Koreena “Kori” Taylor

Kori moved to New Mexico after falling in love with New Mexico’s splendor. She married her husband Bill in the late 80’s has one daughter and three granddaughters. Kori was a Board Member of Keep New Mexico Beautiful, Inc. from 2001 to 2009 and is now the Executive Director. Kori was Secretary of Keep New Mexico Beautiful and was Chair of the Events Committee for several years. Receiving the Executive Directors Award in 2007 and the ‘Dusty’ Award in 2008. In 2001 Kori received the Sears National Community Hero Award, a nomination from over 34,000 Sears employees. Wearing different hats or gloves Kori has been involved in so many different volunteer opportunities. From the Balloon Fiesta doing fireworks to the Balloon Museum educating kids of all ages about ballooning, Kori is up at dawn till dusk. Kori also helps New Mexico State Parks and the Foundation with the Annual Gala. An avid camper, Kori has been able to see 75% of New Mexico. Many organizations have benefited from Kori and her passion for volunteering. They include New Mexico Clean and Beautiful ‘Trek for Trash’, MS Society ‘Tour de Taos’, New Mexico State Parks Foundation Annual Gala, Balloon Explorium, Inc. as Secretary, Board Member and active volunteer for 10 years.

Marla Castner

Marla Castner is a senior tax manager at Moss Adams LLP in Albuquerque. Marla has 28 years of experience in public accounting. She provides consultative services to assist clients in resolving tax-related issues and helps them achieve their business objectives. Marla holds CPA licenses in New Mexico and New York. She has also been involved with various community programs such as the Albuquerque Reads Program and Make a Difference Day. Marla was born and educated in Oklahoma, but considers New Mexico her home. She and her husband lived in New York for fifteen years and made the decision to return to New Mexico, hopefully for what will be a permanent basis.

Rick Huff

Rick Huff is a member of the Board of Directors and owner of Some Stuff From Huff, an advertising & creative commercial production company founded in 1978. He writes ad jingles for clients such as Casa Chevrolet, Jiffy Lube, Blake’s Lotaburger, MVD Express and many others. Rick has also been a member of Miss Indian World Committee and announcer for the Gathering Of Nations Pow Wow since 1983. Additionally, he is an announcer and special media producer for El Mariachi Spectacular and Mariachi Christmas since they began, and script writer and theme songwriter for “Viva New Mexico.”

Rick's extensive background includes co-creator of the specialty radio show “The Best of The West Revue,” co-founder of Frontiersmen 2, a Western Music projects company with partner, Mary Ryland, and co-producer of the 48-track CD collection “The Best of New Mexico Western – Big Surprises From Behind The Chile Curtain.” He is a nationally featured columnist for seven Western and Classic Country Music Magazines and online venues including The Western Way, Rope Burns, I.M. Cowgirl, Cowboy Troubadour and Classic Country & Western, Image liner voice of RangeRadio.com, national board of directors member of the Western Music Association, producer of five CDs, as well as a songwriter. He is also co-writer/producer of a national #1 song on Power Source Western Music Chart. Currently, he is the writer and co-director of the environmental children’s opera “GASP!” for Opera Southwest which opened February 5, 2009.

Rick has won numerous local, regional and national awards including the Silver Microphone Award for radio production (1994 & 1995) and the New Mexico Advertising Federation’s Silver Medal for career achievement in 1999. He is also appointee of Gov. Bill Richardson to the New Mexico Music Commission; board member of the Western Music Association and Musical Theatre Southwest.

Mary Olin Harrell

Mary Olin Harrell is a founding member of Keep New Mexico Beautiful. She served for 30 years as KNMB’s Executive Secretary and now on the Board of Directors . Mary is a native New Mexican who helped co-found the state beautification organization, Keep New Mexico Beautiful (KNMB) along with Eunice Kalloch, New Mexico’s First Lady of Beautification in the early 1960’s. In 1969, Mary and artist friend Jeanne Rankin created “Dusty Roadrunner,” and went on to successfully establish “Dusty” as the state’s official cleanup symbol. Dusty is featured in a booklet for 3rd graders, where the broom-pushing roadrunner has taught thousands of students to keep the state clean and beautiful.

Mary has proudly served New Mexico in countless ways. In the 1970's, Mary started the state’s first recycling program, opened a recycling center in Albuquerque, and was one of the founding volunteers of Albuquerque’s Open Space Program, which is responsible for having saved thousands of acres of land, including the Elena Gallegos Land Grant, now a popular park in the foothills of the Sandia Mountains. With the assistance of mentor, Fred McCaffrey, Mary pioneered the use of direct mail in her home-based business and became a member of the national Direct Mail Association of America.

Mary has received many awards for her hard work and beautification accomplishments throughout her 30 years of dedicated service to the state of New Mexico, including the Theta Sigma Phi Matrix Award, the New Mexico Press Women’s Woman of Achievement Award, the El Conquistador Award for Excellence in Public Relations by the NM Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America, and the Mrs. Lyndon B. Johnson Award. Additionally, U.S. Senator Pete Domenici recognized her in the U.S. Congressional Record as a successful businesswoman pioneer.

Richelle Ponder

Richelle Ponder is native New Mexican and a life member of KNMB who joined our organization in 1995. Over the years she has served on a number of committees and positions. Richelle currently lives in Las Cruces with her daughter Katelin who plans on attending NMSU in the fall. Richelle owns and operates AAMCO Transmissions of Las Cruces, a business she bought from her father who established it in 1968. Richelle was born and raised in Las Cruces, went to New Mexico State University majoring in Journalism. After completing her degree she worked in the radio and television business for 15 years. She moved to Florida in 1999 and back to NM in 2000 when her father asked her to come home and help him run the family business. She stays very active in her local community as a member of Las Cruces Rotary Club, Amador Hotel foundation and her church.

Evelyn Prentice

Evelyn Prentice has been an active member of Keep New Mexico Beautiful since 1980. Since 1965 she has served in a number of volunteer organizations on boards and committees that encourage and participate in programs of litter control and beautification in New Mexico. Evelyn has made a lifetime career of serving her community. Understanding the importance of advocating at the legislative level, she has devoted years to help ensure that legislation was passed to improve the lives of children and encourage beautification and litter control in New Mexico and nationwide. Much effort was put into advocacy of House Bill 198 as amended in 1985 which established a Keep America Beautiful program in New Mexico and states that KNMB is the official clearinghouse for beautification and litter control in NM. She was honored for these efforts by Keep America Beautiful with the Lady Bird Johnson Award in 1986. Currently, Evelyn is Keep New Mexico Beautiful’s representative to the New Mexico Litter Control and Beautification Council and also serves on the Cosmopolitan Women’s Club.

This year (2009) Evelyn and her husband Glenn are celebrating their 65th wedding anniversary. They have three sons, four grandchildren and two great grandchildren.

Glenn Prentice

Glenn Prentice has been an active member of KMNB since 1980. Glenn has served on the Board of Directors for many years and offered his skills as photographer at KNMB events. Glenn has also provided oversight and leadership of KNMB’s finances, serving as the Chair of the Audit Committee, and on the Finance Committee. Glenn has a keen eye for fiscal responsibility, and the organization has benefited from his practical approach to nonprofit management.

A veteran of World War II, Glenn served as a B-24 pilot in Italy. After the war, he attended the University of Colorado where he received his degree in mechanical engineering. He put his education to work for Boeing Aircraft Company in Seattle, WA where he helped design and stress the B-52 bomber. In 1952, he moved to Albuquerque and worked as a design and stress analyst for Sandia Labs for 33 years. Glenn is a registered Professional Engineer, and served three terms as an elder in the La Mesa Presbyterian Church. His service to KNMB has been his principal volunteer effort since his retirement.

Glenn and his wife Evelyn have three sons, four grandchildren and two great grandchildren. This coming year they will celebrate their 65th wedding anniversary.

Doug Rains

Doug Rains is a long time Director of KNMB. He served as President for eight years and Treasurer for one year. Though a native Texan, Doug has lived in Las Cruces for more than 22 years. After a decorated career in the Air Force, and sports broadcasting in TV and radio, he has somewhat settled down as a part-time public relations practitioner for the New Mexico Department of Agriculture. The rest of the time, he is out in the community doing what he can to help.

 Doug is also a member of the Las Cruces Chamber of Commerce's Conquistadors, a goodwill ambassador who celebrates grand openings, groundbreakings and ribbon cuttings for new businesses in the community. Doug's Conquistador blue blazer is decorated with hundreds of pins from over 22 years of service. More importantly, he is an advisory board member for the Salvation Army where he helped to establish "Dress the Child" 22 years ago. As Chair of the event, he has helped to raise over a half million dollars to clothe over 5000 children in need. Doug is a founding board member and several times President of Community of Hope, a unique one stop establishment of need for the homeless of Southern New Mexico.

Along the way, Doug has been named a Paul Harris Fellow and President of his Rotary Club, Conquistador of the year by the Chamber, Las Cruces Citizen of the year by the Las Cruces Realtors and Colonel Aide-de -Camp by Governor Richardson. In 2008, Doug was named as one of New Mexico's Outstanding Citizens.

Cliff Richardson

Cliff Richardson became a Life Member of KNMB in 1977. A professional engineer with a P.E. license in civil engineering, an MBA from NM Highland University plus several certifications, including Facilities Manager, Cliff is currently the Energy Engineer for KAFB. In the 1970's, while serving as an AF officer on Kirtland AFB, and with the guidance of Mary Olin Harrell, Cliff developed an award-winning recycling program for the federal government which received national recognition. Then, in conjunction with UNM , while still in active duty, he started a one-man KNMB’s Speakers’ Bureau, promoting KNMB, as well as Keep America Beautiful’s ("KAB"’s) Clean Cities Initiative throughout NM. His 40 year commitment to KNMB includes serving as Board member and on the Executive Committee, including President in the ‘80’s and Treasurer from 1988 to 2003. During that time, he reported for both the NM State Grant and the KNMB Corporate accounts and successfully participated in all state audits as well as prepared the annual grant and corporate budgets. Throughout his KNMB affiliation, Cliff has volunteered with other related organizations, serving for almost 30 years as the VC of Keep ABQ Beautiful. As VC, he represented Albuquerque at the KAB Annual Meeting. Additionally, on behalf of KAB, as a former Boy Scout, Cliff developed the Boy Scouts of America merit badge criteria for its Community Conservation Service program. Locally, he was a founding member and president of the NM Association Energy Engineers. Currently Cliff serves as an advisor for ABQ’s Energy Council and has served on various City initiatives, including the on-going Climate Action Task Force.

Sandra P. Richardson

Sandra P. Richardson, NBCT, is a Director of KNMB. In January 1971, when KNMB’s Mary Olin Harrell recruited Cliff and Sandra for the pilot KNMB glass recycling program, Sandra was hooked. Together with Cliff, she made KNMB the “lynch-pin” of her life, and Sandra and her husband Cliff became active Life Members of KNMB in 1977.

Sandra has held various positions on KNMB’s Executive Committee, including: Treasurer, VP for Programs & Board Meetings, Historian, Awards’ Chair, Secretary, Nominating Committee, Grants Committee, Strategic Planning Committee and frequently By-Laws Committee. Since the ‘80’s, Sandra has served on KNMB’s Education Committee, most often as the Chair.

In May 1990, she became a NM elementary educator with a dual Master’s in Education and Reading and received her Secondary Certification in Science. As a KNMB educator, Sandra has taught “make & take” recycled and reused art for the Talking Talons’ summer Wildfest, as well as the September Museum Circle Teachers’ Training. She also authored a 4th grade play on pollution, trained teachers in KAB’s “Waste in Place” curriculum, and has provided academic guidance related to NM State Standards for the recent revision of KNMB’s 3rd & 5th grade Dusty Booklets. She is currently working on a KNMB Emerging Reader Dusty Booklet for new and reluctant readers, ESL and Early Childhood students.

Sandra Richardson has been a contributing member and leader of various Albuquerque civic organizations including the Cherry Hills Civic Association, ABQ’s Metropolitan Parks & Recreation Advisory Board, and Friends for the Public Library Board. Currently, Sandra is a member of the Mayor’s recent Climate Action Task Force, serving the Working Groups: Recycling & Zero Waste; Complete, Livable Neighborhoods; and, Transit & Transportation.

Mary Ryland

Mary Ryland is a Director of KNMB, and founder and owner of Sidekick Productions which books, produces and promotes Western Music entertainment for concerts, dances, conferences, etc., since 1997. She is a co-producer of the 48-track, 2-CD collection “The Best of New Mexico Western: Big Surprises From Behind The Chile Curtain!” and co-producer of “The Best of the West Revue” Western Music radio show; local media contact for various Western Music events. Mary is also the co-founder of both International Green Ideas Show and New Mexico Performs! She is a seasonal news writer and media relations assistant in the Media Office of Expo New Mexico/The State Fair, as well as a freelance photographer. Additionally, Mary is Props Coordinator for several Musical Theatre Southwest productions, Communications Director for the Archdiocese of Santa Fe for 10+ years, staff member at KKJY Radio for 5 years - assistant bookkeeper, sales assistant, commercial writer and traffic director (scheduler of commercial airtime). Mary is also a member of the Fair West Neighborhood Association and the Western Music Association, and a fundraising committee member of the WHEELS museum.

In November 2008, Mary received the Western Music Association’s “Bill Wiley Award” presented “In recognition of the extraordinary dedication shown to the Western Music Association. Your efforts have contributed significantly to the betterment of our music and our organization.”

Paula Pimentel

Paula Pimentel is a 5th generation native New Mexican born in La Mesa, New Mexico and raised in Las Cruces where she attended New Mexico State University and Dona Ana Community College. Paula is currently the Director of Sales for InterContinental Hotels Group at the Candlewood Suites in midtown Albuquerque. Paula has been in the hotel sales and catering industry over 20 years and during that time she has served many organizations in various capacities. Since coming to Albuquerque in 1999 she met and married Victor Pimentel of Pimentel and Sons Guitar Makers. Paula has raised two sons, Paul who currently lives in Albuquerque with his wife Jeni and Francisco who lives in St Louis, MO with his wife Christa and Hannah their daughter. Paula enjoys the outdoors especially in New Mexico where she always spends vacations with her family and friends. She stays very active with the community as a member of the Greater Albuquerque Hispano Chamber, Albuquerque Chamber and Greater Albuquerque Inkeepers Association.

William “Bill “Taylor aka:  BBQ Bill

Bill Taylor became a Board Member of Keep New Mexico Beautiful in 2001. Bill has been involved on many committees and served as 2nd Vice-President. Moving to Albuquerque in1970 from Iowa you could say he is a native after 39 years. Bill started his career as a Master Mechanic in the US Army, receiving several commendations for his work in Germany. Bill is now an Assembly Supervisor for a large local manufacturing company here in Albuquerque. When not at work Bill is known to have his hands in many different volunteer activities. Organizations over the years include New Mexico State Parks, New Mexico Clean and Beautiful’s ‘Trek for Trash’, MS staff member for the ‘Tour de Taos’, Balloon Fiesta and a commercial fireworks technician. Bill also keeps busy as head chef of a BBQ Catering Company, and competing with a BBQ Competition Team. Bill is a member of the NBBQA (National BBQ Association), KCBS (Kansas City Barbeque Society), Good Sam’s Club and Board Member and Secretary of Balloon Explorium, Inc. Bill has enjoyed New Mexico and its beauty while traveling the roads with his wife in their RV.

Janet Caudell

Sherry Haworth

Johnnye Hammett

Marlene Rempe