Mike Kendall is a retired Navy Chief Hospital Corpsman with 23 years of experience in military healthcare as a provider, manager, and leader. He also taught aviation physiology and water survival training to Navy and Marine Corps aircrew during his career. He used this experience to support the flight training department of Eclipse Aviation in Albuquerque before starting his own business providing management services to sole proprietors. He currently supports the Office of the Executive Vice Dean, School of Medicine at UNM with ambitions of fulfilling a greater role within the UNM Health System. Mike’s goal is to strengthen the relationship among the MHA and MPA student body while fostering relationships with faculty, NMHE, ACHE, and the community. Mike holds a B.S. degree in Healthcare Management and wishes to pursue a doctorate degree upon completion of the MHA program.

Over the last 16 years in healthcare, Berenice Lopez has achieved diversified expertise in healthcare finance. As a hospital Finance Director with UNMH over the last 9 years, she's received a comprehensive background in a not for profit structure healthcare system. Her recent work focuses on UNM Hospitals' Mission of Excellence as her role is to help facilitate and support all aspects of staff engagement, alignment, recognition, accountability, leader development, teamwork, empowerment and quality metrics to insure a successful cultural transformation within UNM Hospitals. Presently holding various leadership roles within the community of Albuquerque Central New Mexico, she also serves as the treasurer for Ballet Folklorico Fiesta Mexicana Inc, a small community dance group, successfully served as a the treasure for two full terms for the Association of Latino Professionals for America (ALPFA), and was an active member of El Centro de la Raza. As an established leader, she enjoys mentoring young professionals, providing them with personal experiences and resources necessary to begin their professional careers.

Maria Catalina Cardenas Garcia is from Bogota, Colombia. She is a finance and business administrator professional. Receiving two bachelor’s degrees in August 2012 from Sergio Arboleda University in Bogota, Colombia, she worked as a credit analyst for 6 years before and after her graduation at AVVillas Bank and Caja Social Bank. In August 2017, she moved to Albuquerque and started her studies at the Center of English Language and American Culture (CELAC) at UNM. During that time, she worked as a Tax Volunteer at the UNM Global Education Office and also as a Staff Writer for CELAC Student Voice. In August 2019, she began her studies in the UNM School of Public Administration to pursue the MHA program. She is a trustworthy and hardworking person that enjoys outdoor activities, Albuquerque’s mountains, and the amazing weather. She feels blessed to have the opportunity to continue learning and growing as a professional in this beautiful country, and to be student at The University of the New Mexico.

Kira Pelowitz has completed two semesters in the MHA program. She comes from a primarily STEM background, having done an undergrad in Biology at New Mexico Tech as well as professional lab work with bacteriophage. During her undergrad, she was involved in the student government for several years, serving both on the student senate and as a Student Activities Technical Director. Kira was also involved in a number of social and professional student clubs, which provided valuable student leadership experience. She is excited about serving her fellow students in this capacity.