Board of Directors
The Coalition is led by a Board of Directors consisting of direct caregivers who serve people who are elderly or disabled and includes those with occupations such as certified nursing assistants, home health aides, direct support professionals and direct care workers. Please see the biographies below to learn more about them and their goals as members of the Board of Directors.
- Back Row from Left to Right: Debra Austin, Maribel Martinez, Alex
Brandt, Corey Washington, Alecia Springer, Fritzi Hardy
Front Row from Left to Right: Elena Cole, Miriam Hernandez, Jeanne Desjardins, Mark Cerna, Anita Emerson
- Mark Cerna
Mark Cerna
Chair
Albuquerque, NM
Mark was born in San Pedro, California and moved frequently because his father was in the navy. He began working with people who had disabilities in junior high school as an elective, and continued to do so until he graduated from high school. After high school he worked as a forklift operator. Mark was brought back to the field of care giving when his father became sick in 2006. Mark was his primary caregiver for three months. After his father passed away, he realized it was his calling was to be a caregiver. He has been working in the field ever since. Mark is now a direct caregiver with A Better Way of Living in Albuquerque. In his spare time, Mark enjoys playing sports and hiking in the mountains. As the Chair of the Board of Directors, Mark hopes to help increase wages for direct care workers.
- Alex Brandt
Alex Brandt
Vice Chair
Los Lunas, NM
Alex was born in Sacramento, CA, grew up in San Diego, CA and now lives in Los Lunas, NM. In his free time, Alex likes to watch TV and movies, read, play video games, hang out with friends and attend concerts. Alex has his degree in criminal justice with minors in Psychology and Business. He has been a caregiver for 8 ˝ years. He became a caregiver because of his experience in the field and he enjoys helping others. Alex is now employed at Los Lunas Community Program as a Community Program Psychology Tech and supervises individuals with mental illnesses and behavioral problems. As a member of the coalition, Alex hopes to focus on implementing better wages and benefits and helping increase respect for caregivers.
- Maribel Martinez
Maribel Martinez
Secretary
Artesia, NM
Maribel was born in Artesia, NM and grew up in Roswell, NM. She now lives back in Artesia. In her spare time she enjoys hanging out with friends, traveling, dancing, camping, and swimming. She has worked at Door of Opportunity for seven years and is in the field because she loves helping people and gets great satisfaction from helping those with disabilities strive. She works as a head of household and her job entails many different duties, but in the end these duties result in making the house run orderly and smoothly. As a member of the Board of Directors, she hopes to help increase wages and strive towards affordable health insurance for caregivers.
- Alecia Springer
Alecia Springer
Treasurer
Los Alamos, NM
Alecia was born in San Antonio, TX and grew up about 50 miles north of Austin in Florence, TX. She now lives in Los Alamos, NM. In her spare time, she enjoys crocheting, quilting, sewing, and cooking. Before Alecia was a caregiver, she worked in law enforcement for 20 years. She has worked in the field of caregiving for six years. She decided to become a caregiver so that she could help people with disabilities get out into the community and to give their primary caregivers a break. Alecia works as a respite provider and substitute caregiver. Her job entails assisting one wheelchair bound client in every facet of daily living and working with another person that is highly functioning and participates in Special Olympics, swimming, bowling, and basketball. As a member of the Board of Directors, Alecia hopes to create a central information hub for caregivers and advocate for benefits for caregivers.
- Jeanne Desjardins
Jeanne Desjardins
Albuquerque, NM
Jeanne was born in Lewiston, Maine and grew up in Maine in a town called Auburn. Jeanne now resides in Albuquerque. In her spare time she enjoys climbing, hiking, biking and road races. She has been a caregiver for about 30 years. She became a caregiver to offer support to individuals and to enhance the quality of their lives through empowerment and self-determination. Jeanne works at ARCA as a wellness institute coordinator. Her job entails coordination, implementation, and instruction of the ARCA Health and Wellness Program. Confucius said, “If you love your job, you will never work a day in your life.” Jeanne would like this to become a reality for all direct caregivers.
- Fritzi Hardy
Fritzi Hardy
Albuquerque, NM
Fritzi was born and raised in Albuquerque, NM and still resides there today. In her spare time she enjoys reading and genealogy. She has been a caregiver for 31 years to her child that has a disability, and understands what it is like to have that responsibility 24 hours a day and 365 days a year. Fritzi is a sub-contractor for the New Beginnings and works as a family living provider. Her main goal as a member of the Board of Directors is to work to bring affordable health insurance to caregivers in New Mexico.
Coming Soon...
Biographies from the remaining people on the Board of Directors:
Elizabeth Sandoval, Fred Weis, Anita Emerson and Rose Martinez