
Vicki Wheatley
Co-Chair
Vicki is happily retired, living with her husband and two dogs in the East Mountains near Albuquerque. Vicki loves to learn and explore, and reading and travel have opened her mind to new ideas and new worlds. She believes it is important to give back to her community and to help improve the lives of others. Volunteering with Ethos Literacy provides a way to share her life-long love of books and reading. She also volunteers with the East Mountain Food Pantry and with her neighborhood trails committee. She holds a B.S. in Health Information Management from the University of Illinois, and an M.S in Management and Administrative Sciences from the University of Texas at Dallas. Vicki’s work and volunteer experience, plus the free time that comes with retirement, have allowed her to make a difference in her community.

Margaret Barker
Co-Chair
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.

Laura Cotton
Board Member
Laura and her husband are recent transplants to New Mexico, having been duly enchanted by the state during trips to visit their daughter and son-in-law. Laura grew up in New Jersey, and spent time in Pennsylvania and Ohio before landing in Albuquerque. Although she is a true “Jersey Girl" at heart, New Mexico has quickly come to feel like home, and she feels lucky every day to live in such a beautiful and spiritual place. After more than 15 years in educational administration at Ohio State University, Laura switched careers when she got the opportunity to write full time for Instructure, an educational software company. When her job was sent overseas in 2024, early retirement came knocking, and it provided the opportunity to volunteer for causes she cares about, most notably those that promote literacy. Laura lives in her dream house in Nob Hill with husband Ed and dogs Fez and Millie. They are new grandparents who enjoy travel, particularly to Formula 1 races and baseball games, and going out to listen to live music. There is nothing more critical to living a full and productive life than the ability to read and write. By joining the board, Laura is thrilled to be able to help others achieve their literacy goals.

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.

Reema Nandy
Board Member
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.