Staff

Sofia Martinez, PH.D

Co-Coordinator, Dr. Martinez is a community-academic, writer, documentarian, activist organizer who has worked at the intersections of social justice, anti-racism and liberation work for over 40 years. Sofia is also a co-founder of Voces Feministas, a women of color radio collective covering politics, art, culture and news highlighting women of color. Originally from northern New Mexico where she is active with Concerned Citizens of Wagon Mound and Mora County.

Richard Moore

Co-Coordinator, Richard currently serves as the Co-Chair of the inaugural White House Environmental Justice Advisory Council (WHEJAC). Richard has also served on the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) National Environmental Justice Advisory Council (NEJAC), where in 1993 he was the first elected Chair. Richard is the Co-Coordinator for Los Jardines Institute in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and national Co-Coordinator of the Environmental Justice & Health Alliance for Chemical Policy Reform, advocating for stronger, safer, and just chemical policies. He is also Co-Founder and Board Member of Just Transition Alliance and a Board Member of Coming Clean, Inc.

Francine Bivens

Farm Manager, Francine is our Farm Manager. Francine began as a volunteer wanting to learn and contribute to the local food economy.

Cynthia Gomez

Cynthia provides administrative and program support for Los Jardines Institute. Cynthia has a life long commitment to family and community learning, education and resiliency. She is a storyteller through documentary film and photography and a host and producer for public radio.

Beth Moore Love

Painter and avid DIYer, descendant of German/Irish settler farmers in Iowa -family moved to Albuquerque in 1969. Former volunteer, now LJI file clerk librarian.

Diana Padilla

Guardian of the Guardian / Farm Intern

Xavier Avila

Guardian of the Garden and Farmer

Xavier Barraza

Environmental and Economic Justice Coordinator, X works on LJIs local, regional and national EEJ organizing with EJHA, Just Transition Alliance, and Coming Clean. He grew up between a family ranch in southeast New Mexico and family home in the South Valley.

Volunteer & Interns

Felix Lucero

In-house carpenter and artist. Felix supports causes that Los Jardines is involved in, with an emphasis on resisting artist driven gentrification in his South Valley neighborhood.

Anas AbuAmar

Kaya Purse

Summer farm intern

South Valley prep Students

We want to recognize South Valley Preparatory leadership for our partnership each school year. This includes the hundreds of students and teachers who participate in our school year learning field trips. And the dozens of students who serve as Summer interns.

Interdisciplinary Laboratory for Art Nature and Dance.

We want to recognize Jennifer and Alex with the Interdisciplinary Laboratory for Art Nature and Dance (iLand). For our continued collaboration during the Summer with the South Valley focused move thing project that follows the movements of toxicity and accessing the reparative possibilities of dance to heal, bring joy and liveliness through movement.