Board of Directors
The role of the Board of Directors is to set strategic policy for the Chorus, handle fiscal matters, review and hire staff and contractors and perform long-range planning.
Jerry MatthewsPresident
Currently in his ninth season on the NMGMC Board of Directors, Jerry Matthews brings over 30 years of experience in advertising, marketing, and public relations working for advertising agencies, a startup and in-house on both account and creative development. He currently serves as Director of Client Success for Sunny505, the state’s largest PR/Marketing firm. Jerry is a graduate of the Leadership Albuquerque program through the Albuquerque Chamber of Commerce, served as VP of Communications for the New Mexico chapter of the American Marketing Association (2019-2023), was named Account Executive of the Year (2020) by the American Advertising Federation of New Mexico, and was appointed by the Albuquerque mayor as a Member-at-Large board member for the Urban Enhancement Trust Fund. He also recently joined the Advisory Board for the Albuquerque Community Foundation’s Pride Circle. Jerry has a Master's in Advertising from the Portfolio Center in Atlanta, and a B.A. in Public Relations from Texas Tech University.
Outside of work, Jerry is passionate about supporting the local arts community and has performed locally with Quintessence, Opera Southwest, and the NM Gay Men's Chorus. He has also performed at Carnegie Hall, the Sydney Opera House, and the Crystal Cathedral. |
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Jay MortensenSecretary
Community Outreach Coordinator Jay came to New Mexico in 1982 and began a career spanning 31 years in public education. His first retirement was in 2013 after an eight-year stint as the Superintendent of Mountainair Public Schools. Prior to that, he worked as a teacher, principal, human resources director, and assistant superintendent in the Four Corners. Upon retirement, Jay served on the governing council at Cottonwood Classical Academy, a charter high school in Albuquerque.
Six months into retirement Jay returned to full-time employment as the Player’s Club and Box Office Manager at Sandia Resort and Casino for eight years. Jay is married to Stan Jossell, Commander, USN (retired). He has three adult children and three grandchildren. Jay and Stan love to travel domestically and internationally, taking their two rescue dogs with them whenever possible. Jay joined the New Mexico Gay Men’s Chorus as a singing member in 2013. Jay and Stan both continue a history of public service by serving as poll workers for Sandoval County, and they also serve as substitute teachers for Rio Rancho Public Schools. |
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Brent CareyTreasurer
Business Administrator Brent Carey joined the chorus in the spring of 2016 as its first business manager. He joined the board and became treasurer in July of the same year. Over the years, his role has grown into being Administrative & Finance Director.
Brent founded Financial Strategy Group, Inc., with Susan Buchroeder in 2003, bringing more than ten years’ experience in business valuation and financial consulting to the firm. Previously, he directed business valuation services at two Albuquerque accounting firms, Neff + Ricci LLP (now Moss-Adams), and Pulakos & Alongi, Ltd. (now Pulakos CPAs). In addition to business valuation, his areas of expertise include complex financial analysis & management, and business planning. He holds the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation from the CFA Institute and is an Accredited Senior Appraiser (ASA) in Business Valuation with the American Society of Appraisers. Prior to entering the financial consulting field, Brent was in the banking industry for eight years. He directed investments and funds management for United New Mexico Bank (now Wells Fargo) after having previously advanced to executive vice president and chief operating officer of New Mexico Federal Savings and Loan Association over a five-year period. Brent earned a Bachelor’s Degree with honors in economics from Johns Hopkins University and an MBA in finance from the Jesse H. Jones Graduate School of Business at Rice University, where he was named a William Howard Keenan Fellow and a Jones Scholar. While completing his MBA, he received the Financial Executives Institute Academic Award and was the First Place Graduate Scholarship Award winner in the Houston Society of Financial Analysts annual competition. A 1994 graduate of Leadership Albuquerque, Brent has been active on several committees of the Greater Albuquerque Chamber of Commerce, including helping develop and serving as the initial chair of the Youth Leadership program. He has served on the Board of Trustees at Albuquerque Academy and as president of the Albuquerque Academy Alumni Association. He was a longtime member of the National Alumni Schools Committee for Johns Hopkins University. |
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Mario ValenciaVice Chair
As Mario embarks on his second year as Board Vice Chair, he is excited for what the 44th Season of The New Mexico Gay Men's Chorus has in store. Mario Valencia, born and raised in historic Bernalillo, New Mexico, was introduced to music and cultural relevance early on. Attending primary and high school in Bernalillo, then continuing his education at the University of New Mexico, Mario was enthralled with the majesty and grandeur of the Middle Rio Grande Valley. Mario began his career interning at Intel, in Rio Rancho, then spent 16 years in sales, marketing and sales management in Albuquerque. For 7 years, Mario has worked in the insurance industry, utilizing his extensive sales and management background in helping New Mexican's make sound financial decisions.
Mario is a big proponent of music and particularly the arts in New Mexico. Drawing from his Hispanic upbringing, he is fond of Spanish music, dance and folklore. Mario has sung with his church choir, in Bernalillo, for the past 10 years and 3 seasons with NMGMC, including singing at the 2024 GALA Choruses Music Festival in Minneapolis. In addition to singing with NMGMC, Mario is also the Vice President of Chorus Membership. Mario has also performed with Opera Southwest, in Albuquerque and previously held a leadership position with the New Mexico Gay Rodeo Association. |
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Paul AnwayMember at Large
Paul Anway was first introduced to the joy and excitement of singing in a gay men’s chorus in Tampa Florida in the late 1980’s. It was a powerful part of his coming out and he cherishes the memories of those days. He was ordained in Metropolitan Community Church in 1998 and served as an MCC pastor for 10 years, most of that time in Tallahassee Florida. in 2018, through a series of fortunate and unfortunate circumstances he transitioned into the role of Hospice Chaplain, a position he has held to this day. In 2015 he moved to New Mexico to be closer to family, that December he saw the New Mexico Gay Men’s chorus for the first time and decided to join them. He served on the Board of Directors for a few years and then took a break. In December of 2022 he came back for the production of “Scrouge”. In July 2024 he was instrumental in organizing the NMGMC’s participation in the Gala Festival in Minneapolis. Currently, he is employed as a chaplain with Presbyterian Hospice and as the Director of Spiritual Development with Metropolitan Community church of Albuquerque. He shares a home with his sister and his canine doorbell, Tyler; he enjoys Pina Coladas and long walks on the beach. No, that’s not quite right, just the Pina Colada part is spot on.
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Cathy Callow-HeusserMember
Cathy Callow-Heusser is an educator, evaluator/statistician, and software engineer. More importantly, she's a mom, grandma, partner and ally. Cathy has numerous LGBQ family members. However, it was her many students in Utah--mostly raised in the LDS church--who ended or attempted to end their lives that drove her to become involved in volunteer work with LGBT youth. While in Utah, she was actively engaged with Equality Utah, LoveLoud events, homeless LGBT youth efforts, and legislative lobbying. After returning to her home state of New Mexico in 2019 and surviving the pandemic, Cathy is ready to step back into volunteer work at the Transgender Resource Center and with the Gay Men's Chorus.
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Rachel O'ConnorMember
Rachel OConnor is the Principle owner of Rachel OConnor and Associates, LLC. Prior to that she was the Director of the Community Services Department in Santa Fe County. During the Richardson Administration Rachel served as a Policy Advisor to the Governor on alcohol related issues and has worked extensively both in New Mexico and nationally to develop services for people with brain injuries and behavioral health challenges. She has a Master’s in Public Administration from the University of New Mexico. She originally is from Gallup, New Mexico and now lives in Placitas.
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Tim JacksonMember
Tim Jackson works for Blue Cross and Blue Shield of New Mexico. He is a gay man who loves music and has a passion to be a part of the community and try to make a difference. As an outgoing individual, he’s happy to talk to anyone and when it is something that be believes in – this passion can be infectious.
Tim brings a lot of experience to the table for this board. WIth over 15 years of sales experience in a wide range of products and services, Tim can make things make sense when speaking to potential donors. He’s also adept at coordinating volunteers for events from Blue Cross as part of their community volunteer program. With a background in non-profits and art, Tim has worked with Tryon Arts and Crafts in North Carolina doing volunteer work and set up for events. He has also served as a board member on local projects and local non-profits. Tim has experience as a member of various choruses, chamber singers, and performed in All State Music Festival. Tim is honored to be working with the NMGMC board and to play a part in supporting the music and gay community. |
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Michelle GrahamMember
Michelle Graham moved to New Mexico nearly a decade ago. She received her Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry/Molecular Biology in 2011 from Wittenberg University in Ohio and her Master of Science in Forensic Genetics in 2015 from the University of North Texas Health Science Center in Fort Worth. She has lived all across the country having been born in New Jersey with her military parents then stationed in Oklahoma before retiring their family in Ohio. A life-long passion for science and her dedication to helping those around her led her to a career in public service, starting as a Forensic DNA Analyst at the New Mexico Department of Public Safety in 2015. In 2020, she transitioned to the New Mexico DNA Identification System Administrative Center as the Alternate State CODIS Administrator. Most recently, she became the NMDIS Technical Leader in 2023 and the State CODIS Administrator in 2024. When not at work, she spends her time running races of varying distances, reading books, listening to podcasts, and enjoying time with her husband and pets. She is excited to bring the same enthusiasm, energy, and dedication to the NMGMC Board of Directors.
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Wendy JohnsonMember
Wendy has over 30 years of experience in victim advocacy, crisis counseling, crisis intervention and investigations. She currently serves as a Prevention Specialist in Santa Fe Counties Community Services Department providing prevention education in elementary and middle schools. Before moving to NM Wendy was elected president of the Ohio Victim/Witness Association and was appointed to the State Victim Advisory Board and the Ohio Parole Board Victims Justice Panel by Governor Mike DeWine. She was a founding member of the Ohio Crisis Response Team and was deployed to NYC after the attacks on 9-11-01.
Wendy has a Master’s Degree in Education from Kent State University and a BA in Psychology from Grove City College. She is way too proud to be the only female singing member of NMGMC and relishes her role as chorus mom/sister/daughter. She cannot wait to be able to retire to spend more time with her husband Don. |
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John SheltonMember
John Shelton is a native Burqueno and is a graduate of the University of New Mexico. He has spent the last 35 years of his professional career in medical finance administration before retiring, and now is a substitute teacher. John has been performing since childhood. Some of John’s artistic highlights include a guest appearance on Grizzly Adams, singing with Barry Manilow, and the rock band Foreigner. John has been a member New Mexico Gay Men’s Chorus since 2010, and not only serves on the NMGMC board, but also on the Board of Musical Theater Southwest as Treasurer. John enjoys travel, musical theater, fashion, Reality TV, and design.
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Frank RenzMember
Francis J. (Frank) Renz has spent over 45 years primarily in higher education, specifically in community colleges. He has worked in increasingly responsible positions across community colleges in Texas and New Mexico, starting as a counselor/instructor and advancing to dean. At the state level, he served as the founding Executive Director of the New Mexico Association of Community Colleges for 15 years, managing a board of community college CEOs and advocating for funding and legislative initiatives on their behalf before retiring from the state in 2006. Following this, Renz was recruited to become a student success Leadership Coach for national initiatives, including Achieving the Dream for another 13 years and Caring Campus for an additional 2 years. He earned his PhD in Educational Administration from the University of Texas at Austin, a Master's in Psychology from Villanova University, and a Bachelor's in Psychology from Saint Joseph’s College.On a personal level, Renz was born and raised in Philadelphia to German immigrants. He served in the Army and is a Vietnam Era veteran. Additionally, he became a certified ski instructor and taught skiing part-time at various resorts. Renz has been with his husband, Randy, for nearly 43 years and was among the first couples to be legally married when the state approved same-sex marriage on August 23, 2013. He enjoys hiking with his dog and, now that he is retired, is exploring other avocational interests such as baking/cooking, gardening/landscaping, singing in a male choral group, and traveling. Upon fully retiring, Renz is also interested in giving back through volunteering and board service.Having sung in his college glee club and performed in various community theater events, singing became a priority again after retiring from his successful career. He recalled the joy it brought him and others during his youth, prompting him to join the New Mexico Gay Men's Chorus (NMGMC) in 2019 as a chorus member. He is now interested in helping strengthen the organization and expand its reach through board service.
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Michel LegérChorus President, Ex-officio Member
Michel Léger moved to New Mexico with his spouse in April of 2015. He joined the NMGMC as a singing member in January of 2017, and has not missed a Concert Season since. Singing is a passion, along with Literature and Psychotherapy, which has been his professional identity since January 2001.
Michel completed his Dissertation, entitled “The Scrooge in the Closet: Homoerotic Tropes in the Novels of Charles Dickens,” at the University of Notre Dame, and defended it in January of 1992. In 1998 he began a second Master’s Degree program at the University of North Texas, and completed a Master of Science in Education with a concentration in Counseling, in 2000. In the early 2000s, Michel served as a Trustee and as Chair of the Board of Trustees at Paint Branch Unitarian-Universalist Church in Adelphi, Maryland, honing skills and gaining experience in public presentation, facilitative leadership, and consensus building. Michel served in the role of Vice President for Membership of the New Mexico Gay Men’s Chorus from the Autumn of 2021 through June of 2023, the second year overlapping with his first year as a member of the Board. In the past year, as President of the Chorus, he has continued to contribute to Board decisions and supported the Chorus in both roles in its planning and preparation for GALA, 2024. Michel continues intentionally to support the Chorus’ commitment to the overall health and well-being of its members, and of the community. As the Chorus prepares for another year of inspired performances under Aaron Howe, including a southern New Mexico tour with the music of Andrew Lippa (“The Unbreakable Harvey Milk,” a combined performance of “Unbreakable” and “I am Harvey Milk”), Michel enthusiastically continues service to the Chorus as its President, and to the Board of the New Mexico Gay Men’s Chorus as ex officio member. |
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