Board of Trustees

Mark J. Fidel, MBA, JD

Board Chair
Executive Committee Chair
Ex-Officio member of all committees
2020–Present

Mark currently operates a consulting firm that focuses on mid-sized, established technology companies. Prior to that, Ivanti, Inc. acquired the firm that Mark co-founded, RiskSense, Inc. in July 2021, and he effectively ended his career with Ivanti, Inc., on August 31, 2023.  He managed all state, local and educational markets in the United States for the RiskSense product line, and all markets in New Mexico. In addition to being a co-founder, Mark served as RiskSense’s finance director, in-house counsel, and head of corporate development. Prior to RiskSense, Mark owned and operated a litigation support and document management consulting firm, Applied Records Management.  His clients included law firms and a number of independent insurance agencies.

Mark served as executive director for the Western States School of Banking from 2007 to 2011.  He was an adjunct professor at New Mexico Highlands University from 2005 to 2007, and worked as a commercial defense litigator for the Modrall Sperling Law Firm in Albuquerque, NM from 2002 to 2004. Prior to earning his law degree in 2002 from the University of Denver Sturm College of Law, Mark worked as a financial and senior financial analyst for Intel Corporation from 1994 to 1998.

In 1994, he earned his Executive MBA from the University of New Mexico and in 1989, he earned his bachelor’s degree in Finance from New Mexico State University.

Mark is currently the Chair of the Board of Trustees for Bosque School and has been a member since 2020.  Mark is the president of the Board of Directors of CNM Ingenuity, Chair of the Board of Commissioners for the New Mexico Civil Legal Services Commission, serves on the Board of Directors of the Presbyterian Healthcare Foundation, and is a member of the New Mexico Technology Council.  He had served as chair of the Board of Directors for HopeWorks, a non-profit focused on ending homelessness in Albuquerque.

Lee Patchell

Board Vice Chair
Governance Committee
Executive Committee
2019–Present

Lee has over 20 years of experience in Human Resources and is currently working at Presbyterian Healthcare Services. She is Vice President for Human Resources Partnerships and Employee Relations. Before joining Presbyterian, she served as Senior Vice President for Human Resources at Charter Bank Mortgage and Insurance, and prior to that held human resources positions with Intel Corporation. Lee holds both a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree from the University of New Mexico in Business Administration, with a concentration in Human Resources and Organizational Behavior. She served on the board of trustees for nine years for Manzano Day School including three years as Board President. Lee’s children attend Bosque School.

Marisa Barrera

Board Treasurer
Finance Committee Chair
Executive Committee
2020–Present

Marisa serves as executive vice president and chief strategy officer of DreamSpring, an award-winning, nonprofit organization that increases access to credit, makes loans, and provides a community of support to help entrepreneurs realize their dreams. In her role at DreamSpring, Marisa is responsible for a portfolio of priorities that includes people, culture, marketing, communications, philanthropy, and stewardship. Marisa is a recipient of the U.S. Small Business Administration’s New Mexico Financial Services Advocate of the Year Award and is a former board member of the Association for Enterprise Opportunity (AEO), a national association of more than 1,000 microenterprise development programs and partners in the United States. She holds a master of public affairs degree from Princeton University’s Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs and is an undergraduate alumna of UNM. Marisa, and her husband, are the parents of two Bosque School students, Class of 2026 and 2027.

Kelly Smyer

Board Secretary
Executive Committee
2021–Present

A native of Deming, New Mexico, Kelly graduated from the University of New Mexico with a B.A. in journalism. Kelly has had two career paths—one in government and the other as an educator. In her career in government, Kelly worked for Senator Jeff Bingaman, Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham, and Attorney General Hector Balderas. In her career in education, she worked as an Albuquerque Public School elementary school teacher for eight years. She has served on the boards of La Puerta de los Niños, the Tennis Club of Albuquerque, and the Independent Community Foundation. She and her husband, Bruce, are the parents of a Class of 2026 Bosque School student, and Kelly is an active member of the Bosque Parents’ Association.

Cara Chavez

Philanthropy Committee Chair
Executive Committee
2020–Present

Cara Chavez has been an educator for over 20 years. The majority of her career has been teaching in the primary grades. For the past seven years, she has been an elementary school physical education teacher and currently serves as an APS Wellness Ambassador, promoting wellness at her school through engaging fitness and health activities. Prior to becoming a teacher, Cara worked in state and local government in an administrative capacity. Cara has a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from New Mexico State University. After deciding to pursue a career in education, she attended the University of Denver and received a teaching certificate in Elementary Education. She also has had the joy of delivering meals for Meals on Wheels over several summers. Cara served for six years on the Bosque Parents’ Association and is the parent of two Bosque School alumni, Phillip ‘16 and Noah ‘19.

José Viramontes

Governance Committee Chair
Executive Committee
2021–Present

José’s career is centered at the intersection of the social, public, and private sectors. He is the chief executive officer at MediaDesk, an award-winning creative agency that deploys solutions to power positive change for nonprofits and government agencies across the United States. As a proud "sector-hopper," he previously spent nearly two decades with the U.S. Department of the Interior. With a strong commitment to the community, José has served on several boards and has a strong interest in cultivating equity and representation in any organization he is a part of. In addition to Bosque School, he is currently a sitting trustee with the Albuquerque Community Foundation and is vice chairman of the National Institute of Flamenco Board of Directors. José lives in the North Valley with his two children, Ella and Miguel.

Brandon Garrett

Facilities Committee Chair
Executive Committee
2023–Present

Brandon Garrett is an entrepreneur, architect, and creative technologist with a passion for creating immersive and interactive social entertainment destinations. He co-founded Electric Playhouse in 2018 and served as its COO from its inception until 2021. During his tenure as COO, Brandon led the company through a challenging 14-month closure due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which occurred only six weeks after the company's opening in February 2020. In 2021, Brandon became the CEO of Electric Playhouse and has since continued to lead the company to new heights. He has successfully guided the Albuquerque location to profitability, secured a second location on the Las Vegas Strip, and is now spearheading the company's expansion and development of its proprietary IP. Prior to founding Electric Playhouse, Brandon led New Mexico's largest architectural firm's Design Technology team, where he implemented virtual reality, augmented reality, visualization, and building information modeling to bring value to the firm's projects and clients. Brandon is a native New Mexican and he earned his Master of Architecture degree from the University of New Mexico in 2009.

Shawn L. Berman

Facilities Committee
2018–Present

Shawn is the Associate Dean for Accreditation and Research at University of New Mexico's Anderson School of Management and has been at the school since 2007. In 2017, he served as the acting and then interim dean; he is also a professor of Business and Society at Anderson. He received his PhD in Strategic Management from the University of Washington. His three main research interests are Stakeholder Theory; the evolution of the employee-employer relationship; and issues of corporate governance. Shawn is on the editorial board of Business & Society and Business Ethics Quarterly and in 2012, he served as division chair for the Social Issues in Management Division of the Academy of Management, as well as serving previously as program chair and professional development workshop chair. He has also served as the co-chair for the SIM Doctoral Consortium and currently serves on the board of the Rio Grande Community Development Corporation.

Sarah Biondi

Philanthropy Committee
2023–Present

Sarah has been a marketing professional in New Mexico for over 20 years. During that time, she has worked at the Albuquerque Film Office, New Mexico Film Office, and Reelz Television Network. In 2021 she founded the fundraising platform, 100 Women Albuquerque, which raises thousands of dollars quarterly for local nonprofits. Sarah received her bachelor’s degree in Radio/Television Production from The George Washington University and has called New Mexico home since 1996. She is the parent of a Bosque student in the class of 2028.

Theresa Carson

Finance Committee
2023–Present

Theresa A. Carson is the Founder and past President/CEO of the African American Greater Albuquerque Chamber of Commerce. She is a retired Senior Manager of Supply Chain Integration at Sandia National Laboratories. Her responsibilities included oversite of Supply Chain’s Procurement Policies, Training, Quality Assurance, Supplier Risk Management and Supplier Diversity Programs. She retired in March 2018, after 36 years of Service in the National Interest. She has served on the Albuquerque Academy Board of Directors (2005-2011) and other School Boards and Foundations. Theresa is passionate about helping children achieve educational and professional success. She is committed to utilizing her God given talents for this purpose. She believes, “together, we can do great things and make a greater difference” within our respective communities.

Jennifer deGraauw

Finance Committee
2023–Present

Jennifer deGraauw was born and raised in rural Kansas and moved to New Mexico in 2005. She lives in the North Valley with her husband, Drew, and their two daughters: Anna (7th grade) and Madeleine (5th grade). She graduated from the University of Kansas with a degree in Business and attended law school at Tulane and the University of New Mexico. She has practiced law in New Mexico for 15 years. She is the owner of Terry & deGraauw Family Law Firm. Jennifer is a Past-President of the New Mexico Collaborative Practice Group. She previously served as a board member of the Albuquerque Bar Association and State Bar of New Mexico Family Law Section board.
 
Jennifer has received distinctions from SuperLawyers and Best Lawyers throughout her legal career. She was appointed by the Supreme Court of New Mexico to serve on the New Mexico Domestic Relations Rules Committee. During her time on the committee, she helped author various Domestic Relations rules, including drafting the New Mexico Collaborative Law Act.

Santana Macías Fontana

Governance Committee
2017–Present

Born and raised in New Mexico, Santana is a physician with Presbyterian Medical Group in Rio Rancho and specializes in family and primary care sports medicine. After receiving her BA in Kinesiology at Occidental College in California, she returned to New Mexico to receive her medical degree at the University of New Mexico’s School of Medicine. She completed her residency in Family Medicine at the University of Texas Health Sciences Center in San Antonio and then her Primary Care Sports Medicine Fellowship at the University of Washington in Seattle. She is currently a board member with the UNM School of Medicine Alumni Association and has served as grade representative and past president for the Bosque Parents’ Association. Santana and her husband, Matt, live in Corrales and are the parents of a Bosque School student in the Class of 2022.

Rachel Gupton

Philanthropy Committee
2019–Present

Rachel is an electrical and computer engineer at Sandia National Laboratories. She has been at Sandia since 2011, starting off as an intern, and then she was accepted into the Critical Skills Master Program in 2013 which funded her master’s degree. She received her bachelor's and master's degrees in ECE from the University of Arizona. She currently works in the satellites division. She is also a local philanthropist serving on the board of Saranam and Explora and she is active in United Way giving societies. Rachel and her husband, Billy, who is a financial advisor and philanthropic guru, were married in 2017 and live in Albuquerque with their two dogs. Rachel is a Bosque School alumna, Class of 2009, and served on the 2019-20 Head of School Search Committee.

Jenny Plane

Philanthropy Committee
2023–Present

Jenny's life and work have always centered on teaching, learning, and caregiving, and her career is best represented by a patchwork crazy quilt. She has taught high school French and elementary school art. She has sold college textbooks and ghostwritten a textbook for home health aides. She has substituted and assisted in classrooms at all age levels. As a volunteer, Jenny has coordinated early literacy programs, parent-led art classes, and fund-raising efforts. She chose to stay home while her two sons — now aged 26 and 28 — were in elementary and middle school. She currently provides assistance to her elderly mother, who has lost her sight. Jenny graduated from Emma Willard School in Troy, NY, and holds degrees from Harvard University (BA, 1986, Philosophy) and the University of New Mexico (MA, 2010, Elementary Education).

Caroline Cervantes

BPGA President 
Non-Voting Trustee
2023–Present

Caroline was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and moved to Silver City, New Mexico at the age of 10. She graduated from The University of New Mexico with a BA in Communication, and received an MA in Elementary Education from The University of Phoenix. She has been an elementary classroom teacher for 22 years in independent schools in Albuquerque, NM, and is currently teaching 4th grade at Manzano Day School. Caroline is married with 3 Bosque Bobcats, and has been an active volunteer at Bosque School for 8 years — with BPGA leadership rolls the last 2 years.

Peggie Ann Findlay

Founder of Bosque School
Trustee Emeritus

Peggie is a physician and cancer researcher. She also serves on the Symphony Board, is a member of the Order of St. John, and a founder of Bosque School. Peggie’s children, Alexandra '03 and Brendan '06, are Bosque School alumni.