WHO WE ARE

ABOUT US

The Coalition of Sustainable Communities New Mexico (CSCNM) is a network of local governments working together to advance climate action, sustainability, and equity across our state.

Our Coalition began in 2018, to build a statewide partnership of local governments to advocate for sustainability at the local and state level. Today, CSCNM brings together elected officials and staff from communities across the state representing nearly half of New Mexico’s population. Together, we work through an equity-lens to advance renewable energy, energy efficiency, greenhouse gas reduction strategies, electric vehicle infrastructure, and climate investment

Over the years, we have helped champion key legislation including the passage of the Community Solar Act in 2021 and the creation of the state’s first green bank, the New Mexico Climate Investment Center.

At our core, we believe collaboration strengthens impact. By speaking with a united voice, we work to ensure resilient, equitable, and sustainable communities throughout New Mexico.

CSCNM STAFF

  • Christian E. Casillas

    Executive Director

  • Rachel Rosenfelt

    Director, Operations & Partnerships

  • Mereya L. Blanco

    Community Outreach Coordinator

  • Ken Hughes

    Membership & Legislation

  • Gary Payton

    Team Member Emeritus

CSCNM STAFF BIOS

  • Christian’s interests focus on equity, energy policy, sustainable development, and education. He has lived and worked in countries around the globe, focused on aspects of sustainable energy use and rural electrification for under-served communities. He has been the lead author for peer-reviewed papers in Science, Climate Policy, and Energy Policy. Christian is passionate about policy and program design that support greater equity in our communities and increased access to renewable energy and energy efficiency options for disenfranchised communities. Christian is a Santa Fe native and also works part-time as a Buddhist chaplain.

    Christian has a PhD and MS in Energy and Resources from UC Berkeley, an MS in Applied Mathematics from Johns Hopkins, and a BA in Environmental Engineering from Harvard.

  • Rachel is an experienced leader and educator with an extensive background in political organization development and new media. As the founder of the influential independent magazine The New Inquiry in 2009, Rachel's leadership and creative work has had industry-wide impact throughout the 2010s. In 2016 Rachel established the political software collective, Dark Inquiry, which deployed abolitionist software that has had a lasting real-world impact and was named the year's most influential technology release on the annual lists of The New York Times and The Guardian, among others.

    In addition to her creative work, Rachel was the co-founder, core faculty, and associate director of the first ever graduate-level journalism degree program at the New School For Social Research, "Creative Publishing and Critical Journalism," where she taught and developed the program for 6 years.

    Rachel has also held leadership positions at a number of notable political media organizations including Verso Books and The New Republic. Most recently, Rachel founded the End of Institutions Research and Communications Lab (EoI) in partnership with the University of California Irvine, where project work brought her into regular contact with communities impacted by climate change and the centrality of a just energy transition to our collective futures. Her ongoing work with EoI led her to pursue climate work in New Mexico and return to her roots in Albuquerque.

  • Mereya Blanco traces her maternal lineage to regions now known as New Mexico and Chihuahua. After living in Chicago for several years, she gained hands-on experience working extensively with BIPOC youth and communities in social justice advocacy, mental health, immigrant rights, and restorative justice. A former board member and current mentor for the International Indigenous Youth Council (IIYC), Mereya co-led community initiatives focused on restorative justice, environmental advocacy, mutual aid, and youth empowerment. Mereya’s advocacy efforts now center on New Mexico, where she has engaged in lobbying for critical policies to amplify BIPOC voices.

    Mereya graduated with a Bachelor’s in Science and Health in Psychology from DePaul University, specializing in Community and Health Psychology, which reflects her dedication to fostering resilience and wellness in underserved communities. She is currently continuing her education at Harvard Extension School, focusing on supporting impactful, community-based preventive action. She also co-owns Midnight Disco Fungi with her husband, a gourmet mushroom business that promotes food sustainability and community education in Albuquerque’s vibrant local food scene.

  • Ken spent 26 years with the State of New Mexico. Half of his state career was helping municipalities and counties plan their futures including the infrastructure capital improvement planning program. Ken conducted strategic planning and administered planning grants for communities throughout the state, and wrote reports on effects of growth in New Mexico and options for its management.

    For twelve years Ken served as a Clean Energy Specialist at New Mexico’s Energy, Minerals, and Natural Resources Department to promote the application of solar energy and energy efficiency practices by schools, local and state governments, tribes, home owners, builders, and commercial building owners. Ken oversaw the Sustainable Building Tax Credit Program, which has transformed the building industry toward energy efficiency as an adopted best practice. He managed a project to bring solar energy to low- and moderate-income households. And he promoted financial mechanisms such as on-bill repayment, clean energy revenue bonds and performance energy bonds. He also served on energy efficiency advisory groups for PNM and New Mexico Gas Company.

    Ken has a BA from the University of Notre Dame and MA in Public Policy from Virginia Tech.

  • From the inception of the Coalition in the fall of 2018 until December 2022, Gary served as the Coalition’s Research and Technical Advisor. During his tenure, he designed and implemented CSCNM’s Legislative Advocacy program, secured recognition of the Coalition by the UN as an “Official Observer NGO” at annual COPs, and crafted many communications, and managed finances.

    Prior to moving to Santa Fe in 2017, Gary’s environmental work was focused on Idaho and the Pacific Northwest. He credits Bill McKibben’s 2012 “Do the Math Tour” as a life-changing turning point. In 2013, he represented the state as the Idaho Ambassador to “50 States for Healthy Air,” a citizen lobbying event in Washington DC. Mid-decade, he devoted his energy to blocking construction of coal export terminals in port cities of Washington and Oregon. For his work, he was honored with the 2015 Idaho Conservation League’s highest award for environmental activism. Then, as an “Official Observer” at the COP21/UN Climate Conference, he reported on and gave presentations on the landmark Paris Agreement.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

  • Beth Beloff

  • Brian Bonanno

  • Stephen Fischmann

  • Denise Gonzalez

  • Angelica V. Gurule

  • Carol Romero-Wirth

  • Ann Simon

BOD BIOS

  • Beth is the founder and CEO of the New Mexico Climate Investment Center (NMCIC), the state’s only green bank. Beth is also the founder of CSCNM. Beth’s professional goal over the last 30 years has been to incite sustainability in corporate and municipal strategy development, education and everyday personal and professional decision-making.

    From 2015 through 2018 she served as Chair of the Santa Fe Sustainability Commission (SSFC), tasked with development of a 25-year sustainability and carbon neutral plan for Santa Fe, adopted in 2018. Following a strategy recommendation of the SSFC, she founded CSCNM.

    She was Founder and President of the non-profit think tank, BRIDGES to Sustainability, one of the early organizations focused on moving from sustainability strategy to practice. Prior to BRIDGES, she founded and directed the Institute for Corporate Environmental Management (ICEM) in the business school at the University of Houston.

    Beth has a BA from University of California, Berkeley, a Master of Architecture degree from UCLA, and an MBA from the University of Houston.

  • Brian is a sustainability and community development professional with 17 years of experience advocating for healthy, equitable, and resilient communities. His work has been recognized with numerous accolades, including being named a 2022 Next City Vanguard Fellow, a 2016 University of Chicago Ethical Redevelopment Salon Fellow, and the 2018 “Creative of the Year” by the Greater Des Moines Young Professionals. He holds a Master of Science in Resilient and Sustainable Communities from Prescott College. As the Sustainability Coordinator for Bernalillo County, Brian leads initiatives to reduce the county’s environmental footprint, enhance its climate readiness, and engage residents on sustainability issues. He recently managed the county’s largest-ever energy efficiency investment—an $18 million project that funded LED lighting retrofits, 500 kW of new solar installations, and major HVAC and electrical system upgrades across multiple facilities. Prior to his work in New Mexico, Brian developed a broad skill set in the non-profit sector in Boston, Chicago, and Des Moines. His diverse background in urban agriculture policy, transportation planning, affordable housing, and creative placemaking informs his comprehensive approach to building sustainable communities today.

  • Stephen (Steve) Fischmann is a dedicated public servant and community advocate with extensive experience in New Mexico state policy and regulation. He served in the New Mexico State Senate from 2009 to 2012 on the Conservation and Education Committees and as Chair of the Interim Science and Technology Committee. More recently, he served on the New Mexico Public Regulation Commission (PRC) from 2019 to 2022, including a term as Chair, where he oversaw the regulation of the state’s utilities, transportation, and telecommunications sectors. Outside of public office, Steve has been a driving force behind several impactful non-profit initiatives. He co-founded the Southwest Energy Alliance to champion renewable energy, the Dona Ana County Reading Foundation to support early childhood literacy, and the New Mexico Fair Lending Coalition, which successfully banned predatory payday loans. He has also led campaigns to protect taxpayers by opposing public subsidies for private developments. Today, Steve volunteers his expertise to help environmental non-profits advance sound energy policies, ensure fair utility practices, and reform regulatory models to better protect consumers. Before moving to Las Cruces in 2004, he had a 20-year career as an executive at Levi Strauss & Co. Steve and his wife, Sandy, reside in Las Cruces and Santa Fe.

  • Denise is a sustainability-focused professional originally from San Diego, California. She holds a Bachelor’s degree from the University of New Mexico and a Master’s degree from Harvard University. Bilingual in Spanish, Denise brings a deep commitment to environmental resilience and public service. She has served as a Sustainability Specialist and Acting Sustainability Officer for the City of Albuquerque, where she led initiatives aimed at advancing urban sustainability and climate planning. Prior to her current role she was the Infrastructure Program Coordinator in the Office of New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham, supporting critical infrastructure projects across the state. She continues working in infrastructure as the only New Mexico Infrastructure Specialist for public benefit company Sustainability Partners.

  • A native of northern New Mexico, Angelica Gurule is a dedicated sustainability leader with deep roots in the community. She serves as the Sustainability Manager for Los Alamos County, where she leads climate action planning and advances key environmental initiatives. This role follows nearly a decade of experience as the County’s Environmental Services Division Manager, giving her a comprehensive understanding of local environmental stewardship. Angelica’s career includes a decade at Los Alamos National Laboratory, where she focused on pollution prevention and waste reduction, as well as work in wildlife conservation with the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science from the University of New Mexico and dual Master of Science degrees in Sustainable Environmental Resources Management from the University of Malta, and in Information Science and Technology from James Madison University. She is also a nationally certified Sustainable Resource Manager through Penn State University and a Certified Public Manager through NMEDGE.. Angelica resides with her son in the beautiful Española Valley

  • Carol is a second term Santa Fe City Councilor. Her maternal roots span generations in the Mora Valley of New Mexico. 

    Her bachelor’s degree is in political science from Colorado College. Her Master’s Degree is from the Lyndon Johnson School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas in Austin.  She was admitted to the New Mexico Bar after graduating from the University of New Mexico School of Law.

    She has been active in the Santa Fe community serving on many non-profit boards. Carol has also worked as a public policy consultant on water, environment, and sustainability issues.

    Carol and her husband, Peter, raised two children in Santa Fe and are partners at The Wirth Law Firm, PC in Santa Fe.

  • Ms. Simon manages the sustainability team for the City of Albuquerque. She brings a wealth of knowledge and public policy experience, especially in the areas of sustainability, economic development, and environmental health. Before joining the City, Ms. Simon worked as the Executive Administrator for the Village of Los Ranchos de Albuquerque, and as the Economic Development Program Manager at the Mid-Region Council of Governments, securing millions of dollars for important community-driven projects, including local and sustainable food system work.  Ms. Simon moved to New Mexico from Washington, DC where she worked at the White House office of Environmental Policy, the Association of County and City Health Officials, and Capitol Hill as a congressional aide. Ann has a Master’s of Public Policy from Georgetown University, and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of Vermont.  Her career reflects a strong commitment to advancing community-driven sustainability and public policy initiatives.