People
NMCDA Board Members
Cassandra Chavez
President
Cassandra Chavez is a Career Development Facilitator for the University Of New Mexico Office Of Career Services in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Cassandra received her Bachelor of Arts in History and is working toward her Master of Public Administration. Her background includes working in many arenas including as the Membership Coordinator for The Greater Albuquerque Association of Realtors, The Marketing Secretary for ITT Technical Institute, and the Event Coordinator for the Office of Career Services at UNM. Cassandra is very passionate about philanthropy and spends much of her time volunteering with The Junior League of Albuquerque, The Make-A-Wish Foundation, and The Animal Humane Society.
Mikelynn Romero, M.Ed.
Past-President
Mikelynn Romero earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and a Master of Education in Post Secondary Administration and Student Affairs from the University of Southern California. Mikelynn has served as a career counselor at Trinity University and the University of Southern California, worked as a recruiter for a global law firm in Los Angeles hiring law students for summer internships, and has held leadership positions with the New Mexico Higher Education Department, Los Alamos National Laboratory, and ITT Technical Institute. Mikelynn is currently the Program Manager for the NM Career Match program. In 2009, Mikelynn was honored as one of the state’s “Women of Influence” by the New Mexico Business Weekly and she is active with the USC Alumni Land of Enchantment Club. Mikelynn is owner of MDR1 Consulting, a workforce and economic development consulting firm whose clients include Albuquerque Economic Development Inc., the City of Albuquerque Economic Development Department, as well as students seeking assistance with college applications and professionals making career transitions.
Doug Main
Rehabilitation Liasion
Doug is a Professor of Rehabilitation Counseling at New Mexico Highlands University. He previously taught at Eastern New Mexico University and has over 12 years experience in rehabilitation counseling. His scholarly interests include career assessment, counselor burnout, and school-to-work transition.
Karin Kase
Member at Large
Karin has over 16 years of career services experience in the outplacement, higher education and corporate career center environments. She is currently the Manager of the Career Services office, with the Anderson School of Management, at the University of New Mexico. Her professional background includes work with the outplacement firm, Lee, Hecht, Harrison, Honeywell Corporation, Salt River Project and Arizona State University. Previously, she was a board member with the Arizona Career Development Association.
Charles Lehman
Treasurer
Charles has his own company, Employment and Economic Information Center of New Mexico, headquartered in Albuquerque doing research on labor force and economic development issues. He works with schools, colleges, workforce boards and corporations to provide data on job forecasts, worker training needs and skill availability.
He has been treasurer and various committee chairs of the New Mexico Career Development Association since its charter 15 years ago as well as serving as an officer for the state Counseling Association.
He is retired from the New Mexico Department of Labor where he worked on economic research and workforce program implementation. He has degrees in economics and mathematics from the University of New Mexico and has served as an Air Force officer.
Janelle Johnson, LPCC
Post Secondary Liaison
Janelle is a counselor at Santa Fe Community College in the School of Business and Applied Technologies. She is an active member of the New Mexico Career Development Association and the American College Counseling Association where she serves on the Community College Task Force.
Jenny White
Secretary
Vacant
- President-Elect
- Membership Chair