Team

Melora Palmer

Executive Director

Melora Palmer moved back to Albuquerque, her Alma Mater, after living 25 years abroad. First in Canada, then Strasbourg and Paris in France where she worked in distribution development. She then pivoted to the non-profit sector working in Haiti and Cote d’Ivoire as a Communications Director for humanitarian aid organizations. Returning to ABQ in 2017, to put her then teenage daughter into high school while she worked as a freelance editor and translator. She became a member of Global Ties ABQ as a way to keep her toe in the international waters and well, le reste appartient à l'histoire! She came onto the board in 2019, took over as Acting Director in 2022 and has never looked back. Always active in community and striving to advance goodness in the world, Melora is an active yoga and meditation practitioner and can often be seen arriving at events on bicycle. And that teenage daughter well, she’s grown into a brilliant, multilingual young woman pursuing a career in diplomacy… surprise, surprise!

Zaina Naru

Program Officer

Zaina Riaz Naru is the Program Officer at Global Ties ABQ. Originally from Pakistan, she is a recent graduate in International Studies with a minor in Political Science from the University of New Mexico.

Zaina’s commitment to citizen diplomacy is highlighted by her selection as a Student Scholar for the World Affairs Councils of America (WACA) National Conference in Washington, D.C.. During her academic career, she served as a Research Fellow at the Global and National Security Policy Institute (GNSPI) and led the Pakistani Student Association as President. Multilingual in Urdu, Punjabi, Hindi, and English, Zaina focuses on fostering inclusive spaces and promoting global cross-cultural dialogue.

Naz Şenesen

Community Engagement Officer

Naz Şenesen is the Community Engagement Officer at Global Ties ABQ. Originally from Türkiye, she is an international student pursuing her undergraduate degree in International Studies with a focus on Conflict, Peace&Diplomacy at the University of New Mexico.

Through her roles in both nonprofit and international exchange environments, she has developed a strong capacity for cross-cultural communication, and fostering inclusive spaces that bring diverse perspectives into dialogue.

In her current role, Naz plays a part in shaping international visitor programs that connect global leaders with local communities. She is particularly interested in the role of grassroots engagement in advancing diplomacy, and is committed to strengthening people-to-people ties as a foundation for mutual understanding and long-term cooperation.

Board

Dana Koller

President

Dana Koller, born and raised in New Mexico, Dana has a proven track record of creating, operating and sustaining successful business ventures and community events around our state.

While Agile and Social Enterprise coaching are specialties and passions for Dana, he also balances life with many hobbies such as yoga, mediation, outdoor sports, and wine tasting just to name a few. Dana has a loving relationship with Cassandra Kent and her two beautiful children Isaiah and Jordyn all of whom are important motivators that cannot be replaced.

Dana founded the UN-17 initiative in 2018 in hopes to change the world of business for the better. The idea is based on the United Nations 17 Sustainability Goals which his organization promotes within the New Mexican business and governmental sectors.

He is currently President and CEO or Kaktus Brewing Co., PrAG, and UN-17 Social Club.

Philip Hultquist

Vice President

Philip Hultquist is the Director of the Global and National Security Policy Institute and a Professor Practice for the Department of Political Science at the University of New Mexico. He is a research fellow for the Modern War Institute at West Point and a non-resident fellow for the National Institute for Deterrence Studies. He also advises study abroad projects for Worcester Polytechnic Institute.
Previously, Philip taught politics, policy, and strategy for the US Army’s School of Advanced Military Studies (SAMS) and served as the interim director of the Goodpaster Scholars, the US Army’s practitioner PhD program. As SAMS, he led or co-led student-practitioners on field studies to Washington, DC, Indonesia, Europe, and nearly every US Combatant Command. Dr. Hultquist also taught for several years at Roosevelt University in downtown Chicago, where he served as the Director of the International Studies program.
Dr. Hultquist researches international relations, deterrence, and strategy with a regional sub-specialty on India. His prior research has covered irregular warfare, state targeting and repression in counterinsurgencies, peace settlements in civil wars, state and social politics of hydroelectric dams in India, and countering violent extremists in the Khalistan insurgency in India. His research has appeared in World Development, Journal of Peace Research, PS: Political Science and Politics, Conflict Management and Peace Science, the Journal of Punjab Studies, Special Operations Journal, and Military Review. His current research evaluates India’s foreign relations to draw policy implications for US strategy in the Indo-Pacific.
Philip holds an MA and PhD in Political Science from the University of New Mexico.

Chris Ferrara

Secretary

Chris Ferrara an education professional who is thrilled to take on a board role with GlobalTiesABQ. Chris is currently the Assistant Head of School at Menaul School, a 128 year-old New Mexican institution with a strong international program component.

Christopher’s current portfolio of duties includes managing Menaul School’s international operations as International Program Director. During his tenure, he established Menaul’s international accreditation and franchising model through Cognia, as well as its implementation in Menaul’s first overseas campus - Menaul School Qingdao in Qingdao, China. Menaul School Qingdao is currently preparing to send multiple students to study in Albuquerque on a yearly basis through programs developed by Chris.

In addition, Chris oversees Menaul School’s academic programs and teaching faculty. He developed and planned the implementation of Advanced Placement courses at Menaul School, building the program to the point that Menaul School now offers 14 AP courses, allowing talented local and international students to both benefit from college credit as well as to gain closer looks from top universities. In addition, Chris brought international mathematics curricula to Menaul through the implementation of Integrated Mathematics – focusing on the strength demonstrated through PISA testing that other nations bring to their mathematics programs.

Prior to his time at Menaul School, Chris worked as an international faculty member at Luoyang Normal University in Luoyang, China. He was recognized multiple times as teacher of the year for his innovative style of teaching as he prepared a new generation of young men and women to teach English throughout China’s most populous province. He holds a degree in History from the University of North Florida.

Seetha Subramanian

Treasurer

After decades of leading business transformation across Asia, Seetha Subramanian now calls New Mexico home. She spent over 20 years in Hong Kong, where she helped grow a global sportswear brand from a amateur regional player into a $100M international business. Rising from Financial Controller to COO and Board Director, she led everything from financial restructuring and global expansion to product development and multi-country supply chain integration.Her most recent chapter took her into the heart of a Fortune 500 company, where she led a confidential, enterprise-wide transformation project for Fossil Group. Working across continents, she helped define global strategy, align finance and operations, and establish a new Global Capability Center in India, laying the foundation for more agile, efficient ways of working worldwide.With an EMBA from Kellogg-HKUST and a law degree from the University of London, Seetha brings both sharp analytical thinking and strategic vision to everything she does. She’s known for seeing around corners, fostering high-performing teams, and leading with calm clarity, even in the most complex environments.Now based in Albuquerque, she’s rediscovering the joy of desert landscapes and green chile, while staying deeply connected to her global roots. She’s passionate about mentoring women in business, championing inclusive leadership, and always seeking the next meaningful challenge. While she may have traded skyscrapers for desert sunsets, she’s never lost her global point of view, or her love of strong coffee and a good spreadsheet.

Antonio Flores

Acting Treasurer

Antonio Flores is a certified trainer of Sage Intacct, MIP Fund Accounting and Microix software with more than a decade of experience in database management and the implementation of accounting software. He trains individuals from businesses, tribal governments and non-for-profit organizations on the effective use of their business software systems, including how to improve their accounting processing, payroll, human resources, tax reporting, and other processes. Antonio holds a bachelor’s degree in International Business from the University of Guanajuato, Mexico, and also both an MBA in Finance and a Master of Accountancy (MACC) from the University of New Mexico.

Miguel Sabol

Member-at-Large

Miguel Sabol is an international education professional committed to building global connections through cultural exchange, citizen diplomacy, and inclusive programming.

Miguel currently works as an International Education Advisor in the Global Education Office of the University of New Mexico, where he supports international students and scholars from admission to graduation to post-graduation work permission and beyond. He advises on F-1 and J-1 visa regulations, work authorization, travel, academic policies, and cultural adjustment in order to support students throughout their academic journey in the United States.

Previously, Miguel served as a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant at the Universidade Federal da Paraíba in João Pessoa, Brazil. He moved to northeastern Brazil in March 2024 with his wife, Monica Briones, and returned to New Mexico at the end of the year. He has also worked at Instituto Cervantes Albuquerque in cultural programs and taught Spanish courses at the University of New Mexico. These experiences laid the foundation for his ongoing work in international education and citizen diplomacy.

Miguel brings a wide range of international experience and a strong commitment to people-to-people exchange. His journey in global engagement began at age 16 when he left Farmington, New Mexico, to spend his junior year of high school studying abroad in Valladolid, Spain. Since then, he has pursued opportunities to deepen his understanding of cross-cultural collaboration, including participating in the 12th Korea-America Student Conference in 2019 and earning a Critical Language Scholarship to study Brazilian Portuguese in 2020.

Professionally, Miguel has supported international collaboration across sectors. He worked with Ashoka’s Ayni Community in Latin America to assist social entrepreneurs and local government leaders in designing systems-change strategies that address community needs. He also interned with Global Ties ABQ, where he helped coordinate U.S. Department of State-sponsored professional exchange programs and supported visiting international delegations. These experiences reflect his belief in the power of citizen diplomacy to foster mutual understanding and lasting global partnerships.

In addition to his professional work, Miguel is a member of the Global Shapers Albuquerque Hub, where he has held leadership roles and leads youth-driven projects focused on community development and equity. He has been active in the Global Shapers community in both the United States and Brazil.

Miguel holds a Bachelor’s degree in International Studies and Spanish, a Master’s degree in Latin American Studies, and is currently pursuing a Master of Public Administration at the University of New Mexico to further his commitment to public service and global engagement.

Steph Sharma

Member-at-Large

Steph Sharma, DBA is the Founder and Managing Director of Symbio Strategies and a strategist working at the intersection of organizational strategy, governance, and workplace well-being. She brings more than two decades of consulting and nonprofit leadership experience, including board and advisory service spanning community well-being, health system integration, veterans’ support, and rescue animal welfare. Steph holds a Global MBA from the Thunderbird School of Global Management, where she focused on international business leadership, and a Doctorate of Business Administration from Hult International Business School, where her research examined workplace well-being and engagement in evolving work environments. She currently serves as a Senior Executive Fellow with The Digital Economist, contributing to work on policy, governance, and sound business decision-making. Outside of her professional work, Steph enjoys time in nature, horse riding, dog training, flamenco, sourdough baking, and international travel with her husband.

We'd like to recognize Jon Ghahate, Global Ties ABQ Ambassador

Jon Ghahate

Ambassador

Jon Ghahate is of the Pueblos of Laguna and Zuni and of the Turkey and Badger Clans. Jon is the Museum Cultural Educator at the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center in Albuquerque, New Mexico. As the Museum Cultural Educator, his responsibilities are to develop and present a historically accurate and respectful narrative of the cultures, heritage, and legacies of New Mexico’s Pueblo communities. He has a diverse professional background as; a primary care and orthopedic-surgical Physician Assistant, a high school math and science teacher and athletic coach for the Albuquerque Public Schools, was an Associate Producer for Native America Calling, a live national daily radio talk program, and has volunteered for a number of civil and community organizations. He is a Vietnam Era veteran, in enlisted and commissioned medical ranks, having serviced in several military branches. He was a Kellogg National Leadership Program Fellow.

Through the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center, Jon has given presentations on New Mexico’s Pueblo communities, providing a credible and historically accurate paradigm of the Indigenous civilizations of the US Southwest, the impact of encroachment and colonization by Eastern Hemisphere entities upon of these civilizations, the acknowledgement of the diverse Indigenous civilizations of the Western Hemisphere that incorporated STEM constructs in establishing and sustaining their civilizations pre-Contact, the continued evolution and resilience of Indigenous peoples, the efforts of Indigenous people taking ownership of a more accurate and science-centered narrative of their history, and topics centered on Cultural Humility and Sensitivity. As a lecturer, he has presented to organizations such as; the Albuquerque Public Schools School Board, the University of New Mexico, the Crow Canyon Archeological Center, the Coronado State Historic Site/Park, The Nature Conservancy of Santa Fe, the National Park Service, the Sierra Club, the America Farmland Trust, the World Council of Churches, SITE Santa Fe, the US Air Force, the Pittsburg National Corporation, the Center for Indigenous Ministries, and META/Facebook. He has assisted some of these organizations with creating their ‘land acknowledgement statement’. Jon is a parent of two children and resides on the homelands of the Pueblo people of the Southwest United States.