NMCTR Board
Our Board is made up of community members who donate their time on a volunteer basis. They provide oversight and governance and recognize their responsibility with donations of both time and money. We are proud to enjoy 100% participation from the Board for financial contributions on an annual basis.
Shelley Phelan
President
Shelley was born and raised in New Mexico, spent 17 years in Dallas, and returned to NM in 2002. She has a degree from Fashion Institute of Technology in New York and a Bachelors in Marketing from NMSU. Shelley spent many years in retail, advertising and marketing and worked for the Dallas Morning News before relocating to Santa Fe. NMCTR is one of many community organizations She has been involved with through the years including CASA, Many Mothers, Habitat for Humanity, SFIS and Boys and Girls Club. She is also NMCTR Volunteer Coordinator and assists with lessons and horse care. NMCTR gives Shelley the opportunity to combine “my love for horses with my desire to help those in need.”
Thomas Smart
Vice President
Thomas graduated summa cum laude Phi Beta Kappa from Dartmouth College in 1971 and earned his law degree at the UPenn Law School in 1974. He practiced as an associate at Davis, Graham & Stubbs in Denver before becoming an associate at Kaye Scholer LLP in NYC in October, 1975. He became a partner at Kaye Scholer in 1982 and shortly thereafter the head of its Trademark, Copyright and False Advertising Litigation Group, a position he held until his retirement in 2011. He specialized in litigation involving trademarks, copyrights, false advertising, and consumer fraud class actions, representing, among others, Pfizer, Novartis, Sanofi, Staples, Disney/ABC and Hershey. He is an avid equestrian also serving on the Board of The Horse Shelter in SF, NM. He is widowed and has two adult sons.
Angela Heath
Treasurer
Angela was born and raised in Colorado. She moved to Santa Fe, New Mexico in 2006 and began working for New Mexico Bank and Trust in 2011. Angela is the proud mother of three grown children (two daughters and a son), and the grandmother to a two year old grandson. A life-long lover and advocate for animals and children, Angela currently shares her home with an Australian Cattle Dog (rescued from being used as a bait dog), a very spoiled kitty that was found on the streets of Santa Fe, and three goldfish that were rescued from the local fair 8 years ago.
Karen Miller
Secretary
Karen was born in New Orleans, LA, but spent most of her youth and adult years in Southern California. She and her spouse, Connie, retired to Santa Fe in 2008 and reside in Eldorado. Karen received a Bachelor’s in Psychology and a Master’s in Education from the University of Redlands, in Redlands, California. She worked as a vocational/career counselor with persons with disabilities and other barriers to employment, including substance abuse and lack of education and work experience.. She has served on many Boards including the Southern California Women’s Law Center and the Commission on the Status of Women. Karen loves “everything horse” and enjoys serving as the Riding Coordinator for NMCTR. She also assists with lessons and provides mentorship for our NMCTR intern.
Andrea Antillon
Board Member
Andrea has practiced law for over twelve years. She has a LL.M. in Taxation and focuses on real estate, taxation, and natural resources. She has represented private companies, public companies and private equity funds, both on national and international matters. Andrea has worked with many nonprofits, helping to get them organized and advising board members on duties and responsibilities. In addition to working as an attorney, Andrea is an avid horse woman. She got her start playing horse polo at Stanford University and has ridden ever since, working on ranches in Montana and Wyoming, guiding trail rides through Teton National Park, taking jumping and dressage lessons, participating in ranch sorting, and training horses.
Nancy Desiderio
Board Member
Nancy grew up in Albuquerque. She earned a B.A. in political science from Swarthmore College. After living in AL and WA, Nancy returned home for good. She and her spouse, Mike, moved to Pecos, N.M., and she commenced law school at the University of New Mexico. After graduating, Nancy worked for the U.S. District Court in Santa Fe, and was on the Board of the Pecos Valley Medical Center. Nancy is the oldest of eight children, six adopted. Her parents became treatment foster care parents when she was in high school, giving her experience with people facing physical, mental, emotional, and financial challenges. Nancy is a rider with the NMCTR program, keeping her mobile despite having multiple sclerosis. She and her family love working at the barn and taking care of the NMCTR "herd."
Zella Kay Cox
Board Member
Zella moved to Santa Fe from Chicago in 1996. There, she was a member of the Board of Thresholds, an organization dedicated to providing services to individuals with behavior and/or mental disorders. The organization was focused on assisting individuals who were homeless and mentally ill, helping them find housing, treatment and appropriate employment. In Santa Fe, Zella has worked with organizations addressing the issues of literacy, high school drop outs, and juvenile justice. She also served as a Court Appointed Special Advocate for nine years and subsequently joined the Board of the Child Advocacy Network which oversees the CASA programs throughout New Mexico. Zella looks forward to assisting us with community outreach and public relations.
Tim Reeder
Board Member
Tim was born and raised in Ohio, moved to New Mexico in September 2011 and is currently working for the New Mexico Department of Health as an Emergency Preparedness Specialist. Tim has an extensive background in Public Relations and Commercial Photography, owning his own firm for 23 years. He worked on national political campaigns and dealt with international commercial clients, retiring in 1999. Career #2, he returned to college, at age 42 and became a professional firefighter and paramedic in Cincinnati, OH which prepares him for his current career. He and his wife Suzy, who is a NMCTR volunteer, currently reside in Santa Fe and raised two beautiful daughters.
Chris Swanson
Board Member
Chris was born and raised in rural Indiana. She earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology from DePauw University and a Master’s Degree in Clinical Psychology from Antioch University. Chris lives in Los Alamos, where she moved in 2016 to begin work on labor relations at the Los Alamos National Laboratory. Prior to this, Chris did union work with classified school employees in California, followed by years of work as a mental health and social work professional serving a broad range of populations. Outside of her deep commitment to her career, Chris is passionate about environmental issues and spends as much time as she can outdoors. In addition to being an avid hiker and an amateur photographer, Chris enjoys competing with her dogs in K9 Nose Work.
Advisory Board
John Berkenfeld, Ret. Executive Director, El Rancho de Las Golondrinas
Deborah Lamal, Advisor
Marilyn Miller, Advisor
Don Miller, Advisor
Mike Phelan, Deloitte Consulting, Advisor
