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As Chief Solar Officer of Spark City, a solar leasing company providing solar equipment to homeowners and small businesses and offsetting a majority of customers' electricity use, Felix Hendrickson and Anderson Alum Lisa Hendrickson understand the nature and necessity of efficiency. Thus, when the time came to select an intern, he realized he required an individual who was adept at more than filing and making coffee. A conversation with Anderson School of Management's Foundation Board Chair Betsy Carlson led him to Career Services, where he was able to interview and hire Anderson student and now BBA 2010 Alum Derek Klingeman.
Prior to graduation, Derek hadn't made use of the resources at Career Services, feeling there wasn't an immediate need, and he also admitted that he'd had preconceived notions about what the particular duties of an intern might involve. After graduating and a preliminary job search that revealed that many employers require three to five years of experience, he realized that he needed experience above all. Connection with Career Services led him to Spark City, where he appreciated getting valuable hands-on involvement in renewable energy. Felix, for his part, credits Derek with a "fantastic attention to detail" and feels the internship has been a growing experience for them both.
Felix's years as CEO of HCC, a custom manufacturer in New York City, and recognized as the 43rd fastest growing inner city company in America by Michael Porter's ICIC organization, gives him ample insight into real-world hiring practices. His feedback includes welcoming the opportunity to work with Career Services by tailoring a program speaking to the digital age, keeping in mind the needs of both companies and students, and having local businesses come into classrooms, promoting direct interaction between students and the business community. With dynamic companies such as Spark City willing to work with future business leaders of New Mexico, Anderson School of Management's Career Services department can only flourish.
Interviewed by Laura Hines, Written by Alexandria Solt
BBA 1996
Open-minded, positive, and motivated – Denise Montoya exemplifies the qualities that any Anderson alumnus would be proud to possess.
Denise obtained her GED early and began her college career at seventeen. Even at such a young age, she knew her mind and heart well enough to recognize that she wanted to be a part of the world of human resources, so she found a student internship in human resources at Phillips Semiconductors, where she had the opportunity to develop and create a process to implement and track training, and to participate in an audit that resulted in a quarter-million dollar reimbursement. Her passion for HR only intensified; she received her BBA in 1996 and went on to obtain a dual Master of Arts in Management and Human Resources Development from Webster University. She also achieved a nationally recognized certification as a Senior Professional in Human Resources, SPHR designation.
But Denise found herself called back to UNM, and now she serves as the Human Resources Consulting and Staff Employment Director for UNM's Division of Human Resources responsible for Client Services to include HR Consulting, Staff Recruitment and Employment Services, and UNMTemps. She also serves as the President of the Human Resources Management Association (HRMA) of New Mexico partnering with the community with groups such as TeamWorks to foster success through programs that provide interviewing skills, resume writing, and other tools that prepare hopeful employees for the competitive job market. She served as the College Relations Director for the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) New Mexico Council leading efforts in events such as state and regional conferences and student HR Games competitions. She is currently the Co-Director of the 2012 SHRM New Mexico Conference featuring top notch national speakers for HR professionals around the state.
Recently, Denise and her husband Alfonso joined a MasterMind Group that raised approximately $3000 for a park built in Rio Rancho with special equipment for children with disabilities. In all her efforts, Denise strives for positivity and is open to new ideas, and both as an employee and an alumna, is an asset to the University of New Mexico.
Interviewed by Laura Hines, Written by Alexandria Solt
BBA 2001
Chris Byrd has managed to accomplish what many people only dream of: taking a lifelong passion and merging it with business to create a living that is both personally fulfilling and gives him the time freedom he desires.
Chris grew up loving and playing sports, and is a particular fan of Nolan Ryan. When he arrived at the Anderson School of Management, he derived great enjoyment from John Benavidez's business ethics classes, and also found himself drawn to entrepreneurial classes.
In 2008, Chris purchased a Pro Image Franchise store. Pro Image is a retail store that carries apparel and other merchandise related to collegiate and professional sports. In the first year alone, Pro Image New Mexico exceeded his optimistic expectations, finishing as the 5th highest volume store in sales and revenue out of more than 90 Pro Images nationwide. In addition to Pro Image, Chris opened a store in the Cottonwood Mall called Cherry & Silver, a retail store dedicated entirely to UNM Lobo merchandise.
While Chris loves his work, he also finds great happiness in family and community involvement. A typical day finds Chris running his daughters to school, working either at the store or from from his home office until they get home, and then spending quality time with them and his wife Courtney on various projects, from homework to ‘Just Dance' to bouncing on a trampoline. In his free time, Chris is involved with Sagebrush Community Church, where he serves as a board member. He also donates time, funds, and merchandise to such charities as the Lymphoma and Leukemia Society of New Mexico, Love INC, and World Vision.
Chris' efforts in business and community led to a nomination for the Young Alumni portion of Anderson School of Management's Hall of Fame in 2010. For Chris, the balance of faith, family, and work is the key to happiness.
Interviewed by Laura Hines, Written by Alexandria Solt
BBA 2005
A dedicated work ethic: it's something that's been part of Deena Crawley's life from childhood, and it permeates her accomplishments at McKee Wallwork Cleveland, where she's worked for several years, starting as an intern and continuing through several promotions to her current position as an account supervisor, where she has a passion for qualitative research, especially ethnography.
Deena credits her grandfather, the former chief operating officer at GTE, for instilling her with a deep respect for a serious work ethic. While attending the Anderson School of Management, she worked closely with John Benavidez on practical and strategic management of projects, and after graduating, helped to support Nvent, an award-winning student organization that provides marketing and advertising support to non-profit clients.
But her work ethic doesn't stop there! Deena's professional career has yielded stellar results, serving clients such as Bloomberg Tradebook, International Paper, the New Mexico Department of Health, and the University of New Mexico. Her efforts have been recognized locally, regionally, and nationally, gaining her several Addy awards in addition to a Gold Creative Media award. She's also been a two-time finalist for an ‘Effie' which is advertising's most prestigious honor that recognizes effectiveness.
Deena serves as the President of the American Advertising Federation-New Mexico. In her role with the organization, she's overseen the Education committee, which acts as a resource for high school and college students around the state, promoting careers in marketing and advertising. She's a frequent guest lecturer at Anderson as well as at Communication and Journalism, and provides guidance to DECA high school students throughout the year. She's also donated time to the Boy Scouts of America and PACA, an animal adoption agency.
Deena believes that intellectual gifts go hand-in-hand with hard work and dedication. That philosophy and her tremendous energy will decidedly contribute to Deena's continued success in the future.
Interviewed by Laura Hines, Written by Alexandria Solt
MBA 2010
BBA 2002
Tarrah Gallegos' guiding philosophy is "The more you put into something, the more you'll get out of it." This all-encompassing approach has borne success in both her professional and personal interests. When Tarrah was pursuing her BBA in Marketing at the Anderson School of Management, she sought and secured an unpaid internship with the New Mexico Symphony Orchestra, which provided her with the real-life experience she needed to obtain a paid position with the same organization. That position eventually guided her back to the University, where she worked with the Lobo Club, and where she was inspired to return to school for her MBA in Policy and Planning. At present, she is a management analyst with Chickasaw Nation Industries, Inc., and credits her time at Anderson with providing her a solid foundation for teamwork and analytical writing.
While her professional life has proved rewarding, garnering her recognition as a 2008 New Mexico Business Weekly's 40 Under 40 honoree and a nomination to Anderson School of Management's Young Alumni Hall of Fame, Tarrah's most proud of her volunteer work. Not only does she serve on the boards of Beta Gamma Beta and Alpha Gamma of Alpha Chi Omega, she also serves as Treasurer of the board of People's Anti-Cruelty Association/Albuquerque Animal Rescue, Albuquerque's oldest no-kill animal rescue group. On any given Saturday, Tarrah can be found at a number of local dog adoption clinics engaged in tasks from setting up crates and taking dogs for walks to fielding questions from the public and handling adoption paperwork. She also fosters dogs and is proud to make a difference in the lives of animals. Tarrah has put her philosophy of passion and motivation into action, and has proved herself as an outstanding ASM alumnus.
Written by Alexandria Solt and Interviewed by Laura Hines
MBA 2008
BBA 2005
The combination of thinker and doer is rare; both qualities in an individual who works
tirelessly for the transformative good of humanity is rarer still. Tim's roots and education
offer a glimpse of how he has achieved and continues to strive for the betterment of
Albuquerque and beyond.
From his grandparents, none of whom made it past eighth grade, Tim learned the importance of hard work, discipline, family, and community. His grandparents, cognizant of their lack of education, passed on a thirst for learning to Tim's parents, both teachers who believed that education marks a pathway to a better life. Tim studied international business at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland, received his BBA in Entrepreneurial Studies and his MBA in Marketing and Finance from the Anderson School of Management.
Tim took the skills he'd learned from his family and education and translated them into
business success and proactive altruism. He is the CFO of the Rio Grande Community
Development Corporation, focused on developing community health and economic vitality. He
cofounded Net Impact, a green business group, and served on the board of One Million Bones,
a collaborative art installation that recognizes the victims and survivors killed or
displaced by ongoing genocides in Sudan, Democratic Republic of Congo, and Burma. He also
served as the organizer for the 2010 TEDxABQ conference, showcasing 18 New Mexicans in an
all-day conference with 320 local attendees and over 40,000 online viewers. He was recently
nominated to the Anderson School of Management Hall of Fame, considers the Anderson School
instrumental in formulating his character, and strongly believes in helping and inspiring
people to make a difference in the world.
Written by Alexandria Solt and interviewed by Laura Kelley.
MBA 2007
BBA 2003
Justine Meehan credits the Anderson School of Management with providing her with courses,
opportunities, and values that she parlayed into her professional career. She is particularly
thankful for her experience in the MBA program, which not only expanded upon the knowledge and
insights she gained as an undergrad at Anderson, but also afforded her chances to apply that
learning to real-life situations. She was also happy to be able to attend school at night while
simultaneously working full-time at Wells Fargo Bank.
Justine lives by the motto "It's not the will to succeed, but the will to prepare for success that makes the difference." While a teller at Wells Fargo, she completed her undergraduate degree in Finance and wanted to advance with the company, but there were no open positions that suited her qualifications. Undeterred and wisely choosing to focus on her long-term objectives, she remained in frequent contact with the hiring manager until an appropriate position was posted. Later, he confided that her tenacity was one of the reasons he hired her.
In her free time, Justine serves on the board of directors for Casa Esperanza, which provides housing and emotional support for cancer patients who reside temporarily in Albuquerque while receiving treatment. Her passion for the organization's mission and vision enables her to see the direct impact on individuals in the community.
Written by Alexandria Solt and interviewed by Laura Kelley.
MBA 2000
Some of Brett Hills' passions are food, real estate, and skiing,
not necessarily in that order! His life-long love of skiing is a
legacy from his parents, Philadelphia entrepreneurs whose enthusiasm
for skiing and the rugged beauty of northern New Mexico eventually
led them to reside in Taos. Realizing that professional skiing wasn't
in the cards for him, Brett attended UNM, achieving his MBA from
Anderson School of Management in 2000.
That same year, Brett founded 999Dine.com, Inc., a site that generates
e-commerce solutions and marketing services for restaurants locally,
regionally, and nationally. Building a strong network of restaurant
relationships has allowed Brett to navigate through a challenging economy.
Brett's love of food also garnered him a spot on KASA's New Mexico Style,
where he created delectable Granola Encrusted Cinnamon Raisin French Toast
and Green Chile Egg Cups in Prosciutto.
In 2007 Brett joined Maestas and Ward Commercial Real Estate as an Advisor,
specializing in Landlord representation. He has successfully sold and leased
retail space in shopping centers ranging from neighborhood and grocery anchored
centers to pad sites and stand-alone buildings. He was awarded "Outstanding
Team Player" by his peers in 2008 and 2009.
Brett's watchwords are passion, enthusiasm, and sincerity. He applies all three in his business and everyday life, shares the lessons he's learned as a motivational speaker, and gives back to the community with his involvement with the nonprofit children's home El Ranchito de los Ninos.
Written by Alexandria Solt and interviewed by Laura Kelley.
EMBA 1987
During his time at Anderson Tom says he made lasting friendships
and he especially liked the EMBA hours because they allowed him to
get great parking on campus! Tom is a big fan of the Lobos and
enjoys attending various UNM athletic sporting events from football
to soccer. He says when his three boys were growing up they played
all types of sports and now the whole family enjoys rooting for the
Lobos. Tom's wife Debra is also a graduate of UNM and their oldest
son is currently attending UNM.
Today, Tom is CEO of Klinger Constructors where he worked his way up from a project engineer in 1981. He credits his success to his ability to multitask and work on multiple projects at the same time. Tom also feels obtaining his Masters from the Anderson School has been integral to his career and given him the necessary tools to successfully lead Klinger. During his spare time he enjoys carpentry and just recently completed a three year project on a "contemporary coyote fence."
Tom's advice to recent graduates is to have passion. He says know what you want to do with your life, go for it, work hard for good people, and good things will happen! He encourages everyone to have fun, and if you do that, he says all other things will come your way.
MBA 2002, 2006 Young Alumni Award Recipient
Alice is the founder and executive director of Social Venture
Partners, a group of 25 civic and business leaders who contributed more
than $150,000 to non-profit organizations dedicated to eradicating
generational poverty. Previously, she taught social entrepreneurship
classes at the Anderson School and founded the UNM chapter of Women
Excelling in Business.
MBA 2008, 2009 Young Alumni Award Recipient
Jason Burns put his degrees to good use as an entrepreneur and founder of
Recapturing Vehicles, a mobile auto detailing business he
established in 2005. Jason has been featured in several newspapers
and magazines and received the PNM Entrepreneurial Leadership
Award for the Emerging Entrepreneur of the Year in 2006. Jason is
the co-chair of the ACCION New Mexico mentorship program and a
founding member of ACCION's Venturers Program. Though he
received a BBA in 2006 and an MBA in 2008 from the Anderson
School of Management, Jason returned to school this year to
complete the Entrepreneurial Excelerator Program.
The Alumni Network will gladly publicize Anderson alumni in the news. If you know of Anderson alumni who have made the news and would like that information included in Anderson communications, please forward that information to the Anderson Marketing Officer, Leslie Venzuela. Be sure to include a recent bio, photo, along with an explanation of why that alumnus or alumna would make a good Alumni Profile candidate.
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