Briefcase: Hires, promotions and more
Jul. 5—PROMOTIONS
Scott Hutchinson has been appointed as Sandia National Laboratories' campus executive for the New Mexico State University system. Hutchinson, an NMSU graduate and senior manager of the Electrical Sciences Group at Sandia National Laboratories, will use the role to support the collaborative interests of both institutions. Hutchinson earned a bachelor's degree in 1988, master's degree in 1989 and doctorate in 1993 from NMSU in electrical engineering. He joined Sandia in 1993 and worked as a staff member for more than 12 years in various high-performance computing and algorithmic development projects. In his new role, he will represent Sandia's broad national security research interests and manage key interactions with NMSU representatives. The campus executive position was created in 1997. Hutchinson replaces Jaime Moya, who retired from Sandia earlier this year.
Celissa and Rich Apodaca will be taking over leadership of Aztec Mechanical Inc., a heating and cooling HVAC subcontractor headquartered in Albuquerque, following the retirement of CEO Nansi Martin. The Apodocas have been a part of the business for more than 15 years. Celissa Apodoca, Martin's daughter, is currently vice president of business operations, human resources and development. Her husband, Rich Apodoca, is president and sales engineer. Aztec Mechanical has been serving the local area since 1977.
Joesolie Ramos has been promoted to regional director of sales at Total Management Systems Inc. Ramos brings more than 10 years of experience in the industry as well as experience with several Marriott brands, sales, marketing and revenue. Ramos will provide sales support for the company's portfolio of properties as well as assisting the senior vice president of sales and marketing, Malini Perumal. Total Management Systems is a New Mexico-based hotel management company, operating since 1980.
Claudia Sanchez has been promoted to director of marketing and policyholder services by New Mexico Mutual, the state's largest workers' compensation insurer. As director, she will oversee and coordinate the work of the company's marketing, risk and safety, and premium audit teams. Sanchez will be responsible for all activities related to market development, corporate branding, market research and planning, advertising and promotions, and public relations and communications. Sanchez had been serving as manager of marketing and risk and safety consulting before assuming her current position. She will be focusing on developing and implementing strategic goals and objectives for exceptional customer experience, which includes continuous innovation, industry best practices, and state-of-the-art technology. Sanchez holds a master's degree in education from the University of New Mexico. She earned her bachelor's of science degree in education with a minor in Spanish from the University of Houston.
WELCOME
Mario Avila has been hired by CBRE real estate group as a retail specialist with advisory and transaction services. Avila had more than 24 years of corporate financing and banking experience, 10 years of experience in reporting and analytics and eight years in the banking industry before making the transition to real estate. Avila is also a former ambassador with Albuquerque Economic Development and currently is an assistant treasurer on the board of the Hole In The Heart Foundation in New Mexico.
ETC.
Jesse Dompreh has completed the academic requirements to earn his doctorate of ministry degree from Fuller Theological Seminary. Dompreh is the former chairman of the board of directors for the Greater Albuquerque Chamber of Commerce, and president and CEO of the Dompreh Agency (State Farm), as well as associate pastor at St. Stephen's United Methodist Church. He is a board-certified chaplain and current state representative for the Association of Professional Chaplains. Other positions include: chair of the Sandia National Laboratory/DOE Citizen's Advisory Board, president of the New Mexico Coalition of Literacy, president of the Albuquerque Branch of the NAACP, board member of Sandia Science and Technology Park, as well as community liaison for the Air Force Material Command.
Jesse D. Hale, a lawyer in the Albuquerque office of Sutin, Thayer & Brown, has been appointed as co-chair of the ABA Health Law Section's membership committee. His practice focuses on health care law, commercial litigation and real estate law. Hale had most recently served two consecutive terms as one of the ABA committee's vice chairs. His term as co-chair will run from Sept. 1 through Aug. 31, 2022.
Emily K. Howard has launched Cheetah Strategy LLC, a brand and business consulting firm. Howard, a longtime branding and marketing professional in Albuquerque, plans to help organizations reach their strategic goals by offering collaborative consulting through the lens of the needs of internal and external customers. Offerings include strategic plans, brand audits, SWOT analyses, marketing playbooks and organizational structure reviews. Cheetah Strategy is currently consulting with the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center on corporate and marketing strategy for the entire organization. Before launching Cheetah Strategy, Howard served as vice president of corporate strategy at the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center. She also previously was vice president of marketing, communications & tourism at Visit Albuquerque; vice president/principal with Esparza Advertising; and in strategic roles with McKee Wallwork + Co and DDB Worldwide Dallas. Throughout her career, Howard has worked with top brands including Oppenheimer Funds, American Airlines, Pepsi, Mr. Rooter Plumbing, International Paper, Bloomberg Tradebook, JC Penney, PNM, Dion's, the City of Albuquerque, the State of New Mexico and more. More information is available at CheetahStrategy.com.
APPLAUSE
The National Federation of Press Women has awarded 20 of its 300 annual awards for writing excellence to writers in the Albuquerque area. These awardees are: Christine Allen, Barbara Belknap, Sherri Burr, Hannah Colton, Marisa Demarco, Kathryn Hamel, Lynne Hinton, Sandi Hoover, Jennifer Hull, Megan Kamerick, Colleen Keane, Andrew Lyman, Kathleen McCleery, Mary-Kate Mendoza, Sylvia Ramos-Cruz, Sherry Robinson, Diane Schmidt, Jasmine Tritten, Jim Tritten and Pat Walkow. A total of 37 awards were given to writers across New Mexico.
A team of New Mexico State University engineers comprised of six students led by electrical engineering professor Wei Tang, have received accolades for their design and prototype of the Robot Smart Bed. The device is designed to assist elderly and bedridden people who have limited mobility move from their beds to a wheelchair to regain independence and take strain off caregivers. This project won third place, Best of Engineering Design, and the Teamwork Award in the 2021 Excellence Engineering Capstone Showcase Competition held in May sponsored by the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department Head Association. The students on the team were Leonardo Escamilla, mechanical and electrical engineering; Andrea Baca, electrical engineering; Elayne Petrie, electrical engineering; Rogelio Heranandez, mechanical and aerospace engineering; Connor Sitz, mechanical and aerospace engineering; and Maria Reynoso, mechanical and aerospace engineering.
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