Board of Directors
New Mexico Angels has an active volunteer Board of Directors.
Chairman: JT Michelson. President: John J. Chavez.
John J. Chavez
Lem Hunter
Henry A. Kelly
Lisa Kuuttila
Mark Walztoni
Sherman McCorkle
J.T. Michelson.
Deborah Peacock
John R. Rice
David P. Vondle
JOHN J. CHAVEZ
Mr. Chavez is the President of the New Mexico Angels. Mr. Chavez became the President in 2008 Mr. Chavez has been an angel investor since 2003. Mr. Chavez is also the Managing Director of Phase One Ventures, a start-up fund in Santa Fe New Mexico.(http://www.phaseoneventures.com) John J. Chavez is also the President of Tafoya and Brainerd Partners LLC, a nationwide business development consulting firm. Prior to creating Tafoya and Brainerd Partners LLC, Mr. Chavez was appointed by New Mexico Governor Gary Johnson as the Cabinet Secretary of the Taxation and Revenue Department. Mr. Chavez served as Cabinet Secretary for six years and as the President of the Federation of Taxation Administrators for one year.
Mr. Chavez is a Member of the Board of Directors of the University of New Mexico Anderson School Foundation.
Mr. Chavez received the following degrees from New Mexico State University.
Master of Business Administration
Bachelor of Art in Economics
Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance
Email John
505-660-1046
LEMNA J. HUNTER
Lemna Joseph Hunter was born in southern California in 1964. He worked various jobs after high school in the trades and industry before pursuing and engineering degree in 1989. Mr. Hunter graduated from the University of New Mexico with a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering in 1991, and obtained his Professional Engineering License in the State of New Mexico in 2000. In 1993 he founded an engineering consultancy, which has grown into the engineering and manufacturing firm Mechtronic Solutions, Inc. (MSI). MSI is a four time Flying 40 award winner, has twice been awarded the Fast Tracker award, and is a Strategic Supplier to Sandia National Labs. In 2005, as the CEO of MSI, Mr. Hunter received the Maxie Anderson Small Business Person of the Year award. In addition to his work with MSI, Mr. Hunter has participated in four New Mexico based start-ups, including leading the spin-out of Vibrant Corporation from MSI in 2007. He lives with his wife of 11 years, is the proud father of three, serves on the Board of the New Mexico Angels, and sits on the St. Charles Borromeo School’s Parent Advisory Council.
Email Lem
505-314-1488
HANK KELLY
HENRY A. KELLY is a shareholder of Sutin Thayer & Browne, APC, a prominent New Mexico law firm with offices in Albuquerque and Santa Fe, New Mexico. Mr. Kelly practices in the areas of corporate and partnership law, mergers and acquisitions, commercial real estate law, insurance law, and business and individual taxation. Mr. Kelly is listed in Best Lawyers in America, based upon the results of lawyer surveys or polls. Mr. Kelly’s professional service includes membership in the American Bar Association (Member, Standing Committee on Lawyers’ Professional Liability, 1985-1991; Chairman, 1990-1991; Member, Standing Committee on Professional Discipline, 1993-1998; Member, Standing Committee on Lawyer Competence, 1998-1999; Member, Standing Committee on Professionalism, 1999-2002; Member, Standing Committee on Client Protection, 2002-2005; Business Law Section; Real Property, Probate & Trust Section; Taxation Section), State Bar of Texas, State Bar of New Mexico, Member, New Mexico Client Protection Fund Commission, 2006-; Supreme Court of New Mexico Code of Professional Responsibility Committee, 2002 -; Member, SBNM Lawyer’s Professional Liability Committee, 1979-2006; Charter Fellow, Center for Civic Values, f/k/a New Mexico Bar Foundation.
Email Hank
505-883-2500
LISA KUUTTILA
Ms. Kuuttila joined Science and Technology Corporation in 2003 with more than 20 years of leadership experience in technology commercialization and licensing. This includes positions as Assistant Vice President for Technology Commercialization at Purdue Research Foundation; Director, Technology Commercialization, University of Georgia; Director, Office of Technology Commercialization, Center for Advanced Technology Development, Iowa State University. Her prior experience includes a consulting practice that provided strategic marketing and technology transfer consulting services for a wide variety of well-known technology corporations, universities and foundations, including Stanford University. Lisa began her career in industry in several engineering and technology marketing positions.
Ms. Kuuttila has exhibited exceptional skills in the marketing and start-up company aspects of technology commercialization, having significantly increased the number of spin-off companies at each university she has served. She has substantial expertise in university-based equity transactions. She managed the seed capital venture fund on behalf of Purdue Research Foundation, making investments in Purdue start-ups. She has published extensively in her field and has made presentations throughout her career at AUTM, AURRP, the Licensing Executives Society, the Association of University Related Research Parks and other regional and national conferences and forums.
Email Lisa
505-272-7905
Mark Walztoni
Mark Walztoni assists investors and early-stage, turnaround, and rapid growth companies to rapidly recruit, develop, and retain talented leaders and teams.
His experience includes recruiting “mission critical” talent, coaching leaders facing new challenges, and consulting to organizations seeking to increase employee productivity and engagement. He offers clients customized staffing solutions which range from candidate research and full-service executive search to hosting a “private label” career portal where their open positions are posted and candidate credentials are available 24/7 on a password protected online database.
His industry specialties include technology, life sciences, cleantech, professional services, and private equity. Mark is a former state board member of the International Coach Federation and a featured presenter, panelist, and Expert Advisor for the Human Capital Institute’s Comprehensive On-boarding, Merger and Acquisition, and Talent and Career Transition communities.
His professional experience includes global leadership and staffing roles at American Express, Ernst and Young LLP, and Thomson and over ten years supporting founding entrepreneurs as they scaled their technology companies and venture investments. Mark is a certified executive coach and earned his graduate degree in Organizational Psychology from Columbia University
Email Mark
505-466-2965
SHERMAN MCCORKLE
Sherman McCorkle is President and Chief Executive Officer of Technology Ventures Corporation and has served in this capacity since the company’s inception in 1993. He is a founder and Charter Director of New Mexico Bank and Trust. He currently serves on several boards including: National Trustee, United Way of America; National Trustee, National Jewish Medical Research Center; Chairman of the Board, Albuquerque Economic Development; Chairman of the Board Kirtland Partnership Committee; Chairman of the Board, Science and Technology Park Development Corporation and Vice Chair of the Board and Director, Albuquerque Hispano Chamber of Commerce.
He is the recipient of several awards including: Arthur Spiegel Lifetime Achievement Award; The New Mexico Distinguished Public Service Award; Industrial Developer of the Year, New Mexico Industrial Development Executive Association; The Albuquerque People’s Choice Favorite Community Leader Award (1997, 1999 and 2000) and The Martin Luther King Freedom Award to name a few.
Sherman was President and CEO of Sunwest Credit Services Corporation and a founder and Charter Director of Plus System Incorporated, the World’s largest retail electronic banking corporation. He served three years for the American Bankers Association on the Select Committee on the Uniform Commercial Code of the United States. Sherman is an Honors Graduate of the Colorado Graduate School of Banking at the University of Colorado. Active in the outdoors, he is an avid snow skier, speedboat pilot, Harley rider, and marathon runner, and can be found on horseback in the Manzano Mountains. Sherman is married to the former Cathy Weaver and father of two — Ashley (22) and Shelby (17).
Email Sherman
505-246-2882
J.T. MICHELSON
J.T. Michelson is a native New Mexican. He graduated with a BS in Chemical Engineering from UNM and a MBA from Harvard Business School.,
He has been an entrepreneur in New Mexico in three different sectors of the economy for his entire business career. From 1964-80 he was involved in a family business, SunBell Corporation, manufacturing and selling jewelry, moccasins, and copper giftware nationwide to the tourist industry.
Next, from 1981-89 he was an employee of Lovelace Medical Center. First as a Vice President of Planning & Development, then Vice President of the Lovelace Health Plan, and finally Chief Operating Officer of the Medical Center.
In 1989 he purchased Sun Country Industries, an Albuquerque machine shop, Adding systems and technology, Sun Country became a Aerospace Manufacturer to GE Aircraft Engines, Boeing Commercial Aircraft, and Eclipse Aviation. He sold his interest in 2005 and is currently “in between accomplishments”.
Civic activities have included Board memberships at UNM Anderson School Foundation, Lovelace Medical Foundation, National Park Foundation, Manzano Day School, & June Music Festival.
Email J.T.
505-345-2210
DEBORAH PEACOCK
Deborah A. Peacock received her B.S. in Metallurgical Engineering from the Colorado School of Mines in 1978 and her J.D. from Harvard Law School in 1985. Deborah was admitted to the New Mexico Bar in 1985 and the Colorado Bar in 2001. She is a Registered Patent Attorney with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and is also a registered Professional Engineer in New Mexico and Colorado. Since 1988, along with Jeffrey D. Myers, Deborah has headed the largest group of intellectual property attorneys in private practice in New Mexico at Peacock Myers, P.C.
Deborah is a well-known and experienced intellectual property practitioner, and has been so recognized by inclusion in Best Lawyers in America and is AV rated by Martindale-Hubbell (certifications derived from national lawyer survey). Her primary areas of practice include licensing and other intellectual property agreements, intellectual property and business strategies, angel and venture capital investment in technology companies, patents, trademarks, and copyrights (U.S. and international), representing major universities, Sandia National Laboratories, museums, numerous companies, venture capital groups, and individuals for all phases of business and intellectual property work
Prior to practicing law, Deborah worked in the mining industry in the United States and Tasmania (Australia). She was employed as a metallurgical engineer and front-line foreman at several mining and metals processing facilities.
Deborah is past President and on the Board of Explora, and is also on the Boards of the New Mexico Angels, the Association of Commerce and Industry, the International Women’s Forum (New Mexico), and The Nature Conservancy. She has received the prestigious Governor’s Award for Volunteerism, the YWCA “Women on the Move” award, and the New Mexico Business Weekly Power Broker award. Deborah is also a member of the National Society of Professional Engineers, Albuquerque Economic Development, and New Mexico Amigos. She has served as an Advisor to the Technology Ventures Corporation since its inception (15 years). And, in her spare time, Deborah is a percussionist with the Albuquerque Concert Band.
Deborah and her husband, Nate Korn, have invested through the New Mexico Angels and privately, in approximately 10 angel and venture capital deals. Nate keeps saying “Not another one” but then ends up being quite enthusiastic.
Email Deborah
505-998-1501
JOHN R. RICE
John Rice is President of ASiQ, a firm specializing in executing business turnarounds, launching successful startups, and positioning firms for exit through sale to strategic merger or acquisition. He is an experienced serial entrepreneur, executive, and venture capital investor. He frequently serves as CEO of start-up or turnaround ventures. His companies have provided capital and management assistance to start-up and/or under-performing companies and have negotiated spin-offs and sales for investor exit. Successful companies have included enterprises in manufacturing of electronics, jet engine test equipment, black boxes, and industrial overhead cranes, as well as in radio, television, cable television, print media, home health care, electronic medical claims filing, Internet accessible medical information and services, distribution of foods, home improvement products, industrial security, and regional satellite communications. He received his BA with honors from Harvard University.
Email John
505-247-4050
DAVID P. VONDLE
David P. Vondle is an active Angel investor and a serial entrepreneur. Currently, he is the President of Vondle & Associates, Inc., a management consulting firm specializing in the telecommunications, energy and water industries. Previously, he was the founder and developer of Management Technology, Inc., a management consulting firm later sold to Impell Pacific, a joint venture of PacifiCorp and Impell Corporation. Subsequently, he co-founded and developed AUC Management Consultants, Inc., which was acquired by Navigant Consulting, Inc., a NYSE company. Mr. Vondle also has been an investor in and board director of two manufacturing and distribution companies that were developed and later sold.
Mr. Vondle is the author of Service Management Systems, published by McGraw-Hill, and numerous management and industry articles published in management journals and trade magazines. He received a BS from the University of Akron and an MBA from Southern Methodist University and is designated as a Certified Management Consultant by the Institute of Management Consultants.
Email Dave
505-292-8961