Board of Directors

Gerald Peters, President
Renowned authority on 19th and early 20th century American art and owner of the 44,000 square foot Gerald Peters Gallery in Santa Fe, Mr. Peters is the founder of the Heart Gallery of New Mexico Foundation and a founding member of the Santa Fe Art Foundation. He was co-chairman of the Governor's Commission on Higher Education, has served on the Federal Reserve Small Business Advisory Board, the New Mexico Board of Finance and is chairman of Century Financial Services. He is the controlling shareholder of Century Bank and has been a board member in good standing at St. John's College, Santa Fe Prep, The Millicent Rogers Museum, the Wheelwright Museum and the Bank of Santa Fe.


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Marjori Krebs, Vice President
An Assistant Professor in the College of Eduction at UNM, Ms. Krebs also serves on the United Way's Women In Philanthropy board of directors and is the Honorary Chair of the Coaches versus Cancer Gala. 


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Cathy McCorkle, Treasurer
In addition to her role on the Heart Gallery of New Mexico's board, Ms. McCorkle served for three years on the board of Women in Philanthropy, chaired the fundraising gala for the New Mexico Museum of Natural History and was a founding board member of Wesley Kids Childcare and Preschool.


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Angela R. Romero, Secretary
Angela Romero is a resident of Albuquerque, New Mexico, where she owns an employee benefits brokerage for the last 19 years and one other small business that was started in 2017. She graduated from the University of New Mexico with both a BA in Mass Communications and a Master’s in Business Administration.  Angela has called New Mexico home since the age of 3 when the family moved here.  She spent 4 years living in CA only to return home to Albuquerque, NM. She has two sons of her own, ages 17 and 12 and is passionate about empowering New Mexico youth after being on her own at a young age.


Jeffrey Branch, member
Native New Mexican and commercial real estate developer Jeffrey Branch owns Columbus Capital Corporation, a brokerage, asset management and leasing firm, and Branch Design and Development, a design, planning, construction management and development company. In addition to his role on the Heart Gallery of New Mexico Foundation, Jeffrey has previously served as President of the Santa Fe Commercial Council, the Santa Fe Metropolitan Redevelopment Commission and on the City of Santa Fe Historic Design Review Board. With his wife, Michelle, he co-founded the the Adoption Means Love Foundation which is now part of Heart Gallery of New Mexico Foundation.


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Sue Darnell, member
Sue Darnell is a retired x-ray technician whose career spanned 30 years.  She worked most of that time in the Children’s Hospital in Denver Colorado. Sue and her husband Ron have a passion for helping children and adopted their youngest daughter. Sue has lived in Albuquerque since 2008.  


Stacie Johnson-Davis, member

Stacie Johnson-Davis is a native New Mexican, who grew up in Las Cruces. She is a graduate of UNM, with a Bachelors Degree of Science in Nursing. After several years of working in Women’s Health as a RN, she is now in Business Development, Government Affairs, as well as an owner of a Health Care Consulting company. Stacie has been married for 23 years and has a daughter and son. Stacie is passionate about bettering NM, ensuring the youth of NM see their fullest potential, and believes you can change the course of one person’s life with just one act of kindness.


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Michelle Madrid-Branch, member
Author ("The Tummy Mummy," "Adoption Means Love: Triumph of the Heart") and former television news journalist Michelle Madrid-Branch was the founder of New Mexico's The AML (Adoption Means Love) Foundation which recently merged with Heart Gallery of New Mexico Foundation.


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Sherman McCorkle, member
Mr. McCorkle has been the Chairman and CEO of Sandia Science and Technology Park Development Corporation since 1998, served as Vice-Chair of Sandia Corporation's Investment Committee from 1994 until 2011 and served as President and CEO of Technology Ventures Corporation from 1993 until 2011. He was Co-founder of New Mexico Bank and Trust, a Co-Founder of First State Bank Corporation and was a Senior Vice President at Albuquerque National Bank from 1976 to 1988.


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Senator George K. Munoz, member
A Gallup, New Mexico native, Senator Munoz was a State Commissioner for the New Mexico Department of Economic Development, was Vice Chair of the Rules Committee and has served on the Corporations and Transportation committees. Senator Munoz was the Chair of the Investment Oversight Committee for the State and serves as a member on the Indian Affairs, Tax and Revenue, Public School Outlay and Water and Natural Resources Committees. Besides the Heart Gallery of New Mexico Foundation, Senator Munoz also is a member of the Gallup Rotary Club, Gallup McKinley Chamber of Commerce, Elks Lodge and is currently the New Mexico Junior High School National Director for the state.


Kurstin Johnson, member
Kurstin Johnson is a native New Mexican.  She grew up in the North Valley of Albuquerque, graduating from Valley High School and then from UNM with a degree in Journalism.  For the last 24 years she has owned and operated Vista Encantada Realtors, LLC, a boutique real estate firm with 17 associates.  She has served on many Boards and Committees. As an adopted child herself, Kurstin has a passion for helping children thrive and brings that perspective with her to our Board.  


Colt Balok, member

Colt Balok is a talk show host and social media influencer, with a mission to improving the lives others. He was adopted at the age of two and has been with the Heart Gallery for 11 years. In addition to serving as president of The Colt Balok Company, he also serves as the board chair for St. Joseph's Guild, and is the New Mexico state leader for CanaVox.

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Executive Director

Candace Gould
Candace Gould transitioned from being a board member of Heart Gallery of New Mexico Foundation from 2006 to 2011 to its Executive Director in Spring, 2011. Candace has been a photographer of foster youth for the Heart Gallery portraits. She volunteers time with LUVYA NM, a foster teen advocacy program, and mentors teens from within the LUVYANM program. Candace served in the NM State Senate from 2017 to 2021.


Honorary

Steve Stucker
Diane Granito
Susana Martinez (former NM Governor)


Ex Officio

Leland Gould
Past President HGNMF

Cathy Maier
Co-founder of Santa Fe Photographic Workshops. The Heart Gallery was based, in part, upon a suggestion by Ms. Maier.