Clara Apodaca, a native of Las Cruces, was First Lady of New Mexico from 1975-1978. She served as New Mexico's Secretary of Cultural Affairs under Governors Toney Anaya and Garrey Carruthers and as senior advisor to the U.S. Department of the Treasury. Clara is currently President and CEO of the National Hispanic Cultural Center Foundation.

Paul Bardacke served as Attorney General of New Mexico from 1983-1986. Paul was Chairman of Bill Richardson's successful gubernatorial campaigns. He is a Fellow in the American College of Trial Lawyers. Paul currently handles complex commercial litigation and mediation with the firm of Sutin, Thayer, & Browne.

David Buchholtz, Treasurer, has advised more than a dozen Governors and Cabinet Secretaries of Economic Development on fiscal matters. David has served as Chairman of the Association of Commerce and Industry. He is the senior member of the New Mexico office of Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck.

Garrey Carruthers, Chair, served as Governor of New Mexico from 1987-1990. Garrey is Dean of New Mexico State University's College of Business and was formerly President and CEO of Cimarron Health Plan. He serves on the board of Arrowhead, an economic development center in Las Cruces, as well as a number of other corporate and public organizations.

LaDonna Harris is Chair of the Board and Founder of Americans for Indian Opportunity. She is also a founder of the National Women's Political Caucus. LaDonna was a leader in the effort to return the Taos Blue Lake to Taos Pueblo. She is an enrolled member of the Comanche Nation.

Susan Herter served as Chief of Staff to Vice President Nelson Rockefeller and was appointed to the President's Commission on White House Fellows by Presidents Carter and Reagan. Susan was a founding board member of the national government accountability group Common Cause, the North American Institute, and the New Mexico Community Foundation, where she also served as president.

Edward Lujan is the former CEO of Manuel Lujan Agencies, the largest privately owned insurance agency in New Mexico. Ed is a former Chairman of the National Hispanic Cultural Center of New Mexico, the Republican Party of New Mexico, and the New Mexico Economic Development Commission.

Fred Nathan, Secretary, founded Think New Mexico and is its Executive Director. Fred served as Special Counsel to New Mexico Attorney General Tom Udall from 1991-1998. In that capacity, he was the architect of several successful legislative initiatives and was in charge of New Mexico’s $1.25 billion lawsuit against the tobacco industry. Fred currently serves on the board of Williams College, his alma mater.

Roberta Cooper Ramo, Vice-Chair, is the first woman elected President of the American Bar Association and the American Law Institute. Roberta served on the State Board of Finance and is a former President of the Board of Regents of the University of New Mexico. She is a shareholder with the Modrall law firm and serves on many national boards.

Frank Ortiz (1926-2005), a career Foreign Service Officer of the United States, served as United States Ambassador to several countries, including Argentina, Guatemala, and Peru, and was a member of many boards throughout New Mexico. Frank was the founding Vice-Chair of Think New Mexico's board, where he served until his death in 2005.

Stewart Udall (1920-2010) served as Secretary of the Interior under Presidents Kennedy and Johnson. Prior to that, Stewart served three terms in Congress. He authored The Quiet Crisis (1963), which tells the story of humankind's stewardship over the planet's resources, and To the Inland Empire: Coronado and Our Spanish Legacy (1987), which celebrates Hispanic contributions to our history. Stewart was the founding Chair of Think New Mexico's board, where he served until his death in 2010. Read more about Stewart's life and legacy.