OUR BOard of directors
Vicki Wheatley
President
Vicki is a member of the American Health Information Association (AHIMA) and the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS). She volunteers in professional and community organizations. In addition to serving on Ethos Literacy's Board, Vicki serves on the Board of the AHIMA Foundation, as a member of the AHIMA Foundation Finance Committee. She holds a B.S. in Medical Record Administration from the University of Illinois, and an M.S in Management and Administrative Sciences from the University of Texas at Dallas. Vicki lives with her husband and a 13-year-old rescue dog near Albuquerque, where she enjoys beautiful views of the mountains and fantastic New Mexico sunsets.
Uriah Cachora
President Elect, FY 24-25
Uriah serves as the Assistant Vice President, Community Development in NM & AZ for Enterprise Bank & Trust. She joined Enterprise in 2018 as a Loan Documenter. She has 10 years of experience working with the Native American Community to provide financial wellness, and is responsible for creating relationships as well as providing financial education to the Native American communities. In 2018, she graduated with an Accounting Specialist Certificate and is a part of The National Society of Leadership and Success. Uriah has actively been participating with Oweesta’s Building Native Communities and Financial Empowerment for Teens and Young Adults training programs, that enable her to provide financial education on tribal reservations, while also creating new relationships with the Tribal Communities in New Mexico and Arizona. Additionally, Uriah serves on two boards and a Development Committee. As she enjoys assisting her communities and improving the lives of others. While being a full time mom and serving as a representative for her tribe and as a bank representative.
Miranda Jijana
Treasurer
Miranda brings over a decade of experience in public accounting. As a CPA with a rich background spanning auditing, tax advising, and consulting, she is currently affiliated with Your-Part Time Controller, LLC, a professional services firm dedicated to nonprofit organizations. Miranda has a passion for reading and is a devoted mother of three who has instilled a love of learning within her own family.
Margaret Barker
Past President
Margaret is Ethos Literacy’s Founder. Her literacy journey began in 2001 when she volunteered at the local community college as a reading tutor. There she learned about the great need for adult literacy services in Albuquerque. In 2006, she brought a small group of people together to form a nonprofit to teach reading, writing and ESL to adults. That was Reading Works. Reading Works changed its name in 2021 to Ethos Literacy to reflect our aspiration that literacy become part of our community’s spirit, its ethos. Margaret has received these awards: City of Albuquerque Mayor’s Certificate of Appreciation for Impactful Service; New Mexico Coalition for Literacy Distinguished Service Award; Marietta College Distinguished Alumna Award. In 2017, she represented Reading Works at the Library of Congress when it was named a Best Practices in Literacy Honoree. In 2019, she was a speaker at the ProLiteracy Conference. She is the author of Reading - You Can Do It Too!, a resource to teach phonemic and alphabetic awareness. She is currently tutoring a student at Ethos.
Rosa Estrada
Rosa is an avid reader and has been since childhood. Literacy is important to her because reading has brought her so much enjoyment. Rosa grew up in New Mexico most of her life. She graduated from Belen High School and attended UNM and CNM (TVI at that time) receiving an associate degree and a bachelors degree in nursing. She served in the US Army and Army Reserves, as a medic and nurse, achieving the rank of Staff Sergeant (E-6). Working in the medical field for over 20 years, she has in the last few years had the opportunity to act as a technical advisor for movies and television in the burgeoning NM film industry. Rosa is a lifelong learner and travels as often as possible. Her travels have taken her to five of the seven continents and four of the five oceans. She enjoys New Mexico skies, good food, a wide variety of music, reading, enjoying the outdoors as often as possible, and learning to play the guitar. Rosa is grateful to her parents who instilled in her a love of reading and the outdoors.
Reema Nandy
Originally from Michigan, Reema moved to - and fell in love with - New Mexico as an adult and now considers Albuquerque her home. Professionally, Reema is an attorney who has practiced law in both the public and private sectors. A lifelong reader, Reema has a deep appreciation for the numerous benefits literacy provides and believes literacy should (and can) be an achievable goal for every Bernalillo County community member. In her spare time, Reema spends time exploring New Mexico with her husband, toddler, and two dogs.
Lidia Orozco
Biography will be published here soon.
Stephanie Santillanes
Stephanie’s journey is marked by her commitment to fostering community empowerment and promoting corporate social responsibility. Her potent blend of professional acumen and academic prowess has led to impactful contributions in the non-profit world, with her current position as Corporate Engagement Manager at United Way of North Central New Mexico further solidifying her influence. Stephanie's work is propelled by her unshakeable faith in the transformative power of community engagement. Her talent in nurturing and building relationships has helped countless corporations connect to their communities meaningfully. Her capability to forge powerful partnerships is reflected in her launch of groundbreaking initiatives like the Shared Purpose program at United Way, designed to enable corporate partners to carve out their paths in social responsibility. Her foundational experiences at Roadrunner Food Bank and New Mexico Highlands University honed her skills in stimulating long-term engagement and effective fundraising. Using these insights, she successfully secured corporate sponsorships and cemented bonds with donors, underscoring her prowess in fundraising and corporate engagement. Beyond her professional realm, her involvement with the United Way Change Team, the United Way NoVo Foundation Committee, the Corporate Volunteer Council of New Mexico, and Big Brothers Big Sisters of New Mexico speaks volumes about her dedication to volunteerism and community service. This enthusiasm for uplifting others spills over into her personal life, as she actively supports causes like Ethos Literacy, the Children's Grief Center of New Mexico, Girl Scouts of New Mexico Trails, Camp Enchantment, All Faiths, Future Fund & PRIDE Circle – Albuquerque Community Foundation. In 2022, Stephanie was selected by CEO & President Rodney Punty to attend the United Way Worldwide Fellowship Leadership program. Stephanie was born in Las Vegas, New Mexico, and her deep ties to her homeland shine through her endeavors. After relocating to Albuquerque seven years prior, she embarked on her fundraising journey with United Way of North Central New Mexico, continuously striving to effect positive change in her community. Away from her professional and volunteer endeavors, Stephanie cherishes moments spent with her family in Northern New Mexico, exploring new locales alongside her husband and their pup, Bradley. Stephanie Santillanes' dedication to community engagement, corporate social responsibility, and education positions her as a beacon of social change and an invaluable community pillar. Her passion, specialized skills, and authentic desire to uplift those around her make her an undeniable force within the non-profit sector.
