Our Team

FOUNDER & EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Erin Tarica is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with over twenty years of experience working in the field of aging, social services, and program development.  As a caregiver for her mom and other family members, she understands the complexity, struggle, and beauty of providing care for people she loves.  Her dream of building a nonprofit for family caregivers grew from these personal experiences and her career working with those who are ill, aging, dying, and bereaved. Most recently, Erin was the Director of the Jewish Care Program, the Jewish social services for the state of New Mexico.  She has master’s degrees in Social Work and Jewish Communal Service from University of Southern California and Hebrew Union College.

CLIENT CARE DIRECTOR

Bethany Hobbs put herself through school as a professional caregiver. This work informed and evolved into well over a decade of facilitating holistic well-being and meditation programming for older adults and people facing cancer. She holds an intimate understanding of and appreciation for the complexity and deep humanity that caring for one another in this modern era entails. Bethany has a BA from Mills College in Sociology, with an emphasis on Death and Dying studies. She has an MA from Dartington Arts in the UK, where she studied story and poetry.

PROGRAM AND OUTREACH MANAGER

Dana Howarth was born and raised in New Mexico, so she holds deep ties to the community. She has been working in the nonprofit field for almost a decade and has a deep passion for mission-driven work. She previously worked as the Deputy Director of the New Mexico Caregivers Coalition, where she engaged with caregivers across the state. As a family caregiver herself, Dana understands that family caregivers constantly face a balancing act in their lives. She is honored to be a part of FCCNM team as the new Care Navigator/Program Manager. She holds a BA in Family Studies and a MA of Public Administration from the University of New Mexico.

Gwendolyn Blueeyes is a Native from Jemez Pueblo, New Mexico who is currently our Master of Social Work Intern from New Mexico Highlands University. She received her Bachelors of Community Health from New Mexico State University and is currently employed with the University of New Mexico Hospitals. She has ten plus years of experience working with diverse populations in the healthcare setting as a Community Support Worker. Gwendolyn has extensive knowledge of community resources and is interested in working with individuals and their families by understanding their social and emotional needs to help improve their well-being. Gwendolyn enjoys spending time with her family, enjoys being out in nature, reading and gym time as a form of self-care. She is grateful for this opportunity to be part of the Family Caregiver Center of New Mexico and looks forward to meeting and helping individuals gain the tools they need to lead a fulfilling life.

INTAKE COORDINATOR

Bridget is a native of Atlanta, Georgia and has been a resident of Placitas, NM for 34 years. She is a small business owner of Camp Pawsitive in Placitas. Bridget was a family caregiver for her mother for 15 years while she also raised her toddler son. She understands the challenges family caregivers face daily.  She worked at New Mexico Caregivers Coalition as the Receptionist/ Program Assistant, and there she was reacquainted with the caregiver population in New Mexico. Bridget often says “Caregivers are the best people”. She is thrilled to be working as the FCCNM Intake Coordinator, talking with caregivers and making sure they know that they are supported.

Powerful Tools for Caregivers Class Leader

Nell Burrus is a retired bilingual K-12 literacy and second language educator.   She has worked as an adult ESL instructor and has volunteered with a wide variety of community organizations (including the NM Immigrant Law Center and Encuentro) helping support the delivery of advocacy, educational and legal services.  Her passion for supporting caregivers comes from personal experience.  In 2018, she took over the coordination of her father's care, including being his primary caregiver for an extended period.  This experience taught her about the joy and challenges of caring, advocating, and making decisions for a loved one and also about the importance of self-care when taking care of others.   

Powerful Tools for Caregivers Class Leader

Craig Coleman is originally from Amarillo, Texas. He has called New Mexico home for 22 years. He holds a bachelor's degree in Business Administration from the University of Texas-Austin. After a successful career in business, he worked for three years at the Alzheimer's Association-New Mexico Chapter. In this role, Craig taught evidenced based classes, facilitated caregiver support groups and held one-on-one care consultations. He enjoys skiing, hiking and travel of all kinds.

Powerful Tools for Caregivers Class Leader, Caregiver Support Group Facilitator

Born and raised in Bogotá, Colombia, Susana trained as a dentist. Her passion for addressing health inequalities and social justice led her to the U.S., where she earned a Master of Public Health and is currently pursuing a PhD in Sociology at the University of New Mexico. Susana has taught numerous university classes, and coordinated and facilitated programs for newcomer adults, teens, and children to support their well-being. Her dedication to supporting caregivers stems from her work with immigrant women with breast cancer and their support networks, inspiring her continued commitment to her community. Besides her academic and community work, Susana enjoys cooking, nature walks with her dog, Mocha, and spending time with her family and friends.

Powerful Tools for Caregivers Class Leader

Cynthia Florence was born and raised in New Mexico. She received her bachelor’s degree in education from the University of Arizona and taught for four years at an alternative private school in Tucson. She then returned to NM, where for the next 26 years she worked for Albuquerque Public Schools as a kindergarten teacher and a reading teacher. During her teaching career she volunteered with the Albuquerque Teachers Federation as the union representative at her school, and briefly as a member of the board. After retiring from teaching in 2014, she joined the staff at The Grief Center in Albuquerque as Program Coordinator, where she had been volunteering as a co-facilitator in a children's grief group. Since retiring, she volunteers at The Grief Center with special events and new volunteer training. Her passion for helping family caregivers stems from her own experience caring for her grandmother and more recently for her mother.

Powerful Tools for Caregivers Class Leader

Mayra Gabaldon is a housewife and mother of two. She is an entrepreneur and always ready to learn. Since moving to Albuquerque 12 years ago, she has had the opportunity to work with vulnerable people in need of support. As a participant of the Powerful Tools for Caregivers course, Mayra learned that sometimes being not OK is OK. Mayra now brings her skills and talents to help other caregivers with these incredible tools.

Powerful Tools for Caregivers Class Leader

Susan Lieberman Minkus is originally from the Chicago area. She has called New Mexico home for 20 years. She holds a bachelor’s degree in social work from Northeastern Illinois University. She worked for Council for Jewish Elderly and Jewish Family Services, where she advocated for and supported seniors and Holocaust survivors in the community. She is a mom, a music lover, and a bird watcher. She loves being with her family, friends, and her dog Molly.

Powerful Tools for Caregivers Class Leader, Caregiver Support Group Facilitator

Pam Rahmings is originally from Philadelphia. She has spent over 30 years in New Mexico, building a rich background in psychology and counseling. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Carleton College, followed by a Master’s in Psychology from Naropa University, and a Master’s in Counseling from UNM. As a volunteer, her work with The Grief Center included roles as a facilitator and a member of the Facilitator Training and Support Committee. Currently, she serves as a counselor with Umoja Wellness. For hobbies, she enjoys sewing, hiking, and gardening. Her passion for supporting family caregivers is deeply personal, inspired by her own experience of caring for her grandmother.

Powerful Tools for Caregivers Class Leader, Caregiver Support Group Facilitator

Pamela Stafford is originally from California.  She has lived in New Mexico since 1987.  As the younger sibling of a sister with disabilities, Pamela has been involved in disability issues and caregiving needs her whole life.  Pamela has a Bachelor of Arts from California State University, Fullerton in American Studies with an emphasis in minority groups and sub-cultures and a Master of Arts from the University of Wyoming in American Studes where she specialized in history and rhetoric of socio-political movements.  Professionally, Pamela started has spent most of her career in services to the DD Waiver community where she specialized in community inclusion services before moving into quality assurance, training and public policy advocacy.  Pamela Stafford now contracts for several organizations including the Developmental Disabilities Council where she serves as Statewide Self-Advocate Support and the Strategic Alliance Team Facilitator for a project on Bridging Aging and Disability Networks.