Mission
The Pueblo Education Foundation’s mission is to promote Native American student achievement and preparation for becoming life-long learners, engaged community members, and problem solvers by reducing and eliminating educational costs so that they do not serve as a barrier to equal access to education.
Strategic Goals
Strategic Goal 1: Increase community youth rates of attendance in post-graduate study by reducing and removing financial barriers to attendance and attaining a degree.
Strategic Goal 2: Increase community youth rates of attendance in post-graduate study by reducing and removing administrative barriers to attendance and attaining a degree.
Guiding Principles
Our Youth Are Our Future: We believe in the ability of our youth to succeed and that it our responsibility to support our youth in their journeys of learning. This journey is different for everyone and no one path is more important than any other. However, for those youth who have a calling to attend college, they may face particular challenges. We have a responsibility to help reduce and eliminate the unique barriers that they may face so that they can achieve true equal access to education.
Community: We believe in the value of partnerships with our community members, educational institutions, community organizations, business communities, local and federal agencies, tribal and other local government, the faith community, and individual citizens in promoting genuine equal access to education for our youth.
Transparency: We believe that trust is the foundation of everything and we hold ourselves accountable to our community by operating openly and transparently. We announce our meetings publicly and invite all community members to attend and ask us questions. We complete our regulatory filings with state and federal governments consistently and on time. We make information about our operations, finances, and decisions available to all community members and interested parties.
Efficiency: We believe that all possible efforts should be given to support our youth in their educational goals. The administrative costs of running the Pueblo Education Foundation are covered by the commitments of the Board of Directors. All of the funds the Pueblo Education Foundation secures are distributed to students.
Board of Directors
A Board of Directors is the governing body of an incorporated nonprofit organization such as the Pueblo Education Foundation. The Pueblo Education Foundation operates by an all volunteer Board of Directors. Individuals who sit on the board are responsible for overseeing our activities and make their decisions in accordance with our Articles of Incorporation, Bylaws, and guiding principles. The Pueblo Education Foundation’s Directors meet regularly to discuss and make decisions. To be reflective of the community and enable it to evolve to suit community needs, our Board positions are not set up to be permanent positions and the Pueblo Education Foundation Board positions have staggered terms.
Because the Pueblo Education Foundation is intended to function closely within the community, a majority of our Directors are from San Ildefonso. The Pueblo Education Foundation maintains at least one independent Director who is not from San Ildefonso but who has a demonstrated interest in the community and education.
The Pueblo Education Foundation
is fortunate to have a wonderful group of dedicated people serving on its Board of Directors
Stephanie McReynolds has worked in education or recruitment for over three decades. Steph graduated from Pojoaque High School and earned her B.A. from New Mexico Highlands University. She is as pro at firing up the panté as she is at navigating a FAFSA application. Steph seems to know nearly everyone in Northern New Mexico and knows how to help get things done. Steph currently works for Northern New Mexico College. She is serving as PEF’s President. Contact Steph here.
Shannon Titla has worked in public service, in both tribal and state government, for over twenty years. Shannon attended Santa Fe Community College for her associate’s degree and then went on to earn her B.A. from Northern New Mexico College. Shannon loves NMSU Aggies hoops nearly as much as she loves her family. She has the proud distinction of having her eldest child having completed all his course work at New Mexico State University in Las Cruces, New Mexico. She currently works for the State of New Mexico. Shannon is serving as PEF’s Secretary. Contact Shannon here.
Maxine McReynolds serves as an Independent Director. She earned her B.A. from the University of Puget Sound. Maxine attended law school at the University of Colorado and earned an executive MBA from the Anderson School of Management at University of New Mexico. She has worked for many years as a lawyer in different settings including in an international law firm, in public service, and at a national laboratory. She is currently the Associate General Counsel of Environmental Health and Safety at Los Alamos National Laboratory. Maxine benefited from the love and support of many teachers and champions during the course of her educational journey and she loves helping others achieve their goals. Maxine is serving as PEF’s Treasurer. Contact Maxine here.
Pueblo Education Foundation 