This division was tasked with finding sustainable business models to address nutrient poverty. By the time she left PepsiCo, Monique had risen to General Manager of the $1.8 billion Quaker Breakfast portfolio. As the head of the New Mexico Tourism Department, Monique engineered and executed a complete overhaul of the department, which led to a turnaround of the industry and a record-breaking number of tourists and dollars coming into the state. Her development and launch of the iconic New Mexico True campaign has been transformational for the tourism industry in New Mexico.

As Cabinet Secretary of the NM Children Youth and Families Department, Monique was responsible for four major divisions: Child Welfare, Juvenile Justice, Early Childhood Services, and Children’s Behavioral Health. In this position, she led over 2,000 employees and 32 offices throughout the state, including three 24-hour secure facilities for incarcerated youth. She implemented numerous reforms within the agency, established vocational education programs at facilities for incarcerated youth, worked with the legislature to secure nearly $100 million in increased funding for the agency and created the first ever Child Wellness Center in the state.

Monique was born in Taos, New Mexico, and has also lived and worked in Philadelphia and Chicago. She has a passion for changing the world, helping people realize their full potential, and watching her sons play music and baseball. She currently lives in Albuquerque with her husband and three children.

A love for fashion and textiles led Gurmeet from New Delhi to New York to study Fashion at Fashion Institute of Technology, NY. She subsequently channeled that passion with work experience at ABC Carpet & Home which introduced her to the world of craft story-telling and brand-building at a high level of aesthetics. From that niche experience to managing multi-million dollar budget brand development and marketing for legacy designers such as Designer Guild, Charisma, Betsey Johnson at WestPoint Home, followed by a deep dive in the world of entertainment marketing at a global level at HBO and others, has solidified her expertise of combining textiles and craft retailing with immersive story-telling, building highly engaged global audiences and communities.

Currently she serves as Chief Marketing Strategist for Serendipity Studio, a NY based boutique agency that undertakes strategic advisory, creative & content strategy, digital marketing & e-commerce with focus on brand development for a multitude of Art, Lifestyle & Interior Design brands with a global presence and a marquee clientele. Her expertise involves developing cultural festival concepts, recruiting artists, writers, historians or art galleries for participation to developing financial and marketing road maps for these festivals, to maximizing revenue and press coverage opportunities.

Gurmeet has a Bachelors degree in Economics from Delhi University and has served on the FIT Home Products Division Advisory Board Committee.

Antonio has been a Financial Advisor for approximately 2 decades in Santa Fe, NM. Currently he holds the title of Senior Vice President – Investments at Wells Fargo Advisors. In July 2022 Antonio will become the Foundation President at the New Mexico Museum of Natural History & Science in Albuquerque. When not running or skiing in his free time, Antonio enjoys taking his family to many of our National Parks in this beautiful country!

In 1992, at the age of 23 Eric Mindling left home in the US and moved to Oaxaca, Mexico following an inner calling that he didn’t yet know how to name. For 25 years he immersed himself in the world of traditional people; old time potters, weavers and smoky kitchen chefs and felt like he’d found home. What was calling him, he came to understand, was a search for rootedness, connection to community and place and a desire to learn quiet, old lessons from what he calls our Grandmother Cultures. “Without trying they teach us things we truly need to know, things that we forgot so long ago we don’t even know they’re gone.”

Fine art documentary photographer, author and entrepreneur, Eric founded a cultural a tourism company called Traditions Mexico, has written two books that share insights into traditional knowledge; Fire and Clay, The Art of Oaxacan Pottery, and the award-winning Oaxaca Stories in Cloth, co-created the first ever traveling exhibition focused on the potters of indigenous Mexico, presented a TEDx and helped raise two daughters. Eric currently lives in Santa Fe and is the co-owner of Living Threads Studio.

An Edwards, Colorado native, Makenzie Mueller prides herself on for her family’s business, helping to bring Remonov to the next generation. She attended Santa Clara University, where she studied Political Science; International Business; Arabic, Islamic, and Middle Eastern Studies; and graduated Valedictorian Candidate and Magna Cum Laude in 2016. She also studied abroad at the Jordanian Institute of Diplomacy and Policy. Today, as President of Remonov, Makenzie manages several commercial real estate buildings in Edwards, Colorado, and is also the project manager for Remonov’s proposed 188-unit workforce housing coliving development called the Mtn Hive. She also serves on the board of the Walters HOA in New Castle, Colorado. ​In her free time, Makenzie is involved in several volunteer activities and organizations including the Vail Valley Partnership’s Economic Development Advisory Council, the Vista Project at Eagle County, and the International Folk Art Market Santa Fe. Makenzie enjoys spending her afternoons and weekends practicing and teaching acrobatic yoga, cooking, and paddling the river on her SUP. ​

For five early years of the Market, Mike Mullins directed the design and installation of its decor (in Market vernacular, “ambiance”) at the behest of Judith Espinar, producing the first Artists Procession and a number of opening night galas. As such he traveled to Mexico City on several occasions to work primarily with paper artisans who created thousands of custom ambiance elements. Retired from a career in special events, advertising and public relations with the Dallas Market Center (DMC), Mike produced annual events on a national (and occasionally international) level for fashion, interior design, furniture and decorative accessory industries. From that experience, he introduced the concept of an IFAM “boutique wholesale market” in Dallas during DMC’s blockbuster summer gift and home markets, which has been mounted successfully for many years to date. During his DMC tenure he was a member of the Advisory Board of the DIFFA, the Design Industries Foundation Fighting AIDS. Previously Mike lived in New York City working in television and theatre production, most notably with PBS’ Dick Cavett Show. A graduate of Texas Christian University and now living in Fort Worth, he is the chairman of TCU’s College of Fine Arts Board of Visitors where he has mounted biennial benefit galas while concurrently serving on TCU’s Clark Society Board and the board of the University’s Center for Texas Studies. He served for six years on the Board of Directors of “The Friends of WRR 101.1,” one of only five radio stations in the country devoted exclusively to classical music. Mike is active in charitable relief programs through All Saints’ Episcopal Church in Fort Worth and is engaged in progressive causes throughout the City.

Judith C. Pelham is the President Emeritus of Trinity Health, a national system of healthcare facilities and one of the largest Catholic healthcare systems in the U.S. Judith was the President and Chief Executive Officer of Trinity Health (2000 to 2004). Previously, Judith was the President and Chief Executive Officer of Mercy Health Services (1993 to 2000), the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Daughters of Charity Health Services of Austin (1982 to 1992) and the Assistant Vice President of Brigham and Women’s Hospital (1976 to 1980).  She is currently a member of the Board of Directors of MIM, The Musical Instrument Museum of Phoenix, AZ.  Judith has been a Member of the Board of Directors of Amgen, Welltower, Zoll Medical Corporation, Eclipsys Corporation, and Hospira, Inc., and was a Member of the Board of Trustees of Smith College.

Judith has received numerous honors for her civic and healthcare systems leadership, including the CEO IT Achievement Award in 2004 from Modern Healthcare and the Healthcare Information Management Systems Society. Judith received the American Hospital Association Partnership for Action Grassroots Advocacy Award in 1992 in recognition of her work in healthcare reform. Judith earned her B.A. degree in Government from Smith College and Master’s degree in Public Administration from Harvard University.

Born in Kathmandu, Nepal, Shobhan Porter grew up mostly in Santa Fe. She got her start in life spending time in Europe with relatives and traveling with her parents Helga & Greig Porter on buying trips around the world in search of antiques, jewelry and clothing. Her experiences grew into her pursuit of International Studies at Vassar College and an International MBA at Thunderbird School of Global Management. She worked on several health projects in Latin America and entered the world of High Tech for several startups and Oracle Corporation. Now, as Owner of Porter Associates Inc., Shobhan’s vision has transformed the business begun by her parents to expand into three stores on the Santa Fe Plaza: Santa Fe Dry Goods, Workshop & Wild Life. As buyer, Shobhan seeks out products that share artful combinations of color, texture and form. The result is a collection of beautifully crafted items from independent designers and artisans that exude joy and create a sense of freedom and strength in the people who frequent the stores.

Jamie Clements became President/CEO of the Museum of New Mexico Foundation in July 2013 after a 26-year career as a national fundraising professional with NPO Direct Marketing, an award-winning agency he founded in 1987. Jamie has consulted for more than 250 nonprofit organizations around the country, including 100 museums. Prior to NPO, he was Vice President for a national arts and culture marketing agency in Texas and Membership Manager for the San Francisco Symphony. Jamie has been a lifelong visitor to New Mexico, was married in Santa Fe in 1983 and a resident from 2006 to 2009. He and his wife Diana have five daughters. Jamie is a graduate of Princeton University.

Debra Garcia y Griego is the Cabinet Secretary for the New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs. In this capacity, she brings more than 20 years of cultural public policy experience to the stewardship of eight museums, nine historic sites and properties, arts, historic preservation, archaeology and library programs. Most recently, she was the Executive Director of the City of Santa Fe Arts Commission where she was responsible for implementing the City’s support of arts and cultural affairs such as funding of local nonprofit arts organizations, operation of the Community Gallery, the Art in Public Places program and the City’s international affairs. Previous work experience includes Museum Campus Chicago (a multi-institutional cross-collaboration and –marketing initiative consisting of the John G. Shedd Aquarium, Adler Planetarium, the Field Museum of Natural History and the Chicago Park District), Chicago a cappella, the Southwest Theater and Dance Festival, and the University of New Mexico Department of Theater and Dance. Garcia y Griego serves as an at-large member of the Board of Directors for Americans for the Arts, the nation’s leading nonprofit organization for advancing the arts and arts education. She holds a Master of Arts from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and Bachelor of Fine Arts in Art History from the University of New Mexico.

Khristaan D. Villela is the Director of the Museum of International Folk Art, Santa Fe, NM. He has a PhD in art history from University of Texas at Austin. Before his appointment at the museum in August 2016, he was Professor of Art History and Scholar in Residence at the Santa Fe University of Art and Design. He specializes in the history of Pre-Columbian and Latin American art, and on the reception of ancient American culture in the modern world. He has curated exhibitions at the Getty Research Institute, Los Angeles, the Miho Museum, Kyoto, Japan, and the New Mexico History Museum. Most recently he was consulting curator for Miguel Covarrubias: Drawing a Cosmopolitan Line, Georgia O’Keeffe Museum (2014). Prior to his appointment at SFUAD, Villela was the founding director of the Thaw Art History Center at the College of Santa Fe, a teaching and research unit with faculty, library, and collections devoted to the arts of the Americas, ancient to contemporary. He writes frequently for publications including New Mexico Magazine, El Palacio, ARTNews, Adobe Airstream, and he has a column in the Santa Fe New Mexican Pasatiempo section. He is the author of Ancient Civilizations of the Americas: Man, Nature, and Spirit in Pre-Columbian Art (Miho Museum, 2011); The Aztec Calendar Stone (with Mary Miller, Getty Publications, 2010); and Contemporary Mexican Architecture and Design (with Ellen Bradbury Reid and Logan Wagner, Gibbs Smith Publications, 2002). He is working on a book on the contributions of the Mexican artist, collector and curator Miguel Covarrubias to Pre-Columbian studies in US and Mexico in the mid-twentieth century. Another book project is the first publication of an album of 1860s photographs, the Souvenir of New Mexico, assembled by a US Army officer in New Mexico Territory. The album includes what may be the first photos of the Navajo, as well as important images of the Navajo captivity at Fort Sumner, NM.

Mark is the owner and CEO of Peyote Bird Designs, a 40 year-old jewelry design and manufacturing company headquartered in Santa Fe, with an office in Hong Kong, China. He is involved in all aspects of the business and frequently travels the world on research and development. Mark recently completed a six-year term on the Board of Trustees at Santa Fe Preparatory School, where his children attended private school. He is currently on the Board of Trustees for the United World College in Montezuma, NM. Married to Martha, their daughter Amanda is in college at the University of Denver, and their son Jackson is attending Colorado University in Boulder, CO. Mark is also an avid collector of American Indian, American folk art, and American kitsch artwork.

Catherine Allen’s  nonprofit work crosses the areas of the arts, social justice and higher education. Catherine has served two terms on the Board of the IFAM and now is on the Advisory Board. She co-chairs the Strategic Planning Committee. She, and several others from the Belizean Grove, created the Mentor-to-Market (M2M) educational program for IFAM artists and her friends from around the United States come each year to mentor the artists as well as volunteer at the Market. She also sits on the Advisory Board of the Museum of New Mexico Foundation and has been on that Board for several years. In the past she served on the Board of the CCA and Lensic Center for Performing Arts. Catherine is one of the founding Board members of Resilient New Mexico. She is a former Chair of the Board of Appleseed New Mexico. She was confirmed in February 2021 to be a member of the New Mexico State Investment Council.

Catherine sits on the Board of Visitors at the University of Missouri and just completed raising $1.4B in their capital campaign as a Tri-Chair of the Campaign Cabinet. She received an honorary doctorate from the University in 2007. She also sits on the Board of Trustees of the New York Institute of Technology. She is known for being an advocate for women in the C-Suite, in public policy and on corporate boards. She sits on the Advisory Boards of Women Corporate Directors, the Executive Women’s Forum, the International Women’s Forum, where she is President-Elect for New Mexico, and the Belizean Grove.  She is also active behind the scenes in fundraising and policy development in New Mexico and nationally for Democratic candidates.

Catherine is a corporate board director and has served, or continues to serve, on the boards of Synovus Financial, El Paso Electric Company, Stewart Information Services, NBS Technologies, RiskSense, CRI Advantage, Belief Agency and Houlihan Lokey. She was named one of the National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD) 100 Most Influential Directors in 2018.

She is Founder and Chairman of The Santa Fe Group, a Santa Fe based cybersecurity and risk management advisory services company with over 325 corporate members in its third party risk management program, Shared Assessments. Her corporate career included executive positions at Dun and Bradstreet and Citicorp in strategic planning, marketing and technology innovation. She was the founding CEO of BITS, the sister organization of the Financial Services Roundtable, and worked with the CEOs, CIOs and other senior executives in the largest 100 United States financial institutions, developing best practices in adoption of emerging technologies and cybersecurity and risk management.

Catherine has received a number of lifetime awards for her vision and leadership in technology and financial services from the Executive Women’s Forum, US Banker, the National Foundation for Credit Counseling and the University of Missouri. She was named one of the Top 25 Most Influential Women in Cybersecurity by Cyber Defense Magazine in 2019  as well as one of the 2019 Cutting Edge Women in Cybersecurity. SC Magazine named her one of the 2019 Visionaries in cybersecurity of the Last 30 Years.

Catherine and her husband, Paul Rooker, live between Santa Fe and Cape Cod, and share five step-children and ten grandchildren. They travel extensively and have been on a number of the Passport to Folk Art trips. She is a long-time collector of folk art, Spanish Colonial and Native American art, and lives in a home designed and built in 1932 by the artist, Fremont Ellis, one of the Cinco Pintores. Their home in Cape Cod was built at the turn of the century by D J Connaugh, an artist who started the Art League in New York City.

JoAnn Lynn Balzer, Santa Fe community leader and arts advocate, has had an extensive career in the arts, fundraising and non-profit management, holding many leadership positions with Santa Fe non-profits. She has long been a passionate collector and supporter of the contemporary expressions of Native American art and international folk art and is dedicated to their promotions.

Appointed by President Barack Obama in 2010, JoAnn currently serves as a Trustee of the Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA). She also serves as a New Mexico Arts Commissioner, appointed by Governor Bill Richardson in 2009, and on the Advisory Board of the International Folk Art Market.

She is Co-Chair of the Lensic Community Council, and a former Trustee of the Museum of New Mexico Foundation, where she co-founded Friends of Indian Art at the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture. She is a former board member of the Southwest Museum and the Autry National Center in Los Angeles.

JoAnn is a recipient of the Santa Fe Mayor’s Awards for Excellence in the Arts and served as Chair of the City of Santa Fe Arts Commission’s Cultural Affairs Working Group to help create the City’s first-ever cultural plan.

In concert with their interest in transformative philanthropy, she and her husband Bob sponsored the inaugural Indian Market EDGE to help SWAIA launch its new contemporary component. They also sponsored the Creative Maker Space at Meow Wolf and are the Founding Sponsors of the Innovation/Inspiration component of Santa Fe’s International Folk Art Market. They sponsor the Balzer Museum Purchase Prize, where the Museum of International Folk Art can annually acquire objects for its collection at the Folk Art Market.

Before concentrating on the non-profit sector, JoAnn worked in advanced technology at IBM. She also taught college-level mathematics at Pepperdine University and Pennsylvania State University. She is a magna cum laude graduate of Westminster College where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics. She holds a Master of Science in Mathematics from Carnegie Mellon University and an Honorary Doctorate in the Sciences from Westminster College in Pennsylvania.

Charlene is one of the four co-founders of the International Folk Art Market, and has been involved since the first market in 2004. As co-founder, she assisted in assembling the first governing board of 23 persons and helped the organization receive its 501(c) 3 status. Charlene served as the Market’s full-time Executive Director from 2007-2012 (and in 2018 was honored to serve as its Interim Director during an executive search). As the chief executive officer, she oversaw and led all aspects of six markets, including creation of a paid professional staff (formerly all contractors). During this time IFAM conducted a successful $6MM comprehensive campaign, professionalized the artist selection process, administered a million dollar grant from the Kellogg Foundation and published “The Work of Art: Folk Art in the 21st Century.” In 2009, IFAM was invited to become a member of the Clinton Global Initiative and also selected as a winner of the Piñon Award for non-profit excellence by the Santa Fe Community Foundation, Charlene has served on virtually every IFAM committee, in either an ex officio or appointed capacity.

Charlene served as the Director of the Museum of International Folk Art for fifteen years until her retirement in 1999, when she was named Director Emeritus. She returned to MOIFA as Interim Director from 2015-16. Prior to her appointment as the Museum’s director, she was the Curator of American/Latin American Folk Art for 11 years. She organized exhibitions, conducted fieldwork, published research, and oversaw acquisitions to the collection. Charlene for the eight years in-between her folk art positions was Director of Advancement at Santa Fe Preparatory School overseeing two major capital campaigns and all fundraising, marketing and alumni relations, including the school’s magazine. Charlene is a recipient of the Mayor’s Recognition Award for Excellence in the Arts and the Museum of New Mexico Regents Award.

Kathryn is President of the Jesse T. & Jodie E. King Foundation, a family foundation. The Colemans’ philanthropic involvement includes Methodist Children’s Home, St. Luke’s United Methodist Church, Rice University, Scenic Houston, Rothko Chapel, Houston reVision, and KIPP schools. Kathryn is an active volunteer and fundraiser in Houston and her community involvement includes service on the boards of Shepherd School of Music – Rice University, Bering Omega Community Services, Salvation Army Women’s Auxiliary, Friends of Fondren Library – Rice University, Laity Renewal Foundation, and Wesley Community Center. She owned an interior design firm for 20 years and also has an extensive background in law firm administration with Weil, Gotshal & Manges (Miami, Houston), and Vinson & Elkins (Houston, Dallas). Coleman graduated cum laude from The University of Texas at Austin with a Bachelor of Science degree, and she holds a Master of Arts degree from Texas A&M University. Kathryn and her husband, Hank, spend summers in Santa Fe and as much time as possible during the rest of the year. They are members of St. Luke’s United Methodist Church (Houston), where Kathryn sings in the Chancel Choir and Hank teaches an adult Sunday School class. They are associate members of the Church of the Holy Faith (Santa Fe), where Kathryn is also a choir member. Hank Coleman is a retired partner with Vinson & Elkins, LLP, Houston, and is now in private practice. The Colemans have four grown children and five grandchildren.

Nella Domenici is currently the Chief Financial Officer at Dataminr. This follows her role at Bridgewater as the firm’s Chief Financial Officer and Advisor to the Management Committee. She is responsible for overseeing management of the Finance department and driving strategic enterprise-wide projects. Before joining Bridgewater, Nella was a member of the Management Committee, Chief-of-Staff, and Strategist for the Citadel Group. She played a similar role at Credit Suisse First Boston (CSFB), serving as Chief-of-Staff and Strategist for global investment banking. While at CSFB, she also headed their top-ranked Middle-market Mergers and Acquisition Group. Nella graduated from Harvard Business School with High Distinction and as a George F. Baker Scholar. She holds a J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center and an undergraduate degree from Georgetown University.

Sheila holds a B.A. in religious studies from California State University, Fullerton. She taught high school history and English for over a decade in East Los Angeles, eventually becoming chair of the history department at Francisco Bravo Medical Magnet High School. There she introduced a curriculum on the teaching of Holocaust history that has now become standard. For the past several years, Sheila has served as volunteer chair of the Best of the Best booth at the International Folk Art Market | Santa Fe. She is a past chair and serving member of MOIFA’s Folk Art Committee, as well as sitting on the collections committee for the National Hispanic Cultural Center. A full-time resident of Santa Fe since 1999, Sheila is the owner of Samarkand, an ethnographic store specializing in jewelry and textiles from Central Asia, North Africa, the Middle East, and Latin America.

As co-founder, Judith has been instrumental in creating the International Folk Art Market | Santa Fe and has provided leadership since 2004. She has a BA in Clothing and Textiles and in Art History, as well as two years of graduate work in Philosophy of Design. Judith served in the Peace Corps in Peru. She was previously the fashion director of Gimbels East NYC, Fashion Director of Menswear for all Gimbels stores, Director of Fashion Information for Butterick Fashion, Editor in Chief of Vogue Patterns International, Director of Evan Picone Design Studio, and VIP Design Director of Murjani International. Judith formerly served on the board of Aid to Artisans, was Project Advisor-Ceramics for USAID sponsored research on “Marketing Viability of Hungarian Craft Industries,” and one of three Project Directors for the first two years of UNESCO-sponsored “Lead-Free Low Fire Pottery Project” in Mexico. Judith was previously the owner of The Clay Angel in Santa Fe, supporting her life-long interest and study of the world traditional ceramics.

Alexis is the President and CEO of Greer Enterprises, Inc., which is a closely held family corporation dealing primarily in real estate. Alexis and her husband received three historic preservation awards for the restoration of the Lensic Performing Arts Center. She serves as Chair of the Santa Fe Community Foundation, on the Board of Directors of First National Bank of Santa Fe, and is an Advisory Board Member of the Lensic Performing Arts Corporation. She has also served on the Santa Fe Preparatory School Board and was president of The Children’s School – a parent’s preschool cooperative. She is the Co-Chair of the New Mexico Historic Women’s Marker Initiative and has served as Treasurer for the New Mexico Women’s Forum. A graduate of Mills College with a Bachelor of Arts, Alexis has assisted in the assemblage of two shows for the Girard Foundation at the Governor’s Gallery at the Roundhouse for the State of New Mexico, and “Fantasy and Enchantment,” a show preceding the gifting of the Girard Collection to the Museum of International Folk Art.

Nance was born in Kansas City. Since childhood, she has been curious about cultural diversity. In high school, she was an exchange student to Syria, and later on spent a year studying art in Granada, Spain. Following her B.S. degree in anthropology from Stanford University, she worked in India with the Peace Corps. In 1969, Nance settled in Santa Fe where she opened Good Hands, which continues today in partnership with her husband and best friend, Ramon José López and their four children, Leon, Lilly, Bo, and Miller. For the past 10 years, Nance has focused her enthusiastic attention on her garden, her NIA practice, hiking in the mountains, and getting together with family and friends. She is an avid supporter of the International Folk Art Alliance, Santa Fe Botanical Garden, Museum of Spanish Colonial Art, Girls Inc., and Fine Art for Children and Teens. She has retired from her career as an artist, but still likes to create beautiful pieces.

Karen has spent most of her career with financial institutions; Chase Manhattan, U.S. Trust and Bessemer Trust, primarily in the Wealth Management divisions. She took a 10 year digression to be part of the team at Christie’s, the international auction house, when it opened in America.

She has served on the boards of numerous not for profit institutions. In Santa Fe these include the Santa Fe Opera Foundation, the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum, the School of Advanced Research and Performance Santa Fe.

She is a graduate of Radcliffe College, with a degree in Fine Arts, and a degree from the Harvard Business School. Karen has had a home in Santa Fe for 25 years and 10 years ago moved here from New York City.

Linda, a native born Texan, earned Bachelor, Master, and Ph.D. degrees from Southern Methodist University. Her academic research has centered on the cultural and archaeological record of lowland Maya in Yucatan and Central America. Linda has previously served on the boards of the Dallas Symphony Association, the Dallas Museum of Art, the Millicent Rogers Museum in Taos, American Film Institute in Dallas, the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum board, the Council for the Arts at MIT, and the School for Advanced Research in Santa Fe.

Michael is President Emeritus of St. John’s College, Santa Fe, where he served as President for eleven years. During his time at St. John’s, he was on the Board of IFAM including serving for a time as Chairman. Prior to his tenure at St. John’s, he was Executive Vice President of the Council on Foreign Relations in New York. Michael had a distinguished career in the U.S. Army. He was a platoon leader in Vietnam, an assistant professor of economics at West Point, a Soviet military specialist, an executive assistant in the office of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and a battalion commander in the Army Special Operations Command. He concluded his military career as the Chief of Staff at the United States Military Academy. Michael earned a Bachelor of Science from the United States Military Academy and a Master of Arts in economics from the University of Washington. He is a member of The Century Association and the Council on Foreign Relations in New York City and currently resides in Greenville, South Carolina.

Carol is currently serving as the Executive Director of the New Mexico Children’s Foundation. Carol was Mayor Pro Tempore and City Councilor of Santa Fe from 1998-2006. She was President of the New Mexico Municipal League and Chair of the International Council for the National League of Cities (NLC) and worked with Sister Cities International (SCI) to strengthen a strong alliance between SCI and NLC. Carol is on the Executive Committee of the Board of Directors of Sister Cities International. She was also appointed to Board Emeritus for New Mexico First, a public policy forum committed to solving New Mexico’s problems and served as both Chair and Vice Chair for the New Mexico Student Loan Guarantee Board. She serves on the Local Advisory Board of the Santa Fe University of Art and Design. Carol served a long career in various administrative positions in state government including: the New Mexico Department of Transportation, Attorney General’s Office, State Personnel Office, and State Planning Division. She received the 2004 Governor’s Award for Outstanding New Mexico Women and is the President of the International Women’s Forum – New Mexico. She holds a M.A. in Educational Management and Development from New Mexico State University (NMSU) and a B.S. in Secondary Education from Edinboro University. She has a Ph.D. in process in Higher Educational Management and Development from NMSU. Carol also chairs the Santa Fe-Bukhara Sister Cities Committee and is Chair of the City of Santa Fe’s Sister Cities Committee. Carol is President of American Women for International Understanding – whose signature event is the International Women of Courage Celebration with the U.S. State Department.

Peter Speliopoulos, the founder of Peter Speliopoulos Projects, is a multidisciplinary artist creating ceramics, and home objects. His foundation as a fashion designer, creative director and designer of costumes for opera and modern ballet have influenced his work. He was most recently the Senior Vice President of Design and Creative Director of Donna Karan New York, and former Creative Director of Cerruti Arte, Paris, and has designed for leading international fashion houses in France, Italy, and New York, for over 30 years. Peter has also designed costumes for numerous internationally performed operas and ballets in collaboration with choreographer/director Karole Armitage. He is a native of Springfield, Massachusetts and received his B.F.A. from the Parsons School of Design in 1982. He is a member of the Council of Fashion Designers of America, and serves on the board of Armitage Gone! Dance! Peter noted from having attended the International Folk Art Market | Santa Fe over several years now, “Folk art and the artisan hand, indigenous arts— these have always inspired my work in fashion and costume. From indigo to weaving and embroidery, to ceramics and metal works, I have discovered so much of the world’s beauty and variety at the Market!”

Edd has long supported the International Folk Art Alliance, serving as its Chairman in 2006-2008 and on its Executive Committee from 2006-2010 and again from 2012-2016. He has also served on the Advisory Board of the Museum of New Mexico Foundation and on the Boards of the Wheelwright Museum of the American Indian (Vice President, 2005-2007 and 2010), the Southwest Museum in Los Angeles (Vice President and member of the Executive Committee), and the Los Angeles SPCA (President). Edd is a graduate of the University of Texas and the University of Houston Bates School of Law and is currently an inactive member of the Texas and California Bars. Following a clerkship on the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, Edd joined the law firm of Gibson, Dunn and Crutcher in Los Angeles in 1970, where he specialized in antitrust law. He retired from the firm in 2001. Edd and his wife Carole enjoy international travel and divide their time between their homes in Santa Fe and Los Angeles.

Alexander has spent a career in retail, and is experienced in all aspects of small business, including importing, marketing strategies, advertising, and administration. He is the owner of Foreign Traders, Inc., a family business formerly known as “The Old Mexico Shop.” His collection includes works by noted folk artists Candelario Medrano, Heron Martinez, Gorky Gonzalez, Josefina Aguilar, and others from around the world. Alexander imports handicrafts and folk art from such countries as Peru, Guatemala, Morocco, India, Pakistan, and Mexico. He also has a small retail folk art venue at the Traveler’s Market in Santa Fe where he represents the work of Gorky Gonzalez and other recognizable folk artists. Alexander has served as a member of the Santa Fe Opera Business Council, the Crime Stoppers Board, and most recently on the Board of Directors of Dynamac International Corp. in Rockville, Maryland. In 2007 he accompanied his mother, Diana MacArthur, to the northern area of Pakistan and is now working to build the Al-Murtaza Academy in the Hunza Valley, in memory of his sister Elizabeth. Born in Santa Fe, Alexander grew up in the Washington D.C. area and graduated from Boston University in 1979 with a B.S. in print journalism from the B.U. School of Public Communication.

Michael has been an avid collector of folk art, along with his wife, Laurie, since their college days over fifty years ago.  One of the primary reasons they moved to Santa Fe was the International Folk Art Market.  He was an artist assistant for several years, but wanted to become more actively involved in the Market.  He and Laurie have been co-chairs of the Market Signs Committee for five years.  He was also volunteer co-coordinator for the International Folk Art Market | Collection at the Dallas Market Center from 2012-2014.  He was a member of the Planning Committee for the FUZE Conference with the Department of Cultural Affairs in 2014.  Michael’s love of classical music has led him to become a volunteer usher for the Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival.  When he is not volunteering for IFAA/Santa Fe, Michael is an avid artisan sourdough bread baker and cook.

Benita is a librarian/information management professional with 37 years of experience in universities and international organizations. After holding administrative positions at the University of New Mexico, the University of California – Los Angeles (UCLA) and The George Washington University, she retired in 2005 from her 15-year career at the Inter-American Development Bank (IADB) in Washington, D.C. Her position at the IADB included many years of work and travel experiences throughout Latin America and the Caribbean region. Benita moved to Santa Fe that year and began working as a volunteer with Literacy Volunteers of Santa Fe, the Santa Fe Council on International Relations (CIR), and the Santa Fe International Folk Art Market. She served as President of the Board for Literacy Volunteers of Santa Fe; with CIR she organized professional itineraries in Santa Fe for many groups of international visitors under the auspices of the U.S. Department of State’s International Visitors Leadership Program.

Benita’s love for international folk art and for the Folk Art Market’s global artists began to consume most of her volunteer time. She served as Chair of the Artist Hospitality Committee from 2006 – 2016 and as an at-large Regional Coordinator for the Market, gaining in-depth knowledge of the artists, their art, and their aspirations. Benita was asked to serve on the IFAM Board of Directors in 2013, serving on the Executive Committee as Secretary of the Board and also as Treasurer/Finance Committee Chair. After serving two three-year terms on the Board, Benita continues to serve on the IFAM Advisory Board. She has also served on the Artist Development Committee, the Policies, Administration and Ethics (now Board Operations) Committee and continues to work on the IFAM Market Working Group.

Benita holds a Master of Science degree from Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, and a B.A. in Spanish Language and Literature from Temple University, Philadelphia, PA. She is thrilled to have visited 72 countries on five continents, and she hopes to add to that number in the coming years.

Tom is the former Executive Director of the Museum of New Mexico Foundation (MNMF) and a co-founder of the International Folk Art Market | Santa Fe, for which he received a Mayor’s Arts Award. He led the development of New Mexico Creates, an award-winning economic development initiative that markets the work of New Mexico artists and artisans in the MNMF’s shops and on their Internet shops. Tom was recognized as one of New Mexico Business Weekly’s “Ten Power People in the Arts” in New Mexico for 2005 and “Top 100 Power People in New Mexico” in 2006 and 2007. In 2007, the United Way, Santa Fe selected him as “Humanitarian of the Year.” Tom advises the UNESCO Division of Cultural Expressions and Creative Industries, created the Santa Fe Cultural Leaders group, and led the economic development planning for Santa Fe’s arts and cultural industries in 2003-2004. He chaired the formation of Creative Santa Fe from 2004-2006, a non-profit organization that brings together diverse constituencies to strengthen Santa Fe’s creative economy. He was Director of Aid to Artisans where he helped to develop artisan enterprises internationally. Tom also created the successful Maritime Art Gallery at Mystic Seaport Museum and has been involved with marketing and merchandising for museum shops. Tom earned his M.B.A. from Columbia University, a B.F.T. from Thunderbird Graduate School of International Management, and an A.B. from Marquette University.

In Memory
Charmay Allred
January 4, 1937 – April 8, 2020

Charlene is one of the four co-founders of the International Folk Art Market, and has been involved since the first market in 2004. As co-founder, she assisted in assembling the first governing board of 23 persons and helped the organization receive its 501(c) 3 status. Charlene served as the Market’s full-time Executive Director from 2007-2012 (and in 2018 was honored to serve as its Interim Director during an executive search). As the chief executive officer, she oversaw and led all aspects of six markets, including creation of a paid professional staff (formerly all contractors). During this time IFAM conducted a successful $6MM comprehensive campaign, professionalized the artist selection process, administered a million dollar grant from the Kellogg Foundation and published “The Work of Art: Folk Art in the 21st Century.” In 2009, IFAM was invited to become a member of the Clinton Global Initiative and also selected as a winner of the Piñon Award for non-profit excellence by the Santa Fe Community Foundation, Charlene has served on virtually every IFAM committee, in either an ex officio or appointed capacity.

Charlene served as the Director of the Museum of International Folk Art for fifteen years until her retirement in 1999, when she was named Director Emeritus. She returned to MOIFA as Interim Director from 2015-16. Prior to her appointment as the Museum’s director, she was the Curator of American/Latin American Folk Art for 11 years. She organized exhibitions, conducted fieldwork, published research, and oversaw acquisitions to the collection. Charlene for the eight years in-between her folk art positions was Director of Advancement at Santa Fe Preparatory School overseeing two major capital campaigns and all fundraising, marketing and alumni relations, including the school’s magazine. Charlene is a recipient of the Mayor’s Recognition Award for Excellence in the Arts and the Museum of New Mexico Regents Award.

As co-founder, Judith has been instrumental in creating the International Folk Art Market | Santa Fe and has provided leadership since 2004. She has a BA in Clothing and Textiles and in Art History, as well as two years of graduate work in Philosophy of Design. Judith served in the Peace Corps in Peru. She was previously the fashion director of Gimbels East NYC, Fashion Director of Menswear for all Gimbels stores, Director of Fashion Information for Butterick Fashion, Editor in Chief of Vogue Patterns International, Director of Evan Picone Design Studio, and VIP Design Director of Murjani International. Judith formerly served on the board of Aid to Artisans, was Project Advisor-Ceramics for USAID sponsored research on “Marketing Viability of Hungarian Craft Industries,” and one of three Project Directors for the first two years of UNESCO-sponsored “Lead-Free Low Fire Pottery Project” in Mexico. Judith was previously the owner of The Clay Angel in Santa Fe, supporting her life-long interest and study of the world traditional ceramics.

In 2019 Melissa returned to her New Mexico roots after more than thirty years in Washington, DC and a long career in international energy and non-proliferation issues. It is a joy to marry her business development and strategic planning skills with IFAM’s artist-centered focus and to see first-hand how folk art brings the world closer together while providing economic prosperity for its creators and their communities. Melissa has an academic background in International Relations and a love of travel and learning about other cultures. Outside of IFAM, her current focus is to enjoy the Santa Fe sunsets and New Mexico’s fantastic food offerings.

Susan moved to Santa Fe in 2016 from Orange County, CA and joined the IFAM team in February 2018. In California, she spent 20 years in consumer and commercial banking and worked as a controller for a small service company for several years. Prior to the “big move”, she enjoyed eight years as the Business Operations Director for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Tustin. Susan loves to travel and plays French horn in several community ensembles.

Margaret moved to New Mexico with her family in 1970 and considers herself to be a native New Mexican. A life-long love for this state’s landscape, history, cultures and traditions inspires her to continually pursue adventures and artistic endeavors, both personally and professionally. Joining the IFAM team as Center Coordinator is a delight long pursued since her first volunteer experience in 2011. She brings legal, insurance and office operations experiences to support IFAM’s family of grand communities.

She sincerely believes that to have the opportunity to find unity in diversity, to gain new perspective and make connections with people who are different from ourselves, is priceless. IFAMs values and mission is near and dear to her heart.

Margaret obtained a bachelor’s degree in Organizational Learning and Instructional Technology from the University of New Mexico and paralegal certification from Oklahoma University. In her free time she enjoys Santa Fe’s art scene and cuisine, as well as outdoor activities; kayaking, gardening and plien air painting.

Nadia is IFAM’s Manager of Artist Development and Social Impact. She made her way to New Mexico in 2018 after some time away from the sunshine and mountains. While she was born in Washington, D.C., Nadia has lived in many different areas of the United States and Europe throughout her life. Over the past 18 years, she has worked at several non-profit organizations and museums engaging the public through her passion in arts education, community outreach, development, and cultural heritage. Nadia is excited to meld her professional experience with her enduring support of art and culture at IFAM.

Nadia holds a Bachelors of Fine Arts with a minor in Art History from Pratt Institute, and a Masters of Arts in Archaeology with a concentration in Heritage Management from Leiden University. When she isn’t in the office, Nadia enjoys being outdoors skiing and hiking. She is also an avid traveler, and aspires to visit an ever-expanding list of countries.

Born and raised by a village in Los Angeles, CA, Adrienne Alexis Murray moved to New Mexico in 2018 and currently serves Folk Artists and their communities as the Associate Director of Marketing and Community Engagement  for the International Folk Art Market (IFAM) Santa Fe. Adrienne spearheads virtual and IRL event planning & logistics, membership engagement, and VIP program coordination and digital outreach. She also has professional experience in facilitating community-centered programming, member & volunteer training, acquisition & retention,  fundraising campaigns, and online learning. She is a proud alumna of the 2020 cohort of the New Mexico Women of Color Nonprofit Leadership Initiative and her passions include providing mentorship and opportunity for young women of color through connection and the creation of beloved community. 

Jared Smith joins IFAM as its Manager of Design and Production. Despite having lived in Santa Fe for 17 years, he had only attended the Market once before joining the production team in the summer of 2021. He quickly developed a deep affinity for IFAM, its mission, and the diverse range of artists that the Market uplifts. He returned as a production coordinator in the summer of 2022, and joined the team as a full-time staff member shortly thereafter.