Meet the caring team of NMCC
Adrienne R. Smith
President & CEO of NMCC
Adrienne R. Smith is President & CEO of New Mexico Caregivers Coalition, a statewide organization that advocates for and advances the professional development and workforce issues of New Mexico’s caregivers, so they better serve those who are elderly and those with disabilities. She has served in this role since 2012.
Prior to 2012, she served as consultant to international, national and state clients in the areas of youth development, youth employment, workforce development, resource development and advocacy. Clients included U.S. Department of Labor, U.S. Agency for International Development, Education Development Center (MA), National Youth Employment Coalition, Jobs for America’s Graduates and a variety of New Mexico state agencies.
Ms. Smith was founding director of a national academy for selected emerging leaders of youth-serving organizations; a first national training for emerging leaders of Youth Opportunity grantees funded by the U.S. Department of Labor; Vice President of the national Jobs for America’s Graduates; and staff to Governor Ray Mabus (MS) on affordable housing, workforce excellence and adult literacy.
She also worked as lead Planner to gather school finance data for the landmark Texas Supreme Court education finance lawsuit, Edgewood v. Kirby.
Adrienne served on the Federal Reserve Bank’s Community Advisory Council to its Board of Governors; Community Advisory Development Council to the Federal Reserve Bank’s Tenth District; National Youth Employment Coalition Board of Directors; American Association of University Women.
Adrienne holds a Bachelor’s (Biology) from Millsaps College, and a Master’s (Public Policy and International Administration) from University of Texas-San Antonio.
Sharon Finarelli
Respite Care Coordinator
Sharon Finarelli comes to NMCC from her role as Director of Community Partnerships with Presbyterian Health Plan. Sharon has worked with community-based organizations for over 30 years in a variety of settings and has a passion for improving community health.
In her previous role as Executive Director of the New Mexico Alliance of Health Councils, she had the opportunity to listen to health councils express community needs during the Covid-19 pandemic. Access to care is always one of the top three needs identified by communities in New Mexico.
Access to respite care is a need that many communities do not identify because they often don’t know what it is or how to access this type of care. Sharon is excited to have the opportunity to make respite care more accessible to communities throughout our state. After serving as a caregiver for her family members, Sharon understands the value of respite care to support the health and well-being of both the caregiver and the care recipient.
When Sharon isn’t working on improving community health, she loves to build her own health and well-being by hiking, kayaking, and biking throughout our beautiful state. If you have a great place to explore in New Mexico or if you have ideas about how to make respite care more accessible, she would welcome your suggestions!
Leslie Otero
Social Work Intern
Santiana Narvaiz
Social Work Intern
Chinda Lucoski
Caregiver Support Volunteer
Leslie is a senior at Highlands University and will be graduating with a bachelor’s degree in social work in May 2025. Before attending Highlands University, I attended Central New Mexico Community College and earned an associate’s degree in human services. During my spare time, I enjoy spending time with my husband and kids and traveling around the country with them.
Santiana Narvaiz is a senior at New Mexico Highlands University working as an intern for NMCC. She will be graduating with a bachelor’s degree in social work in May 2025. She is currently independently contracted working as a CCSI for those on the Developmental Disabilities Wavier program. She has previously worked as a caregiver in skilled nursing homes, rehabilitation facilities, and as a social services assistant within a nursing facility. She plans to continue her work with caregivers, the elderly and on the DD waiver as a behavioral therapist once graduated. During her spare time, she enjoys being with family and friends, and trying new places to eat and connect with loved ones.
Chinda Lucoski is a dedicated family caregiver, parent advocate, facilitator, and volunteer support group organizer in Otero County. Motivated by her daughter Alicia’s diagnoses of I/DD, Autism, and cerebral palsy, Chinda was trained and certified in stress management, craniosacral therapy, sound healing therapy, and massage therapy. These modalities have helped significantly improve Alicia’s overall functioning. Thanks to Chinda’s unwavering commitment, Alicia is now working in the local hospital’s Food Service and Culinary Program.
Katherine Kelly
Caregiver Support Group Volunteer
Niki Sebastian
Consulting Outreach Manager & Trainer
Katherine Kelly has worked in the healthcare field since 2009, as a caregiver and as a Sterile Processing Technician in Surgery, preparing instruments for surgeons. Katherine served on the Board of Directors for the Healthcare Sterile Processing Association when she lived in California. In 2021, Katherine moved to New Mexico and started her professional career in our state. She currently lives in Truth or Consequences, serving care recipients and her community in general, both as a professional caregiver and as a volunteer.
Niki Sebastian is a consulting Outreach Manager and Trainer for the New Mexico Caregivers Coalition (NMCC). She holds a High Honors B.A. in psychology, and an M.A. in Language Pathology/Developmental Psychology, and has had a varied career ranging across law, research, education, government service, consulting, counseling, writing, and health care. Now in her late seventies, she recently retired from full-time employment and has chosen to devote her energies to NMCC as a trainer and facilitator, continuing her career emphasis on helping others make decisions, learn, communicate effectively, and access the supports that enable them to progress toward their life goals. In her spare time, she maintains a blog as 1eclecticwriter@wordpress.com, designs jewelry, and maintains her garden and flock of hens at her home in rural northern New Mexico.
Valerie Tsosie
Consulting Outreach Manager
Valerie Tsosie is a consulting Outreach Manager for New Mexico Caregivers Coalition. She leads the So’ Tsoh Foundation, an organization that aims to create pathways to better health by offering innovative solutions for Diné caregivers to have access to behavioral and physical wellness, and quality care to the caregiver and their families. The So’ Tsoh Foundation offers comprehensive programs, specialty services, resources, and support to address general wellness concerns. So’ Tsoh utilizes an integrated Diné approach that takes into consideration the body, mind, and spirit connection.
As well as her role at the So’ Tsoh Foundation, Valerie is a volunteer outreach coordinator with Protect Native Elders—a diverse, indigenous-founded, intertribal, 100% volunteer charitable organization working to provide rapid relief support to indigenous communities struggling with COVID-19.