Staff
Allan Oliver
President
Allan Oliver is the President of the Thornburg Foundation. He oversees the Foundation’s Strategic Initiatives in K-12 education, good government reforms, food and agriculture, water, homelessness as well as Community Funding grants for social service organizations.
In addition to serving as Executive Director for 11 years, he has served on Governor Lujan Grisham’s Education Transition team and was named to the Governor’s statewide Census Complete Count Commission and co- chaired the Census Funders group. He has been recognized by Albuquerque Business First as a C-Suite Honoree for his accomplishments. In 2021, Allan was named to the Points of Light Inspiration Honor Roll for his efforts in New Mexico during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Before joining the Thornburg Foundation, Allan served as Cabinet Secretary-Designate and Deputy Secretary for the New Mexico Economic Development Department and Director of Cabinet Affairs and Deputy Communications Director for Governor Bill Richardson. He also established the Partnership for Responsible Business and the New Mexico Green Chamber of Commerce, a business association with over 1100 members supporting renewable energy technology and responsible business practices. Mr. Oliver earned a Master’s in Public Administration from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government and was named a William Hodson Fellow for International Public Service. He recently completed an Executive Education program at Harvard Business School focused on Strategic Perspectives in Nonprofit Management. He also served as an NGO specialist and initiated the municipal development program for the US Peace Corps Volunteer in Guatemala and served as country director for the National Democratic Institute in Kazakhstan.
He serves on the board of the Santa Fe School for Arts and Sciences, Groundworks New Mexico, and the National Funders Census Initiative. Allan enjoys spending time in New Mexico’s incredible outdoors and most of all enjoys spending time with his son, Max.
Contact: [email protected]
Leslie Garcia
HR Director & Community Funding Officer
Leslie Garcia is the HR Director & Community Funding Officer at Thornburg Foundation. Born and raised in New Mexico, she is deeply committed to collaborating with stakeholders who share a common goal of serving its diverse population. She brings with her a deep understanding of relationship management, operations, and human resource expertise. Ms. Garcia earned her bachelor’s degree in business administration from the College of Santa Fe and holds a SHRM-CP Certification. She is currently pursuing her master of business administration degree at Eastern New Mexico University.
Contact: [email protected]
Jarel LaPan Hill
Policy Officer Good Government Reform
Jarel LaPan Hill is the Good Government Reform Policy Officer at the Thornburg Foundation. She most recently worked for the City of Santa Fe, including two years as City Manager. In that role, she oversaw the entirety of city operations with a focus on transforming the organization into a better-managed and efficient operation. Jarel served in the Obama Administration for two terms as Senior Advisor and Chief of Staff to the Deputy Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. At HHS she developed a keen understanding of the nature of internal organizational management especially as it relates to developing programs and initiatives. Jarel has a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from George Washington University in Washington, D.C. and, most recently, completed the Master in Public Leadership program from the University of Texas at Austin. Jarel grew up in Santa Fe and is happy to be back home raising her family.
Contact: [email protected]
Patrick McCarthy
Senior Policy Officer Water
Patrick McCarthy is the Senior Water Policy Officer at the Thornburg Foundation. Trained as a scientist, he has worked for the last twenty years at the intersection of ecological science, water governance, and community capacity-building. Before joining the Thornburg Foundation, Patrick worked with water managers and community leaders across the U.S. Southwest and in southern Africa on evidence-based solutions for water resources policy, planning, and management. In his work with grantees and partners, Patrick aspires to help create a New Mexico in which healthy watersheds provide clean, abundant, and equitable water to communities and ecosystems. Patrick holds a master’s degree in ecology and a bachelor’s degree in anthropology/zoology and has been awarded fellowships by the Switzer Foundation and the American Association for the Advancement of Science. He lives in Santa Fe with his wife and two children.
Contact: [email protected]
Shana Baker
Pursuing Federal Funds Policy Officer
Shana Baker is the Pursuing Federal Funds Policy Officer at the Thornburg Foundation. Shana received her undergraduate degree in sociology from Smith College and her J.D. from the University of New Mexico School of Law. Shana’s legal career included representation of public and charter schools in employment and special education litigation, family law, nonprofit organization setup and indigent criminal defense. Most recently, Shana served as senior policy advisor and chief of staff to Representative Meredith Dixon. Shana was also program director and interim CEO of Pivotal NM. Shana grew up in Texas and lives in Albuquerque with her husband and two sons.
Contact: [email protected]
Sarah Wentzel-Fisher
Land and Agriculture Policy Officer
Sarah is the Land and Agriculture Policy Officer at the Thornburg Foundation. She has worked in food and agriculture planning, education, and advocacy for over a decade, focusing on regenerative agriculture and supporting young and beginning farmers and ranchers. Most recently, she served as Executive Director of the Quivira Coalition, leading a multi-state team to advance resilience on working lands. Previously, she was editor of Edible New Mexico and an organizer for the National Young Farmers Coalition. She currently serves on the boards of the Greenhorns, Southwest Grassfed Livestock Alliance, and the Rocky Mountain Farmers Union. A dedicated advocate for local food systems and regenerative agriculture, Sarah brings deep experience in policy, network building, program development, and advocacy. In her free time, she can be found feeding goats, sheep and pigs, checking the compost, or visiting farms and ranches across New Mexico and beyond.
Contact: [email protected]
Jolene Valdez
Grants & Accounting Administrator
Jolene Valdez is the Grants & Accounting Administrator at Thornburg Foundation. Before joining The Foundation Jolene worked for Thornburg Investment Management. She comes with a background in banking and customer service. Born and raised in Santa Fe, Jolene is a first-generation college graduate and is a mentor to other women in the community. She earned her Associates Degree in Business Fundamentals and graduated with her Business Degree in October 2022. As a fourth generation New Mexican, Jolene is excited to be of service through the many philanthropic opportunities of Thornburg Foundation. Proud mother of two sons, she is involved in school and extracurricular activities that help foster the best opportunities for growth for her children and others. Ms. Valdez is a friendly and familiar face, that you can always count on to go the extra mile or make sure the small details are handled with excellence.
Contact: [email protected]
Russell Hawkins
Communications Manager
Russell Hawkins is the Communications Manager at Thornburg Foundation. Russell joins the Thornburg team with a strong background in nonprofit public relations built in Washington, DC, working for National Geographic Society, the Smithsonian Channel, and the PR agency Weber Shandwick. He is excited to help establish the Thornburg Foundation as a thought leader in non-partisan policy reform.
Russell, a South Carolina native who now embraces the Southwest, explores New Mexico’s wilderness through backpacking, skiing, and trail running. He stays connected to the local community through volunteer work with the Santa Fe Conservation Trust and community beekeeping activities.
Russell holds a B.S. in Biological Science from Clemson University and an MFA in Science Communication from Montana State University.
Contact: [email protected]