The Coalition is led by a Board of Directors consisting of direct caregivers who serve people who are elderly or disabled and includes those with occupations such as certified nursing assistants, home health aides, direct support professionals & direct care workers. Please see the biographies below to learn more about them and their goals as members of the Board of Directors.
Dawn Esquibel brings her incredibly knowledgeable and successful history to the role of Treasurer on the Youth Development, Inc. (YDI) Board of Directors. From a Branch Manager at Wells Fargo Bank to Vice President positions at both First Financial Credit Union and United Business Bank, Dawn has created fun, enthusiastic, and collaborative environments working within the financial industry for over 27 years. Lowering turnover, increasing sales, to managing various transitions, Dawn has ensured that each and every employee has been given the tools needed to thrive in order to rise and meet goals. Dawn supports the financial literacy initiative throughout the nation by serving as Co-Chair for Money Smart New Mexico. She also serves as Treasurer for Jumpstart New Mexico.

Rick Bela
Ric, Volunteer and Special Advisor, is a civil rights attorney with more than forty years’ experience in community development, real estate and business development, and government and private organizational management. He started his career upon graduation from the University of Texas Law School by working in Washington, DC with President Lyndon Johnson’s administration in the “Great Society” programs and the Office of Economic Opportunity. He also served as President of Hispanic Association on Corporate Responsibility from 1991-2000, replacing former Governor Jerry Apodaca.
His program areas of focus included forming and funding community-based migrant farm-worker self-help programs and legal services programs in the southwest states. Much of this work included providing technical assistance in forming non-profit community organizations, including NM organizations like HELP-NM and Siete del Norte.
Marie Cairo, Treasurer, is the owner of a company providing bookkeeping and administrative services for the past 30 years. Ms. Cairo works with a range of clients, mostly small businesses, including a client who runs an assisted living facility employing caregivers. Born and raised in Chicago, Ms. Cairo attended the University of Illinois in Chicago and moved to New Mexico 18 years ago. She is a proud mother of two girls. She enjoys camping, hiking and reading.
David Fresquez is the owner of Home Companion Care, LLC, (HCC), a statewide caregiver service fully dedicated to supporting seniors as they successfully age at home. He is the vice chair of New Mexico Caregivers Coalition (NMCC). David has extensive experience in providing services to seniors who reside in an assisted living setting and in the development and delivery of services specifically designed for seniors at community senior centers.
David fully understands the value of seniors remaining at home while making use of community services for increased quality of life. As a nursing home administrator, David created a variety of programs taking into account the special needs of seniors residing in these settings. Prior to specializing in senior health care, David served as a business consultant for the San Antonio Spurs in San Antonio, Texas. As a business consultant David fully appreciates the value of quality services and meeting the needs of his clients. He received a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Business Administration.
David is deeply committed to the delivery of professional and timely services to New Mexico seniors in a caring, supportive and organized manner. David takes special interest in meeting the specific needs of seniors through superior caregiver training and attention to detail.
Stephanie Welch, chair, is an attorney and Director of Workers’ Rights at the New Mexico Center on Law and Poverty. At the Center, she works to strengthen public enforcement of the minimum wage and overtime laws in New Mexico, promote worker protections such as paid sick leave and safe workplaces, and improve domestic workers’ and farmworkers’ pay and working conditions. Prior to joining the Center, she worked as a supervising attorney at Texas RioGrande Legal Aid, where she represented workers in federal litigation and advocated for the civil rights of border residents. She graduated from the New York University School of Law in 2006.
Past Board Members