The UNM Parent & Family Association hosts annual board elections every spring. If you would like to get involved, please send us an email at parenta@unm.edu!
Liz Abeyta - Board Chair
Sani Hogan - Vice-Chair
Sani lives in Boerne, Texas and has worked for Citi Private Bank for 20 years. She is the mother of Wesley Payne, a junior at UNM majoring in Game Design. Sani is the President of PFLAG Boerne and the founder and President of Kaleidoscope Hearts youth connection. She partners with local and federal law enforcement as well as other organizations in order to provide a safe and productive environment for all. Sani currently sits on the Kendall Country Behavioral Health Advisory Council, focusing on mental health and substance use issues. Sani just assisted BISD with updating their special education program. As the parent of a medically complex child, and child with learning disabilities, Sani takes great pride in ensuring that every student, parent and teacher has the support needed to excel academically, physically and emotionally.
Cathy Allen
Cathy is the mother of Tabby Allen, an incoming first year student majoring in Philosophy. Cathy works as Executive Assistant to the City Council for the City of Beaumont, TX and serves as secretary of the Friends of the Beaumont Public Library and as a deacon, church clerk and various other roles at Calder Baptist Church. She and her husband of 22 years, Kenny Allen, were high school sweethearts at West Brook High School, where Tabby also just graduated! Having served the past two years as Advocacy Chair of the West Brook PTA, Cathy is excited to join the board of the UNMPFA to continue to stay connected and involved in her daughter’s education.
Vanessa Jones
Vanessa is the Head of the Primary School (PreK-3rd Grade) at Holland Hall, an independent school in Tulsa, where she lives with her husband, Chris. Their youngest son, Mace, is a sophomore at the University of New Mexico studying history, and their daughter is in her second year of law school at the University of Minnesota. Their oldest son Zach and his family live near them in Oklahoma.
Kristina Martinez
Kristina Martinez has a sophomore majoring in Geology and is a 4th generation Lobo! Kristina is a graduate of Anderson Business School, and her parents and grandmother from the engineering school. She serve as President of Elevate the Spectrum which is a nonprofit supporting autism families throughout New Mexico. Kristina believes in including students with disabilities in our UNM community and hopes to be a resource for other parents and families.
Sarah Charai
Sarah, her husband and three boys reside in St. Paul, Minnesota where she leads the Supply Chain Operations for Allina Health. Her son, Amine, will be entering his 2nd year at the University of New Mexico. Amine was looking to experience a different climate and culture during college and UNM has certainly offered him that. Sarah joined the UNMPFA because she feels that just because they are off to college, it doesn’t mean that the parents and families can’t stay connected and involved in their education. “I have gained a lot of insight and guidance simply by attending the monthly UNMPFA meetings – it has definitely made the transition to college easier for us as a family. I feel comfortable knowing we have a network of UNM parents we can connect with for questions and support.”
Debbie Velarde
Debbie currently lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico and a proud mother of two daughters. Her daughter Alyssa is a sophomore at UNM majoring in adolescent psychology. Debbie is a UNM Alumni. We are a proud UNM family, Go Lobos!
Kerry Leigh Stiles
Aaron Miscenich
Aaron Miscenich is currently the Executive Director of bwtech@UMBC, a 70+ acre research park located in Baltimore, Maryland. Home to over 525,000 square feet of office and lab space, bwtech houses over 130 companies. A native of New Orleans, for 14 years Miscenich was President & CEO of the New Orleans BioInnovation Center, a life science business incubator focusing on university-based technologies. During this time Miscenich also managed New Orleans BioFund, an evergreen capital source. In 2012, Miscenich served as Interim Executive Director of the Louisiana Cancer Research Center. Miscenich holds a B.S. in Physics from the University of New Mexico and an M.B.A. from Tulane University.
Veda Curry
Veda is the mother of two sons. Her youngest son is a Sophomore at UNM majoring in Construction Management. Veda's oldest son is a senior at UNL. Veda has a Bachelor’s Degree in Physiology from Michigan State University and Masters in Business Administration from Central Michigan University. "I believe in the pursuit and power of higher education. I look forward to helping other parents with this transition time for their children."
Elsa Mendoza
Elsa Mendoza lives in Anthony NM and has been a resident of NM since 1995. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in History with a Minor in Religious Studies from New Mexico State University (NMSU), and is currently pursuing a Master’s Degree in Leadership Communication at NMSU. Elsa am married and has a 27 year daughter who graduated from UNM in 2018, with Bachelor’s Degrees in Chemistry and Anthropology; a 24 year old son who graduated from NMSU in 2023 with a Bachelor’s in Electrical Engineering with a Minor in Math; and a 19 year old daughter who is starting her second year at UNM majoring in Computer Engineering and still thinking about a Minor. Elsa is glad to serve with the UNM Parent & Family Association.
Suzanne Pearlman
Suzanne Pearlman (she/her) is the parent to a Sophomore at UNM who is studying film. Professionally she is a national expert in curricula development and facilitation of training programs, with a specialization on adaptations aimed at promoting equity and access. She has over 20 years of experience designing and implementing innovative curricula content, particularly within Indigenous communities, higher education systems, corporate environments, and government systems. As a national trainer for public health programs, she facilitates train-the-trainer and community courses for thousands each year and provides ongoing community mentorship and technical assistance to ensure responsiveness to the evolving needs of diverse populations. Prior to her consulting work, Ms. Pearlman spearheaded behavioral health system transformation efforts at state and national levels.
Christina O'Connell
Christina O’Connell lives in Albuquerque and is a proud Lobo alum. She received her Bachelors of Science in Nursing and Doctorate of Nursing practice degrees from UNM. She and her husband (also a UNM alum) are proud parents to three wonderful children. Her daughter is entering her second year as an Exercise Science major at UNM, her son graduated from UNM in 2023, and oldest her daughter is attending graduate school out of state. Christina is excited to be part of the UNMPFA board and help support families during this exciting journey.
