The New Mexico Open Elections Strengthening Democracy Town Hall strikes again! Save the date for Monday, November 6th at 6:00 pm for a conversation all things Redistricting. Join us to learn about the state of and future possibilities for redistricting here in New Mexico. This session will be led by NMOE Board Member and Fair Districts New Mexico Project Coordinator, Kathleen Burke. We will also be joined by Representative Natalie Figueroa, Professor and Journalist Gwyneth Doland, and Redistricting Advocate Mary Henrie Smith. We hope you can join us for this exciting conversation!

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Featured in this Town Hall are:

NMOE Vice President Kathleen Burke: 

Kathleen Burke is an independent consultant and organizer in New Mexico, USA where she is a coordinator for Fair Districts for New Mexico, a project of the League of Women Voters of New Mexico. She has been a leader in human trafficking prevention and advocacy for sex trafficking survivors in New Mexico as a member of the New Mexico Attorney General's Human Trafficking Task Force and formerly Albuquerque’s Southeast Area Community Policing Council. Today her advocacy is primarily carried out at the New Mexico Legislature and among environmental scientists.

Kathleen was a National Delegate for Bernie Sanders at the Democratic National Convention of 2016 and an official observer to the 2022 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP 27) in Sharm El-Sheik, Egypt. As a committed and high-profile organizer in New Mexico, Kathleen places a high priority upon issues of fairness in elections for all voters, as well as public health and the environment.

Gwyneth Doland, Professor and Journalist:

Gwyneth Doland is Professor of Practice in Journalism at the University of New Mexico and senior political correspondent at New Mexico PBS. Gwyneth has been a journalist for nearly 25 years, working in newspapers, magazines, television, radio and online. She was previously the executive director of the New Mexico Foundation for Open Government. Gwyneth was a founder of the Society of Professional Journalists, Rio Grande Chapter and now serves on the executive committee of the Journalism and Women Symposium. Her report on government accountability for the Center for Public Integrity was a finalist for the Goldsmith Prize from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government. Her work has been honored with a First Amendment Award from ACLU-NM as well as awards from SPJ, the National Federation of Press Women, the Association for Alternative Newsweeklies, the International Regional Magazine Association and the New Mexico Broadcasters Association.

State Representative Natalie Figueroa: 

In addition to being a state representative, Natalie FIgueroa is a Spanish teacher at Volcano Vista High School with a passion for serving others. The daughter (and granddaughter) of teachers, she finds joy in working with young people and has a deep love of the Spanish language.

An innovative educator who has been awarded grants and scholarships in three states, Natalie has also served as a mentor teacher for the University of New Mexico’s School of Education, helping to train the next generation of teachers. She is involved in numerous professional organizations, serving in leadership roles statewide and nationally.

Natalie is also a lifelong Christian devoted to community service. In addition to work in Albuquerque with the Storehouse, the Asbury Pie Café, and assisting with tax preparation for the elderly, Natalie has worked on service projects in Nicaragua, Tanzania, and Costa Rica.

Natalie has been married to Rafael Figueroa, a college adviser, for 32 years.

Marie Henrie Smith, Redistricting Advocate:

Mary is an attorney, having worked in both the private and public sectors for over 35 years, practicing environmental law, appellate law, elder law, administrative law and adult guardianship.

In retirement from income-producing work, Mary has been immersed in civil legal services for low- and middle-income New Mexicans, adult guardianship reform, open government advocacy and with various League of Women Voters projects that encourage informed and engaged voters, including fair redistricting efforts, the written Voter Guide and www.Vote411.org, coordinating candidate forums, and the ongoing study of the Qualifications and Selection of Judges of the Lower Courts.