NMAEA Leadership
The NMAEA Council at Large includes our elected Executive Officers, and our appointed Council Members, including chairs of our partnership student programs, as well as our division representatives and regional coordinators.
Executive Officers
Executive Director:
Michelle Lemons (she/her)
Art Education Consultant
Art Educator, Retired
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Michelle Lemons has been an art teacher for 20 years, and a Mentor Coordinator for 5 years, building support for new teachers. She is a previous president of NMAEA serving 6 years in rotation as elect, president, and past president, during which time she helped establish the 501c3 status with NAEA, funding from the NM Arts Grant, and co-established the NMAEA Professional Awards, NM Scholastic Awards, and YAM Awards. She continued to serve another 5 years as Awards Chair and/or Advocacy Chair. She has served as NAEA Western Region Elementary Director for two terms, as well as the Elementary Division Director for NAEA. She has received the NMAEA Max and Catherine Coll Award, as well as the NAEA Elementary Division Award. She has served on the NM Advisory Council for Arts Education for 12 years. She has a degree in Art and Design from Iowa State, Master in Ed from UNM, and her administrator’s license, with additional marketing and business experience. She has been a member of NMAEA/NAEA since 2008. She is a tireless advocate for art education.
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Contact Michelle at mlemons@newmexicoarteducators.org
President:
Phyllis Roybal (she/her)
Elementary Art Educator, Santa Fe Public Schools
ED&I Chair, NAEA Interest Group: Pubic Policy and Arts Administration
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Phyllis is a native of Santa Fe and has been teaching since 1997. Her family traces back to the Pueblo Revolt. She has had the privilege of living in different parts of NM and has experienced diversity through the traditions, customs, and foods of the different cultures here and around the state. She received her BFA from New Mexico Highlands University in Las Vegas, New Mexico with an emphasis in printmaking and art history and an MFA in education: studio art teaching, from Boston University.
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Presently, Phyllis lives in Santa Fe and teaches art at Piñon Elementary School. She has past experience as an early childhood educator and is a true believer that art is the foundation for successful learning in the 21st Century.
As former membership chair, NAEA delegate for New Mexico since 2004 and President, she feels she has experienced tremendous growth attending and participating in the Western Region Leadership conferences. The experience she has gained will help her continue to represent the association and New Mexico.
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Contact Phyllis at president@newmexicoarteducators.org
President Elect
Nikki Turman​
Secondary Art Educator, Albuquerque Public Schools
NM Scholastic Art Awards Co-Chair
Nikki Turman is an Albuquerque native and holds a B.A.F.A. in Art History and a M.A. in Art Education, both from the University of New Mexico. She has been teaching at Del Norte high school since 2009 and teaches Art I, Painting and Drawing, and the AP Art program and sponsors the DNHS Chapter of the National Art Honor Society. She is the former Membership Chair and continues to raise our secondary teacher membership and bring awareness of the NMAEA throughout the state. Together, with her co-chair Joseph Baca, she committed to bringing the Scholastic Art Awards to the State of New Mexico, and showcasing our students’ work at a National level.
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Contact Nikki at presidentelect@newmexicoarteducators.org
Treasurer:
Belinda Hardin (she/her)
Elementary Arts Administrator, Lovington Public Schools
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Lisa grew up in Stockbridge, Massachusetts. After graduation in 1994 from Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, NY, with a BA in Art History, she moved to New Mexico. In 1999, she received a Masters in Art Education from the University of New Mexico. She has been teaching art in the Albuquerque public school system for twenty-two years. Presently, she teaches Jewelry at Albuquerque High School. She lives in Albuquerque with her daughter Izzy, dog Luna, and two cats, Star and Nova. Eddie, her partner, lives nearby. For Lisa, the visual art electives provide a place for students where they are nurtured & encouraged in a caring educational environment. Author and art educator Joan Erikson once said, “So attuned are our physical senses to the arts that through the ages human beings have stressed an ultimate form of expression unique to each sense: music and poetry became the arts of the ear; the visual arts the aesthetic media of the eye, sculpture and ceramics the arts of touch; dance the experience of motion motivated by the pure enjoyment of the body.” The senses are nourished, expressed, and vitalized by involvement in the arts. The jewelry classroom is a space that supports rich sensory experiences. Lisa strives to create a safe and curious space for her students; filled with joy, play, acceptance and intention. Lisa loves making collages; analog and digital. She also enjoys writing.
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Contact Belinda at treasurer@newmexicoarteducators.org
Secretary (Interim):
Carson Guillory (he/they)
Middle School Art Educator, Farmington Municipal Schools
Carson Guillory is a New Mexico native and has been teaching art to middle schoolers since 2018. Even though he earned a Bachelor of Business Administration from New Mexico Highlands University in 2017, his true passion is in the arts and arts education.
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Contact Carson at secretary@newmexicoarteducators.org
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Divisions Director:
Open Position
TBD
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Membership Director:
Liz Olive (she/her)
Art Educator, V. Sue Cleveland High School, Rio Rancho
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Liz Olive has lived in New Mexico since 2004. She received a Bachelor of Fine Arts from UNM in 2012, and a Masters of Art in Art Education in 2017. She began her teaching career at V. Sue Cleveland High School in 2015, and is still there, teaching several different art classes. Liz lives in Albuquerque, has three cats, and an excellent internet connection.
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ED&I Director:
Amy Tanner
Middle School Art Educator, Farmington Public Schools
Contact Amy at equity@newmexicoarteducators.org
Current Past-President:
Michelle Lemons (she/her)
Retired, NM Art Educator​
Due to duplicate roles, this position is currently recused from finance committee and board vote, a proxy is appointed.
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Contact Justin at pastpresident@newmexicoarteducators.org
Council: Program Chairs
Conference Co-Chair
Camellia Termini
Middle School Art Educator, Albuquerque
Camellia Termini is a visual artist, photographer, and art educator based in Los Lunas, New Mexico. Originally from Silver Spring, Maryland, Camellia received a Master of Arts in Teaching and a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Photography degree, both from the Maryland Institute College of Art. In 2020, Camellia was awarded the Judy Chicago Art Education Award and has been working as an artist and educator for the past 15 years.
Contact Camellia at nmconferencechair@newmexicoarteducators.org
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Professional Awards Chairperson
Vicki Breen
Retired, Art Educator
SEADAE/ NASDAE
Contact Vicki at awards@newmexicoarteducators.org
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Youth Art Month (YAM) Chairperson
Tricia Griffin
Elementary Art Educator, Estancia Public Schools
Tricia Griffin first started teaching through her family’s school at Liberty Ranch Christian School after her graduation in 2007. She pursued a BA in Elementary Education at UNM and was given the chance to teach in Austria for a month through the COE. She started teaching at the Estancia schools in 2015 in SPed and the 4th grade until she had the opportunity to teach art, her true passion, in 2017. She has been a K-6 Art teacher at the Estancia Schools for seven years and is now currently teaching 2nd grade due to unforeseen circumstances. Tricia joined the YAM Chair position in 2023 and has been helping in coordinating the Flag Contest and State Fair Awards. She also does a lot through her own community in coordinating with the Punkin Chunkin and the Torrance County Fair in the promotion of the arts. And by the Mayor’s request, she has started a student oriented mural at their local pool and plans on creating one for their local baseball dugout as well.
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Contact Tricia at nmyam @ newmexicoarteducators.org
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New Mexico Scholastics Art Awards Program, Co-Chair
Joseph Baca (he/him)
Albuquerque Public Schools, Middle School Art Teacher
Born and raised in Albuquerque, New Mexico, Joseph Paul Baca received his Bachelors of Art in Fine Arts with Honors and Master of Arts in Art Education from the University of New Mexico and has been teaching art in public schools for the past eight years. He is a current member of the NMAEA council and a co-chair of the New Mexico Scholastic Art Awards, one of the only state-wide art competitions that highlights the best student artwork from 7th-12th grade. Joseph is also a recent addition to the adjunct faculty of the Art Education Program at the University of New Mexico.
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Contact Joseph at scholastics @ newmexicoarteducators.org
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For more information on this partnership program of student work statewide::
https://newmexicoartawards.wordpress.com/
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New Mexico Scholastics Art Awards Program, Co-Chair
Nikki Turman (she/her)
High School Art Teacher, Albuquerque Public Schools
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Nikki Turman is an Albuquerque native and holds a B.A.F.A. in Art History and a M.A. in Art Education, both from the University of New Mexico. She has been teaching at Del Norte high school since 2009 and teaches Art I, Painting and Drawing, and the AP Art program and sponsors the DNHS Chapter of the National Art Honor Society. She is the former Membership Chair and continues to raise our secondary teacher membership and bring awareness of the NMAEA throughout the state. Together, with her co-chair Joseph Baca, she committed to bringing the Scholastic Art Awards to the State of New Mexico, and showcasing our students’ work at a National level.
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Contact Nikki at scholastics @ newmexicoarteducators.org
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For more information on this partnership program of student work statewide:
https://newmexicoartawards.wordpress.com/
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