Team

Chris Brennan
Program DirectorChris Brennan is a New Mexico native who grew up just blocks away from the Global Ties ABQ office in downtown Albuquerque. He graduated from the University of Notre Dame in 2008 with a dual degree in Political Science and Peace Studies, where he developed a penchant for travel while studying abroad in Western Australia. Upon graduating, Chris worked in the Special Education Department at Van Buren Middle School before accepting a position as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Pearl Lagoon, Nicaragua, where he served for 3 years. After returning to Albuquerque in 2014, Chris spent 8 years as the Workforce Development Center Director at First Choice Community Healthcare, where he was an integral part of the Senior Management Team. He is multilingual and has a deep passion for causes related to social justice, equity, and cultural exchange. He is set to graduate from UNM’s Anderson School of Business in May 2023 with his Executive Masters of Business Administration (EMBA). In his spare time, he enjoys yoga and distance running as well as extra hot chile, and sings and plays guitar in the local band Reviva. He loves to travel and show visitors all that Albuquerque has to offer.

Sarah Wilkinson
Grants & Contracts Administrator
Michael Garlid
Program OfficerMichael was raised in Tempe, Arizona where he received his Bachelor’s in Global Studies from Arizona State University with a minor in French Language and Literature. He then pursued a Master’s of Science in International Management in Lugano, Switzerland at Franklin University Switzerland.
His passion for travel and public diplomacy stems from personal experiences that challenged his core values and beliefs and led to a career in cultural exchange and community engagement.
Outside the office Michael works to support sustainable initiatives and has worked with the UN Habitat and participated at COP 26 and other international conferences. Through international and idea exchanges he believes urban settlements and lifestyles can be more sustainable and retrofitted for the future.

Kathy Kersting
Project Manager - Youthink2: Global ChallengesKathy was born and raised in Las Cruces, New Mexico. She has lived in the
Washington, DC area and in Oregon before settling in Albuquerque many years
ago. She has worked for over 20 years in the field of education, including various
roles at the University of New Mexico, as well as a teacher in public and private
schools. While she has retired from teaching, Kathy is excited to work with
Global Ties ABQ coordinating the YouThink 2 Virtual Exchange Program
between Albuquerque and Algerian high school students. This position combines
her experience in working with students, while also incorporating her interest in
global affairs. Kathy and her family have a keen interest in traveling and have
enjoyed visiting and learning about different countries and their cultures. They
have previously served as a host family for soccer coaches from the United
Kingdom, as well as for a German exchange high school student. As a family,
they have traveled to several European countries and they look forward to
expanding their travels to other countries in the coming years. Kathy has a
Masters of Science degree in Public Affairs from the University of Oregon (UO),
as well as a Masters of Arts degree in Elementary Education from the University
of New Mexico. During her time at the UO, Kathy was selected to live and work in
Pohnpei, Micronesia as part of a joint summer program between the University
and the U.S. Department of Interior. This experience first fed her interest in
travel and learning about other cultures. She looks forward to the adventures
ahead in coordinating the exchange program at Global Ties ABQ.
Board

Melora Palmer
PresidentMelora Palmer is a Communications Consultant specializing in content development and technical writing, she has over 20 years’ experience in the marketing and communications field.
Always internationally inclined, Melora worked in the private sector in the US, Canada and France where she was lucky to travel extensively… losing count at 30 countries! She then made a 360° shift into the nonprofit sector, first starting her own company to launch fair trade and ethical products from her home in Paris, France. She then lived in Haiti and West Africa where she worked in communications, report and grant writing for prominent humanitarian organizations such as CARE and Aid for Artisans.
Melora relocated to Albuquerque in 2017, her Alma Mater state, to put her then teenage daughter in high school… and you think communicating in business is hard, try it with a 17-year-old! Here, she works as a freelance content writer and editor within the nonprofit sector.
All along her commitment to serving her community and being part of the solution has held strong, she has volunteered for numerous charitable groups over the years and continues to be engaged in civic activities be-it political, social, or environmental. She is a daily yoga and meditation practitioner and is often seen at events arriving by bicycle. Melora is fully bilingual in French and English and conversationally adept in Spanish and Haitian Creole.

Jill Van Nortwick
Past PresidentJill currently works as principal consultant for curate impact, an intercultural consultancy service dedicated to helping boards and top management teams identify their values, establish patterns of behaviors for ethical decisions, and discover and advance their vision.

Greg Polk
Treasurer
Laura Hille
SecretaryShe is excited to be a part of Global Ties ABQ and its work in welcoming visitors, further expanding Albuquerque’s global opportunities, and building exchange programs.
Previously, during her 7.5 years at the Institute of International Education (IIE), she managed outreach, recruitment, and section activities for a variety of global scholarship programs and institutions, including Schwarzman Scholars, Boren Awards, and New York University Abu Dhabi. Prior to IIE, Laura worked at the American Society of Hematology on international programs and at the U.S. Department of State on the International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP).
She is a graduate of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and has a MA in International Affairs from George Washington University. Laura and her husband, Tyler, moved to Albuquerque after eight years in Washington, D.C. and New York City. In her free time, she enjoys running, traveling, hiking, writing, and visiting New Mexico’s wealth of archeological sites.

Stephen L. Bishop
Member-at-LargeProfessor Bishop has published a number of articles on African literature and law, as well as his book Legal Oppositional Narrative: A Case Study in Cameroon (Lexington Books, 2008), which examines opposition to government-supported, dominant social orders through legal writing, including fiction that deals with legal themes, settings, and language, as well as nontraditional narratives such as legal decisions and textbooks. He has a forthcoming book, Scripting Humiliation: Shame in the African Novel, with Liverpool University Press.
He teaches courses on African literature and culture, theories of law and literature, and European and African legal and moral traditions in literature and film.

Deborah Blank
Member-at-Large
Jon Ghahate
Member-at-Large
Moses Winston
Member-at-LargeInterns

Zennie Tran
Marketing & Communications InternMy name is Zennie. I'm a University of New Mexico student majoring in Organizational Communication Studies. I was born and raised in Vietnam, and my parents always encouraged me to do my best in everything I do. They let me make my own choices and never pushed me toward a career goal. Growing up in the United States, I noticed that Asian-American representation is among the most minor represented groups working in the PR industry. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, only 6.2% of Asian Americans make up the PR industry in the U.S. As a member of the AAPI community, and I believe this might open doors for me to work in the PR industry.
As I sought to gain knowledge in the PR industry, I was able to get the opportunity to be a part of the Global Ties ABQ team. My goal is to be an Asian American representative in the PR industry to emphasize the work industry's power and influence. Being a member of the AAPI, I want to contribute my perspectives and experiences that I could share to enrich U.S communities, enhancing mutual understanding between the U.S and other nations. I also want to be a part of representing a voice for underrepresented groups. Overall, I believe the more diverse and inclusive the PR industry, the more rich and powerful we can get our messages across and strengthen our relationships with the rest of the world.