Staff Directory

2023–Present • 505-954-7226 • fonseca@sarsf.org

Jorge previously served as the director of finance and operations for the non-profit organization, Esperanza Shelter in Santa Fe for seven years. He has held a variety of senior management roles in the resort, real estate and publishing industries responsible for financial functions, information technology services, risk management, marketing services, and operations.

Originally from the San Francisco Bay Area, he has made Santa Fe his home since 1990. He earned a BA in economics from the University of California Santa Barbara.

2021-Present • 505-954-7223 • madigan@sarsf.org

Mary Madigan has led the advancement of the arts and nonprofit management from positions at the Vermont Mozart Festival, international music publisher Boosey & Hawkes, Meet The Composer, Concert Artists Guild, The New School, and other important organizations. She hosted a conversation with Kinan Azmeh, a Syrian-born musician, speaking on “Art in Times of Crisis” at The Watermill Center (NY) in 2016. Madigan’s extensive experience in programming and drawing community around arts and culture leads her to the mission of SAR where she develops programs to engage the public in SAR’s body of knowledge, scholarship, and creative work.

2022-Present  • 505-954-7269 • watson@sarsf.org

Kevin joined SAR in 2022 after twenty years in marketing and public relations roles for an international publishing company and conference producer in the language technology sector. He has served in senior roles for a public relations firm and ad agencies as well as working as a freelance copywriter and editor. Originally from the Missouri Ozarks, Kevin received a BS in management from Missouri State University with journalism courses from colleges in Oklahoma. He has served on arts and human rights boards, and in his spare time works as a sculptor creating bricolage pieces.

2023-Present  • 505-954-7258 • lozano@sarsf.org

Alexia is a graphic designer and illustrator living in Santa Fe. Before moving to New Mexico, she was based in Los Angeles designing for entertainment industry events including NATPE Miami, NATPE Budapest International, The Iris Awards, and The Brandon Tartikoff Legacy Awards. She received a bachelor of fine arts degree in graphic design from California State University, Fullerton. Alexia has illustrated and designed four children’s books and published over thirty editorial illustrations. She is thrilled to be working for SAR, pursuing her interests in design and social science.

2019-Present • 505-954-7213 • richardson@sarsf.org

Marcia Richardson moved to Santa Fe in the fall of 2013, after living in San Diego for forty years. She previously worked at the University of California, San Diego. Marcia was also a business owner for over thirty years, specializing in designing marketing materials and advertising, as well as providing administrative support for small businesses. In her role as the receptionist and administrative assistant, Marcia manages incoming inquiries and visitors at the reception center and organizes SAR’s campus tours. In her spare time, she loves reading, spending time with her beautiful rescue dog, gardening, and exploring all that Santa Fe has to offer.

2021–Present • 505-954-7238 • hbrooks@sarsf.org

Helen previously served as the founding hospital chief executive for Presbyterian Santa Fe Medical Center. After more than twenty-five years in health–care leadership roles, and having achieved licensing and accreditation for the new facility, she has joined SAR’s team to focus on major and planning giving. Along with work in the realm of clinical operations, strategy, program development, philanthropy, marketing, and public relations, Helen has also served on the boards of numerous arts and civic organizations, including the Santa Fe Chamber of Commerce, the Mayor’s Economic Development Committee, and the National Board of the Alzheimer’s Association. 

2016–Present • 505-954-7231 • archuleta@sarsf.org

Lindsay grew up in Taos, New Mexico. She received her master of business administration from Anderson School of Management at the University of New Mexico. She began her career working in international development and with indigenous cultures in Kenya and Brazil before settling back in New Mexico. She has worked in fundraising for non-profits in New Mexico for over ten years including the New Mexico Green Chamber of Commerce and the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum.

2021–Present • 505-954-7250 • robbins@sarsf.org

Melinda moved to Santa Fe in early 2021 to hike mountain trails and enjoy the many cultural events that the city offers. Originally from rural Pennsylvania, she has a BA in photography and an MA in adult and community education. In her previous career directing outreach education for art colleges, Melinda learned to procure corporate, foundation, and government grant funding to support programming. Since then, she has expanded her grant writing skills to help organizations in higher education, the arts, and social service sectors meet their fundraising goals.

2022–Present • 505-954-7245 • mgarcia@sarsf.org

Moira was born in Gallup, New Mexico, and has lived in Santa Fe for over a decade. She is a practicing visual artist and graduate of the Institute of American Indian Arts and holds a MA in Latin American Studies with concentrations in Latin American art history and Indigenous studies from the University of New Mexico. Moira has worked as a visiting artist in the Santa Fe and Espanola Public Schools, as a Spanish language instructor, and as a museum researcher at the Maxwell Museum of Anthropology. She also helps to facilitate international partnerships and exchange programs at the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe. 

In her new role as membership coordinator at SAR, Moira works with the advancement team to coordinate membership and donor programs and events. 

2021–Present • 505-954-7230 • bernhardt@sarsf.org

Kat is from Fairbanks in the Golden Heart Interior of Alaska. Continually curious, Kat is fascinated by the stories told by Paleolithic art and the impact of geography and religion on cultures and languages. She has a master’s in education, a bachelor’s in English literature and music, and a professional background in accounting and journalism. Her great-grandmother fell in love with the City Different in the 1930s, becoming a revered member of the community for over thirty years. Kat enjoys uncovering the layers of history in Santa Fe and New Mexico, traveling, hiking, creative writing, choral music, jazz, and languages. Kat is honored to be part of the resilient community of creative thinkers at the School for Advanced Research.

2016–Present • 505-954-7240 • ryer@sarsf.org

As the director of Scholar Programs, Dr. Paul Ryer helps guide the selection of resident scholar fellowships and supports researchers during their residencies. He also oversees the J.I. Staley Prize, manages a range of on-campus scholar seminars, and serves as the primary point of contact for a growing, global network of SAR alumni. Under his leadership, the department has initiated efforts that ensure the program’s relevance to twenty-first century scholarship via an increased focus on: cross-disciplinary work; newly-developed fellowship field areas; collaboration among participating scholars; and the establishment of programs that embrace a greater awareness of new theories and emerging paradigms within anthropology and related fields.

Dr. Ryer received his PhD in cultural anthropology from the University of Chicago in 2006. With over two decades of experience in academia, professor Ryer’s specific areas of anthropological expertise include the Caribbean, migration and diaspora, historical anthropology, semiotics, cultural citizenship, and religion. Since his initial fieldwork as a Ruth Landes Fellow in the 1990s, while affiliated with the University of Havana, he has conducted long-term research on Cuba and its diasporas. Currently, Ryer is studying the contemporary Cuban Protestant revival island through the lens of an ecumenical seminary in Matanzas, Cuba—an institution which survived the atheism of the early Revolution and is now thriving. He is the author of Beyond Cuban Waters, an ethnography which not only explores the cultural life of contemporary Cuba, but examines Cubans’ understanding of the world, and Cuba’s place in it through the lens of revolutionary-era Cuban-African educational exchanges. Prior to coming to SAR, Professor Ryer taught at the University of Chicago, Williams College, Mount Holyoke College, and the University of California, Riverside. Read more…

2022–Present • 505-954-7237 • pompa@sarsf.org

2007–Present • 505-954-7279 • poon@sarsf.org

With two decades experience in the museum field, Elysia’s career has demonstrated a commitment to collaborative programming and a dedication to community-based collections care. Under her leadership, the IARC continues to be at the forefront of the national conversation around how collecting institutions and Native American communities can work together to foster and promote cultural heritage and further contemporary art practices. Formerly the IARC’s curator of education, Elysia furthered a Native artist fellowship program that is now one of the most nationally recognized. She developed and led IARC education outreach initiatives and facilitates an annual IARC speaker series that explores Native American arts and culture. She received her BA in art history and criticism from the University of California, San Diego and MA in art history from the University of New Mexico. Prior to coming to SAR, Elysia worked for the Autry Museum of the American West in Los Angeles, Museum of Indian Arts & Culture in Santa Fe, and Indian Pueblo Cultural Center in Albuquerque.

2005–Present • 505-954-7275 • day@sarsf.org

Jennifer Day joined SAR in 2005. She came to the organization with a background in museum registration and completed a graduate degree in museum studies at the University of Florida. As SAR’s head registrar, she administers SAR’s collection management database at its Indian Arts Research Center (IARC), and handles documentation of acquisitions, object loans, and rights and reproductions. She has a passion for organizing collection data and making it easily accessible for staff and researchers. Jennifer particularly enjoys working with members of Native American communities to improve documentation of items housed in the IARC collection.

2020–Present • 505-954-7242 • elliffcruz@sarsf.org

With sixteen years of collections care experience, Laura re-joined the SAR staff in December 2020, and was the previous collections manager at IARC from 2008-2014. Prior to returning, Laura was head of the collection management department at the Denver Art Museum for nearly six years overseeing the daily care, including a major collection move project and numerous grant storage upgrades during her time there. Previous experience includes working as a collection consultant, as an on-line teacher through Northern States Conservation Center, four years at Fort Lewis College, Center of Southwest Studies, and she was a former Americorps VISTA volunteer. She has a BA in anthropology from Illinois State University, a graduate certificate in museum collections management and care from George Washington University, and an MA in American Studies from the University of New Mexico. Overall, Laura will be in charge of caring for the IARC collections, and preventive conservation and collaborative care with source communities is her main passion.

2021–Present • 505-954-7273 • plopez@sarsf.org

Paloma López (she/her) grew up in Gallup, New Mexico. She received her BA in anthropology from Boston University and continued her studies in Puebla, Mexico. Upon returning to the United States, Paloma spent several years teaching in Phoenix, Arizona. In 2021, she received her MA in museum studies from The University of New Mexico. Before joining SAR, Paloma served as an AmeriCorps Member at the National Hispanic Cultural Center in Albuquerque, NM where she developed curricula for the NHCC Art Museum. In her role as an IARC educator, Paloma oversees the internship program, IARC volunteers, and supports community outreach efforts.

2021–Present • 505-954-7239 • oaortiz@sarsf.org

Olivia (she/her) facilitates museum education, community outreach initiatives and oversees the Native Artist Fellowship Program.

Prior to joining the IARC, Olivia worked for both the Tucson Museum of Art and the Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA Tucson) in Arizona. She contributed to the planning and execution of community-based education programs for diverse audiences. Previous experience includes working in K-12 art classrooms, gallery management and she served as an Indigenous Educator Corps (IEC) member at the Native American Community Academy in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

2001–Present • 505-954-7272 • kurnit@sarsf.org

Daniel Kurnit has been the administrative assistant at the Indian Arts Research Center since 2001. He is a graduate of Santa Fe High School and a longtime Santa Fe resident. Prior to joining SAR, he worked at a number of local businesses, including the New Mexican and the Santa Fean. His writing and editing skills now come in handy for the various brochures, flyers, and other printed materials that the IARC regularly creates. His other responsibilities include record keeping, organizing mailings, and arranging tours and special events. He is also the point of first contact and answerer of questions for most visitors to the IARC.

Daniel received a BA, with a concentration in American history, from Bard College in Annandale, New York, and visits friends and family on the East Coast often.

2017–Present • 505-954-7273 • riley@sarsf.org

Stephanie, a member of the Pueblo of Acoma tribe, received her BA in anthropology with an emphasis in cultural anthropology and museum studies from New Mexico State University. Prior to joining IARC, she worked for several years at the Sky City Cultural Center & Haakú Museum and at the New Mexico State University Museum. She has also completed a residency at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian in collections management. Thanks to previous projects she has been involved in, Stephanie has become passionate about learning and sustaining traditional pottery-making practices.

2019–Present • 505-954-7243 • mwinslow@sarsf.org

Molly has been with SAR since 2019 and works to support the preservation of and access to the IARC collection. Molly received a BA in sociology from the University of Dayton and a master’s in museology from the University of Washington. She then spent several years packing and moving the Heritage Arts collection at the Burke Museum in Seattle. She has also worked with Seattle Area National Parks, Seattle Space Needle, Renton History Museum, and the Dayton Society of Natural History. Molly is passionate about community collaborative collections care and providing access to the incredible IARC collection.

2022–Present • 505-954-7261 • kolar@sarsf.org

Miriam Kolar, MFA & PhD, was a Weatherhead Fellow at SAR (2016-2017). An adjunct professor at Stanford University, Dr. Kolar studies human-sonic interrelationships across time and geography, integrating acoustical and auditory perceptual science methodologies in prehistoric archaeology. Dr. Kolar collaborates on anthropologically contextualized auralization research and produces multimodal interfaces for archaeological engagement.

2019–Present • 505-954-7234 • wolf@sarsf.org

Katherine manages the library at SAR, serving as librarian and archivist. Prior to SAR, she worked in special, public, and academic libraries in Southern California and Santa Fe. She holds a master’s in library and information science (MLIS) from San Jose State University and a BA in art history from the University of California, San Diego. She completed the Western Archives Institute in California and also has a certificate in digitization skills for libraries and cultural heritage institutions. At the UCLA California Rare Book School, she attended courses on special collections librarianship and Indigenous social justice.

1984–Present • 505-954-7221 • sandoval@sarsf.org

Carol, as Personnel Director, manages all functions involving personnel, payroll and benefits administration, and government compliance. Hired in 1984 as the accounts payable clerk in the School’s business office, Carol served in different capacities before taking over the personnel function in 1992. A native Santa Fean, Carol is a member of the National Society for Human Resource Managers (SHRM). She attended the University of New Mexico and is a certified professional in human resources through the Robert O. Anderson School of Management at University of New Mexico and SHRM.

2012–Present • 505-954-7222 • lujan@sarsf.org

As staff accountant, Bob’s primary responsibilities include accounts payable functions, maintenance of cash position including deposits and on-line banking activities, posting of monthly accounting entries, and other general accounting duties. Bob retired from the State of New Mexico Aging and Long-Term Services Department after twenty-six and a half years in the field of accounting and financial management. He has a bachelor’s in accounting from New Mexico State University.

Bob is a native Santa Fean. He and his wife, Paula, have a son in college and a young daughter in elementary school.

1997–Present • 505-954-7225 • tozcano@sarsf.org

Carla, originally from Chihuahua, Mexico, has lived in Santa Fe since 1994. She began working as the campus housekeeper at SAR in 1997. Carla moved on to academic programs assistant, and was promoted to her current position in the spring of 2004.

Carla enjoys being a mom and spending time with her daughter Arely.

2015–Present • 505-954-7233 • rlujan@sarsf.org

Robert comes to us after nine years as the facility complex manager for the NM Department of Public Safety. His area of responsibility included the state police training facility off Cerrillos Rd. Before 2007, Robert worked for ten years for the NM General Services Department. including two years as facilities manager. He has lots of experience with both old buildings and guest relations. Robert is a native Santa Fean. He enjoys spending time with his wife, daughters and grandchild.

2004–Present
Isidro has a background in landscaping. He joined the staff in the physical plant division working with Ray Sweeney and Randy Montoya. He is responsible for maintaining much of the landscaping on campus and takes a great deal of pride in his work.

Isidro is married and has two children.