Meeting/Event Information

Rebecca Latham is the CEO of Girl Scouts of New Mexico Trails, one of 111 independent Girl Scouts organizations in the USA and overseas. Rebecca began her career as an on-air radio personality in Tampa before relocating to Albuquerque to co-host the morning show on 93.3 KOBFM. In 2006 she relocated to Red River to serve as the Tourism and Economic Development Director. In that role she was awarded six Tourism Industry Association Recognition Awards and was named New Mexico’s Tourism Professional of the Year. In 2014 she became Communications Director for the New Mexico Tourism Department, and in January 2015 Governor Susana Martinez appointed Rebecca as the Cabinet Secretary of the Tourism Department. In 2017, American Mothers, Inc., the national nonprofit organization known for honoring the contributions of mothers who make a positive impact in the world, named Rebecca as the National Mother of the Year®. She began her service to the organization as a member of the Board of Directors, and was named Chief Executive Officer in January 2019. Rebecca became the CEO of Girl Scouts of New Mexico Trails in March 2020 where she is able to combine her passion for youth leadership development and The Land of Enchantment.

Carla Kugler, President & CEO of Associated Builders & Contractors of New Mexico has worked in the construction industry for over 20 years. First for a mechanical contractor and then joined the staff of Associated Builders and Contractors in 2011.  In 2019 she became President & CEO and is also the organization’s lobbyist. Carla was appointed by the Governor to the State Workforce Board in 2014 where she is currently part of the executive committee that oversees the state’s workforce initiatives including the federal Workforce Investment and Opportunity Act (WIOA). Carla is a board member of the NM Society of Association Executives and chair of the Construction Capital Advisory Council (CCAC) for Albuquerque Public Schools. Carla participates in many community initiatives, including Jobs for American Graduates (JAG), Fathers Building Futures, Women in Construction, Skills USA and Life Quest. Carla has a bachelor’s degree from the University of New Mexico in Communications and Political Science, she’s been married to an amazing guy for 23 years & has two wonderful children – a son at NMSU and a daughter at Jefferson Middle School. 

Roberta Ricci, Chief Experience Officer at the Albuquerque Hispano Chamber of Commerce leads three major departments within the Chamber: Convention and Tourism, providing a full-service department to promote globally, Albuquerque as a destination for tourism and conventions specifically to the Native American and Hispanic markets; its Membership Program with over 1,000 members to support and provide unique resources to help grow and scale businesses; and its Marketing Department that promotes the various Chamber programs, services, and committees. Ricci also oversees seven Industry Programs that enhance the mission of the Chamber. Ricci specializes in building relationships with business leaders and organizations, connecting them with Albuquerque’s diverse Hispanic and Native American cultures. She is a graduate of the University of New Mexico where she has earned a master’s degree in Educational Leadership with a concentration in Higher Education and a bachelor’s degree in Organizational Management. Ricci previously held the role of executive director at the National Hispanic Cultural Center Foundation, development director of the CNM Foundation, and senior alumni relations manager at the University of New Mexico’s Anderson School of Management. Ricci serves or has served on several Boards of Directors including The Atrisco Companies, The UNM Alumni Association, The Rio Grande Community Development Corporation, Mark Armijo Charter High School, and Hispano Philanthropic Society of the United Way of Central New Mexico, along with volunteering for various committees within her community. Roberta was born and raised in Albuquerque’s South Valley and is married to Keith Ricci. They have two daughters, Marissa and Elena.

Moderator:

Karen Moses, Albuquerque Journal Editor and Senior Vice President joined the Journal’s staff as a copy editor in 1981 after one year working at a weekly publication on Chicago’s North Shore and three years at the Gallup Independent. She was promoted to city editor in 1989, then assistant managing editor in 1994, before savings as the managing editor for 22 years and then was named editor in 2017. Moses is president of New Mexico Foundation for Open Government, past president of the New Mexico Press Association, a graduate of Leadership New Mexico, a board member of the United Way of Central New Mexico and a member of the International Women’s Forum-New Mexico. In 2022, Moses was inducted in the New Mexico Press Association Hall of Fame. She has been married to her husband, Doug Oltmans, for nearly 43 years. They have three adult daughters and one grandson.