BUSINESS PEOPLE
Michelle Dearholt, chief retail and performance officer for Nusenda Credit Union, was recognized for her work with an award from the Corporate Health & Wellness Association in conjunction with Corporate Wellness Magazine.
She is part of a group of human resources, wellness and/ or benefits professionals, consultants, agents and brokers who “make wellness happen” for an organization, an announcement said.
Dearholt has spent nearly 20 years in organizational development in the financial, retail service and distribution and manufacturing sectors, 17 of those years with Nusenda Credit Union. She is a University of New Mexico Anderson School of Management alumna and a board member for the UNM Anderson Alumni Council and the Family Friendly NM Leadership Council.
In October, she added chief retail officer to her title and also oversees Nusenda’s branch service delivery operations, including its call center and investment services departments.
Nusenda Credit Union, headquartered in Albuquerque, says it is the state’s largest credit union with more than 195,000 members. It has 19 branches throughout New Mexico, including in Santa Fe and Taos.
Jody Pearce of Sandia Park is the new owner and publisher of
Natural Awakenings magazine’s New Mexico edition, which serves Bernalillo, Los Alamos, Rio Arriba, San Juan, San Miquel, Sandoval, Santa Fe and Taos counties.
The publication is part of a franchise model that includes 75 publishers nationwide.
A news release said healthy living entrepreneur Sharon Bruckman launched the first Natural
Awakenings magazine in Naples, Fla., in 1994 to serve a local holistic health community and
like-minded readers eager to connect with each other. The publication launched a franchise model five years later.
The New Mexico edition has been published for 12 years. Pearce is the third owner/publisher.
The monthly publication presents global news and views as a complement to topics and events of local interest. The magazine highlights wellness providers and looks at the latest natural approaches to nutrition, fitness, creative expression, personal growth and sustainable living.
Catherine Allen, chairwoman and CEO of the Santa Fe Group, was presented the Distinguished Service Award by the University of Missouri Alumni Association.
The Santa Fe Group is a strategic advisory services company based in Santa Fe that advises toplevel executives and boards of directors on cybersecurity, emerging technologies and risk management.
The Distinguished Service Award, established in 1956, honors “outstanding service by an individual whose sustained efforts and support have added to the excellence of the University of Missouri,” an announcement said. “Nominees have distinguished themselves in their chosen profession and are considered based on their professional/ career accomplishments, service to the university, community involvement-service and charitable activities.”
Allen was the founding CEO of BITS, a financial services industry consortium. Earlier in her career, Allen served in several senior executive positions at Citicorp and Dun & Bradstreet and was a consultant to CBS Inc. She represented Citibank as founding chairwoman and president of the multi-industry Smart Card Forum.
Allen serves as a board member of Synovus Financial Corp., El Paso Electric Co. and Belief Agency. She also chairs the Security Committee for El Paso Electric.
Emily Howard has been named to the newly created position of vice president of marketing for Indian Pueblos Marketing Inc. and the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center.
An announcement said she will be responsible for marketing, sales and development for both the nonprofit and for-profit sides of the operation.
Founded in 1976 by the 19 Pueblo Indian tribes of New Mexico, the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center is a museum and cultural center located in the historic Albuquerque Indian School District.
Howard formerly was vice president of marketing, communications and tourism with Visit Albuquerque. Throughout her career, she has led several marketing teams, developed marketing strategies for a diverse client base and managed marketing campaigns for international brands.
Some of the expansion plans creating a need for the new position are the 92-room TownePlace Suites by Marriott that broke ground at Avanyu Plaza on Nov. 20, and the recent groundbreaking for the 30,000-squarefoot Avanyu Plaza North, with an estimated completion date of December 2019.
Avanyu Plaza’s second phase of expansion will also include 20,000 square feet of restaurant and retail space in three new buildings, plus a 2,000-squarefoot security annex intended to ensure public safety throughout the entertainment and office complex.