The NMCIC Team
Beth Beloff
Chief Executive Officer
Beth Beloff is Founder and CEO of the New Mexico Climate Investment Center (NMCIC) and has more than 30 years of experience advancing sustainability and climate solutions. She has founded and led several influential organizations, including BRIDGES to Sustainability, the Institute for Corporate Environmental Management at the University of Houston, and served as Project Lead for the Global Commons Project of the National Academy of Sciences and the Houston Advanced Research Center.
From 2015–2018, Beth chaired the Santa Fe Sustainability Commission, leading the development of the city’s 25-year sustainability and carbon-neutrality plan, adopted in 2018. She has served on Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham’s Environment Transition Team, Mayor Webber’s Advancing Sustainability Working Group, and multiple environmental, climate and water advisory bodies. In 2019, she established the Coalition of Sustainable Communities New Mexico, a coalition of NM local governments committed to advancing sustainability policies and actions, where the vision for NMCIC was developed and realized before its launch as an independent nonprofit organization.
Beth holds degrees from UC Berkeley (BA), UCLA (MArch), and the University of Houston (MBA), is principal author/editor of Transforming Sustainability Strategy into Action, as well as author of numerous papers on sustainability.
Michael Athens
Chief Operating Officer
Mike Athens’ career in banking spans over twenty-three years in lending, operations, and executive leadership. Mike served as President and CEO of Rio Grande Credit Union, where he encouraged the development of innovative products and services for members throughout Bernalillo and Sandoval Counties. Prior to serving as CEO, Mike held the position, at RGCU, of Vice President of Operations. He has held other notable leadership positions such as Vice President of Association Services at the Credit Union Association of New Mexico, Senior Vice President and Loan Administrator at the Bank of Belen, and Vice President of Government Lending Products at Bank of America, to name a few. Mike holds a BA in Chemistry and Math from the University of New Mexico and an MBA from the University of Phoenix. Mike also serves on the board of a number of nonprofits, including Prosperity Works and the Albuquerque Women’s Housing Coalition.
Emily Leveille
Chief Investment Officer
Prior to NMCIC, Emily was with Thornburg Investment Management for four years, where she was portfolio manager for international and global growth strategies, focusing on fundamental research of publicly listed companies globally to make investment decisions for the fund. Before Thornburg, Emily spent a decade investing in emerging market equities at Nordea in Copenhagen, Denmark and Ashmore EMM in Washington, DC. Emily is a co-founder of the Canyon Road Summer Walk in Santa Fe, and she sits on the development committee of the Santa Fe Farmers Market Institute. While living in DC, Emily was the Chair of the Junior Board and a board member for an education non-profit New Futures. Emily holds a BA in Politics from New York University and is a CFA Charterholder. She has two children and lives in Santa Fe, NM where she loves to hike, ski, and backpack.
Janet Pacheco-Morton
CPA, CGFM, Morton Accounting, LLC, NMCIC Outsource CFO and Accountant
Morton Accounting, LLC (MAS) is a full-service, New Mexico-owned Certified Public Accounting firm. The MAS team has been helping organizations create, maintain and improve financial and operational systems for over 25 years, providing accounting, assurance and financial reporting solutions that create opportunities for organizations to grow, achieve sound financial management and comply with complex regulatory requirements. The key MAS team members, consisting of Janet Pacheco-Morton, CPA, CGFM, managing principal and Kim Keahbone, senior manager, will be managing the day-to-day financial activities of NMCIC. Janet has 25+ years experience in the public accounting industry, auditing and providing accounting services for state and local government, as well as nonprofit organizations. Kim is retired from the State of New Mexico, having served as Chief Financial Officer for New Mexico Department of Health and New Mexico Energy, Minerals & Natural Resource Department.
NMCIC Board of Director Biographies
Kelly O’Donnell
Chair of the Board
Chief Research and Policy Officer at Homewise
Kelly O’Donnell has over 25 years of experience in New Mexico public finance, having served as a state government official, a UNM research professor, Chief of Research and Policy for a Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) and as a current member of the New Mexico State Investment Council. Founder and President of O’Donnell Economics and Strategy LLC, O’Donnell has also provided economic consulting services to governments, institutions and non-profits in New Mexico and nationwide for the last 15 years. Alongside public finance, O’Donnell’s career has been defined by a commitment to sustainable economic development, having served as Deputy Cabinet Secretary for the State Economic Development Department and Research Director for New Mexico Voices for Children and as Superintendent of the New Mexico Regulation and Licensing department, where she was instrumental in the adoption of the state’s first green building codes. Today she carries that commitment forward as Chief Research and Policy Officer for Homewise. O’Donnell holds a doctorate in economics from UNM.
Ward Hendon
Treasurer
Co-Founder and General Partner of Dangerous Ventures a New Mexico Based Climate Tech Venture Capital Fund
Ward Hendon is the Co-Founder and General Partner of Dangerous Ventures. Backed by the State Investment Council (SIC), Dangerous Ventures is a New Mexico-based climate technology investment fund dedicated to backing companies in our state to build a more resilient future for people and the planet. Prior to his work with Dangerous Ventures, Hendon was a founding team member at Axiom Law, a first-of-its-kind tech-enabled legal services firm that is today an industry-leading player in legal services worldwide. Previously, Hendon served on the Board of Directors of Sierra Nevada Journeys (SNJ), a Nevada-based nonprofit delivering innovative outdoor, science-based education programs for youth, and is currently on the Board of Mount Tamalpais College, a nonprofit organization providing liberal arts education to incarcerated students. Hendon is also a Lecturer at UCLA Anderson School of Business where he teaches entrepreneurship and impact investing from his home in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
Carter Bundy
New Mexico Political and Legislative Director for the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees
Carter Bundy has been the New Mexico Political and Legislative Director for the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) International since 2002. In this capacity, Bundy has been an integral player in significant legislative wins, which includes passing a permanent Public Employee Bargaining Act in 2003, passing state minimum wage law for New Mexicans as lead lobbyist and expert in 2007, securing collective bargaining legislation for home-based child care providers, and achieving bipartisan support to pass “return to work” legislation for New Mexico’s governmental employees in 2024, to name just a few major accomplishments. A lawyer by training, Bundy was also the New Mexico Director of AFL-CIO Election Protection in 2008, and the director of America Coming Together’s New Mexico Voter Protection Program in 2004. Bundy recently served on the State of New Mexico’s Retirement Income Security Task Force and is a current board member of New Mexico Work and Save and serves on the America Votes Steering Committee.
Melia Heimbuck
President and CEO of Credit Union Association of New Mexico
Melia Heimbuck began leading the Credit Union Association of New Mexico as its President & CEO in May 2023. Before taking on this role, Melia led the Association’s legislative, political and regulatory advocacy efforts, assisted member credit unions with all aspects of compliance and risk management, directed education and training programs, and guided governance activities within the Association. Prior to her work with the New Mexico Association, she was the Principal of Risk Management Solutions and Strategic Advisor for CU Solutions Group (CUSG). Previously, Melia spent over 18 years supporting credit unions in Arizona, Colorado, and Wyoming through the Mountain West Credit Union Association (MWCUA). Heimbuck is a licensed attorney in the state of New Mexico.
Brian Lewis
Brian Lewis is Chief Financial Officer of LF Bioenergy, a private equity- and Fortune 15-backed renewable energy company that develops, owns, and operates renewable natural gas projects at dairy farms across the United States. As CFO, Brian is responsible for the company’s overall financial performance and oversees financial strategy, capital planning and financing, tax credit strategy and monetization, and board and investor engagement.
Prior to joining LF Bioenergy, Brian worked at Sun Mountain Capital, a New Mexico-focused private equity firm, where he helped structure and execute more than $200 million in investments and transactions, with a focus on investment analysis, credit diligence, and underwriting. He earned a B.A. in Economics and Physics, cum laude, from Whitman College.
Born and raised in New Mexico, Brian has spent his entire professional career in the state and has a longstanding commitment to its civic and community organizations. He is the former Board Chair and current Finance Committee Chair and Treasurer of Growing Up New Mexico and serves on the board of Santa Fe Preparatory School. He has also held a variety of civic, nonprofit, and for-profit board and advisory roles.
Brian lives in Santa Fe and is an avid fly fisherman and outdoor enthusiast who enjoys exploring New Mexico and the broader Southwest with his wife, son, and two dogs. His professional and community work reflects a particular interest in using finance and investment to advance environmental sustainability, economic opportunity, and strong communities.
Carol Romero-Wirth
Former Santa Fe City Councilor
Attorney
Gabriel Pacyniak
Gabe Pacyniak is a Professor of Law at the University of New Mexico and also serves as a co-supervisor of the Natural Resources and Environmental Law (NREL) clinic, which provides law and policy representation to low-income and underserved communities on a broad range of issues. Gabe has also served as the Director of the Law School’s Natural Resources and Environmental Law Program and as co-convenor of UNM’s Just Transition to Green Energy Grand Challenge.
Prior to joining the UNM faculty in August 2017, Gabe managed the climate change mitigation program at the Georgetown Climate Center. He has served on the Albuquerque Energy Board, the New Mexico State Climate Change Task Force Technical Advisory Group, and the New Mexico Methane Advisory Panel. He holds a J.D., cum laude, from Georgetown University School of Law and a B.A. in philosophy from the New College of Florida.
Marty Chavez
Martin Chávez is a prominent leader in New Mexico. He served three terms as Mayor of Albuquerque, and five years as a State Senator. Born and raised in New Mexico, he earned a B.A. from the University of New Mexico and a J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center. As Mayor, he spearheaded major initiatives including the San Juan/Chama river project, the largest such initiative in the history of New Mexico. He founded the Albuquerque Institute of Math and Science (AIMS) at UNM, the number one public school in New Mexico for math, science and reading. As a State Senator, he sponsored the N.M. Forest Relief Act that has planted trees across the State and early voting which remains the law today. Under his leadership, Albuquerque was recognized as the number one city in the nation addressing climate change. After leaving elected office, Chavez served in Washington, D.C. as Executive Director of ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability USA, the U.S. arm of a global NGO. At the time, ICLEI developed all of the climate action plans and sustainability plans for cities across America. He is a past member of the Board of Directors of American Rivers and the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Foundation (MALDEF), the largest Hispanic Civil Rights organization in the country.
Maxine Paul
VP Sustainable Development, High Water Mark, LLC
For the last 15 years Maxine has worked to build the clean energy economy, mitigate pollution, and strengthen local institutions across New Mexico. She joined High Water Mark in 2025 to assist in the leadership and implementation of the firm’s sustainability strategy and development initiatives. Maxine has developed and managed dozens of projects for tribes, municipalities, and state government including climate action plans, greenhouse gas inventories, air quality monitoring, fleet transition analysis, and solar PV installations. She has won over 10 million in infrastructure, renewable energy, and environmental grant funding for local governments. Before joining High Water Mark, Maxine built a decarbonization line of business for Adelante Consulting, Inc. Previously, she stood up the Environmental Division at the Pueblo of Santa Ana. She has volunteered on the New Mexico Recycling and Illegal Dumping Grant Board, the National Tribal Air Association Executive Committee, and the Albuquerque-Bernalillo County Air Quality Control Board. During her tenure as Vice-Chair and subsequently Chair of the board, the Advanced Clean Cars I and II suites of mobile emissions regulations were passed. Maxine’s credentials include a M.W.R. in Water Resources from the University of New Mexico and a B.A. in Environmental Science from Columbia College, Columbia University. She has technical certifications in air quality monitoring, building energy audits, and low carbon fuels program verifying.
Metta Smith
Metta Smith, Chief Credit Officer, is a member of DreamSpring’s executive team, overseeing the organization’s lending program performance while spearheading the development of DreamSpring’s credit culture as the organization has expanded its portfolio. She was selected in 2013 as an Emerging Leaders in Microfinance Fellow by the Aspen Institute’s FIELD program. She joined the DreamSpring team in 2008 as an underwriter after serving as a member of the Take DreamSpring Task Force, an innovative volunteer group of bankers and business development specialists who helped DreamSpring expand lending capabilities into larger loan products. She continues community board service with the New Mexico Climate Investment Center as Treasurer and Finance Committee Chair, and is a member of Accion Opportunity Fund’s New Market Tax Credit Advisory Board and Mission Driven Finance’s Advance New Mexico Advisory Committee. Since taking over leadership of the lending team in 2012, Metta has supported the team’s efforts to grow the loan portfolio from $8 million to $130 million. Prior to DreamSpring, Metta was a banker, specializing in commercial credit analysis at Bank of Albuquerque. She has a Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Engineering from Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri.
NMCIC Partners
Christian Casillas
Executive Director, Coalition of Sustainable Communities New Mexico
Christian was born and raised in Santa Fe and has worked as a consultant on energy policy, renewable energy engineering, sustainable development, and education for close to two decades. Christian has designed and implemented workshops on renewable energy and energy efficiency in the U.S., Nicaragua, India, and multiple countries in Africa. Christian has designed and led community participatory workshops on aspects of energy efficiency, renewable energy, and economic development. He has been the lead author for peer-reviewed papers focusing on energy-access to under-served communities in Science, Climate Policy, and Energy Policy as well as published on community-based participatory processes. His work in New Mexico has included curriculum development for Santa Fe Community College’s smart grid and microgrid training program, designing and teaching energy-related workshops in Santa Fe’s public schools, collaborating on the design of public outreach and engagement for Santa Fe’s 25 Year Sustainability Plan, and he has played an active role advocating for low-income benefits throughout the legislative and rulemaking processes for community solar. Christian was the project manager for Santa Fe’s Solarize campaign to increase access to rooftop solar and energy efficiency, as well as the lead supporting efforts for education and outreach in New Mexico’s nascent community solar program. Christian has a PhD and MS in Energy and Resources from UC Berkeley, an MS in Applied Mathematics from Johns Hopkins, and a BA in Environmental Engineering from Harvard.
Rachel Rosenfelt
Director of Operations and Partnerships, Coalition of Sustainable Communities New Mexico
An Albuquerque native, Rachel is an experienced leader and educator with an extensive background in political organization development, media innovation, and communications strategy. She has led strategic communications work with an expertise in audience development and data-backed results for diverse clients in the non-profit and for-profit world. Previously, Rachel was Creative Director for Verso Books, Executive Producer for Gawker Media, and Publisher and Vice President of the New Republic. Additionally, Rachel was the co-founder, core faculty, and associate director of the first ever graduate-level journalism degree program at the New School For Social Research, Creative Publishing and Critical Journalism (CPCJ), where she taught and developed the program for 6 years. Rachel holds a Bachelor’s degree in English from Barnard College, Columbia University.
Paul Scharfenberger
Executive Director, CCEF and NMCIC Green Bank Business Advisor
As CEO, Paul is responsible for developing and overseeing the Colorado Collaborative Energy Fund’s strategic vision and day-to-day tactical operations. Paul combines a unique and extensive background in traditional finance, operations management, and project management that spans more than 20 years. Paul began his career in investment banking before consciously transitioning to the energy field where he was able to combine his financial acumen with his passion for energy management and sustainability. Since transitioning into the clean energy sector, Paul has developed various public private partnerships that have deployed >$350M towards clean energy projects across the State of Colorado. In addition to a Bachelor of Science (BS) in Finance from Fairfield University in Connecticut, Paul holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) with a focus in Finance and a Master of Science (MS) with a focus in energy policy, markets, and technologies from the University of Colorado at Boulder.