Team Group: Advisory

Loren Bell focuses his life on the outdoors, conservation, community, technology, and science — and where all those intersect. Bell is an ecologist by education and a conservationist by passion. He has worked on public lands throughout the Rocky Mountain West and spent several years in rural Southeast Asia engaging with indigenous communities to better understand and protect the forests vital to their culture and livelihood. Turning his attention back home, Bell now serves as the Director of the Enchanted Circle Trails Association where he engages with local land managers and the community to advocate for, design, build, and maintain trails on public lands. He recognizes that trails connect communities and connect us to the many physical, cultural, and mental health benefits being in nature provides. In his spare time, Bell coaches youth sports, works on Taos Ski Patrol, runs a small business, and codes open-source software.

Dr. Kathryn M. Córdova is a resident of El Prado and Co-president of the El Prado Community Center Board. She is a retired educator, having taught Language Arts, Social Studies Communication and Journalism and Education from grades 1 to university graduate level. Dr. Córdova also enjoys a career as a writer and past editor for curriculum, grants, magazines, newspapers, books and other materials. The mother of three participated in local, state and national press women endeavors and many community organizations. She has received awards for her work in education, writing and community work. She is the widow of the late Arsenio Córdova.

Margaret Garcia, B.S. is a mother, wife, local hierbera, facilitator and farmer. Margaret is passionate about the maintenance of traditional land-based knowledge as a way to express our humanity in balance. She lives and loves with her husband and two daughters and maintains a conservation farm, called Sol Feliz Farm, where they share their wisdom, beauty, and struggles of working to maintain their connections to communities and Earth.

Davison Packard Koenig is the Executive Director and Curator of Couse-Sharp Historic Site, located in the heart of the historic district of Taos, which consists of the home, studios, collections, and gardens of E. I. Couse and J. H. Sharp, as well as The Lunder Research Center. Before joining the Couse-Sharp Historic Site, Davison was a museum consultant, specializing in the planning, curation, design, and promotion of museum exhibitions that focus on the art, culture, and history of the American Southwest and northern Mexico. He spent the previous decade as Curator of Exhibits at the Arizona State Museum, at the University of Arizona, the oldest and largest anthropology museum in the Southwest. Through these positions, research and the curation of over sixty exhibitions Davison has gained extensive experience with the living cultures and artistic expressions that have shaped the vibrant, multicultural identities of North America and the American West.

José López a 13th generation New Mexican with deep roots in the Peñasco Valley. After graduating from the University of New Mexico with a B.S. in Chemical Engineering, he worked as a process engineer for a startup in Albuquerque. In 2022, Jóse returned to Northern New Mexico to be with his growing family and became actively involved with the Peñasco Valley Historical Preservation Society (PVHPS). Initially volunteering and helping organize various aspects of the nonprofit, he was hired as the Executive Director in May ‘23. This role has been both challenging and fulfilling, with their primary goal to restore the historic St. Anthony’s School Building and transform it into a community space dedicated to cultural preservation, economic development, and community service. Since joining PVHPS, he has worked on starting the Peñasco Valley Farmers Market, organizing outreach efforts, building organizational capacity with strategic planning, and advancing the goal of rehabilitating the old school building. Growing up, I spent summers in Peñasco playing, cleaning acequias, baling hay, raising cattle, and exploring the natural landscape. My work with PVHPS continues my commitment to preserving my history, heritage, and community while contributing to its future development.

Leann Murphy has worked for the Forest Service for 24 years, the last five on the Carson National Forest. Leann was born in Santa Fe and raised in Albuquerque, NM. Leann worked in California for many years and is glad I am back in the Land of Enchantment and can call Taos home. The Forest is committed to connecting people to the land and their heritage, while also providing for sustainable recreation. Being a member of this Advisory Group will help us achieve this goal. In Leann’s position with the Forest Service, she works toward developing collaborative working environments with local communities to better manage public lands. It is important for the Forest to understand what cultural assets are within Taos County to better inform our management. The Forest is interested in engaging more with local communities when developing and implementing projects.

Lori Ortega is from and currently lives in Questa, New Mexico. She was born and raised in Albuquerque, moving to Questa when she was just 5 years old and spending much of her childhood back and forth between the two places. Lori is a wife and had three children, one granddaughter and a grandson on the way. She is a businessowner of three businesses – excavation, outfitting and RV/cabin rentals in Questa. She enjoys and appreciates being able to work within her community and in tourism, educating visitors and others about the rich culture in Questa.

Genevieve Oswald is a dedicated member of the Taos community, boasting a lifelong residency in the historic district and over a decade-long tenure as a downtown business owner. Her comprehensive knowledge of Taos’s unique characteristics and needs is evident through her previous roles on the Taos Mainstreet Board and the Town’s Planning and Zoning Commission. Genevieve currently serves as a member of the Town Council.

Cynthia Rael-Vigil was born and raised in Questa, NM. Married with four Children, 5 grandchildren, and one daughter-in-law, she is the proud owner of a familyowned business that has been passed down through generations and remains on family land. Her business has been serving Questa since the 1920’s and is currently Rael’s Coffee Shop and Local Artist Shop. Cynthia is a Board Member with Presbyterian Medical Services, Questa Credit Union, and is the President of the San Antonio Del Rio Colorado Historical Preservation.