W.K. Kellogg Foundation names Chamiza Pacheco de Alas as director of New Mexico programs

BATTLE CREEK, Mich., Jan. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The W.K. Kellogg Foundation (WKKF) is pleased to announce the selection of Chamiza Pacheco de Alas as the new director of New Mexico programs, effective Feb. 1, 2021.

In this role, Pacheco de Alas will provide leadership and oversight of the foundation's longstanding investments in New Mexico to further create conditions that ensure children and families have opportunities to thrive in equitable communities. Pacheco de Alas, who will be based in WKKF's Albuquerque office (when COVID-19 health and safety restrictions are lifted), will lead the foundation's statewide grantmaking priorities in collaboration and partnership with the New Mexico team, grantees, communities and other stakeholders throughout the region.

"Chamiza brings extensive leadership and experience in developing partnerships to this role," said La June Montgomery Tabron, WKKF president and CEO. "As we continue to grow our longstanding collaboration with grantees and partner organizations in New Mexico, her deep knowledge and community perspective will accelerate our collective efforts toward thriving children, working families and equitable communities in the state."

Pacheco de Alas has held various positions at the University of New Mexico (UNM). Most recently she was the chief of staff of the executive vice president at the UNM Health Sciences Center (HSC) in Albuquerque. In this role, she built and oversaw a diverse executive team. She was instrumental in creating a system-wide program of excellence in addressing child maltreatment, fostering partnerships to provide health care services to people experiencing homelessness, overseeing a behavioral health partnership to support student-athletes of vulnerable populations and managing a system-wide emergency health care response for recently released refugees. Pacheco de Alas also led state and federal policy strategies to advance measures that empower immigrant, Tribal and other vulnerable communities in New Mexico. These efforts resulted in the successful passage of several substantive health-related bills and approximately $45 million in new appropriations in 2019, and $15 million in 2020.

Previously, she was the director of community outreach at the UNM Health Sciences Center Office of the Chancellor where her dedicated racial equity principles within the health science community led to the successful engagement with medical experts and partners in Tribal, immigrant and refugee communities throughout the state. Pacheco de Alas also served as the associate university counsel at UNM Health Sciences Center where she was primary counsel to the University of New Mexico Hospital, a 400-bed facility that includes the state's only Level I Trauma Center and Children's Hospital, and adult and children's psychiatric hospitals.

Prior to her roles at UNM, she served as guardian ad litem and youth attorney at Advocacy, Inc.; development, outreach and inclusion officer at United Way of Central New Mexico; and staff attorney for New Mexico Center on Law and Poverty.

Pacheco de Alas is actively involved in her community and has more than 17 years of board service experience. Currently, she is involved in several local and national organizations, including serving as a Trustee of the National Hispanic Cultural Center Foundation and the Albuquerque Academy and as a member of United Way of Central New Mexico's Women in Philanthropy and Hispano Philanthropic societies; State Bar of New Mexico ? Children, Health and Law sections; and UNM's United Way Campaign Cabinet.

She is the recipient of numerous awards, including 1999 Harry S. Truman Scholar, 2019 Albuquerque Business Weekly 40 Under 40 awardee and UNM Regents Scholar. 

Pacheco de Alas holds a bachelor's degree in political science and economics/philosophy from the University of New Mexico and a Juris Doctorate from Yale Law School. She is licensed to practice law in New Mexico and is conversant in Spanish.

About the W.K. Kellogg Foundation

The W.K. Kellogg Foundation (WKKF), founded in 1930 as an independent, private foundation by breakfast cereal innovator and entrepreneur Will Keith Kellogg, is among the largest philanthropic foundations in the United States. Guided by the belief that all children should have an equal opportunity to thrive, WKKF works with communities to create conditions for vulnerable children so they can realize their full potential in school, work and life.

The Kellogg Foundation is based in Battle Creek, Michigan, and works throughout the United States and internationally, as well as with sovereign tribes. Special attention is paid to priority places where there are high concentrations of poverty and where children face significant barriers to success. WKKF priority places in the U.S. are in Michigan, Mississippi, New Mexico and New Orleans; and internationally, are in Mexico and Haiti. To learn more, visit www.wkkf.org or follow WKKF on Twitter at @wk_kellogg_fdn.

SOURCE W.K. Kellogg Foundation