GOVERNANCE BOARD
The Governance Board of Raíces is comprised of the community at large, with individuals who bring professional expertise that the founders have identified as referenced in the Charter—fiduciary, budget, academic, bilingual, culturally diverse, Mesoamerican history, and cultural knowledge. One of the board members is a parent. The qualifications and skills of the Board demonstrate that they have the capacity, knowledge, and experience to operate a successful, high-quality public charter school.
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Professional expertise and talents of board members include individuals who identify with the mission through experience in business and finance, the legal system, academic leadership or management; academic background in teaching, instruction, and curriculum development; cultural knowledge and awareness as a producing artist; community leader and parent; and an understanding of Mesoamerican history and the relevant aspects of living in a bi-literate, bicultural border community and environment such as Las Cruces and Doña Ana County, near the US-Mexico border.
Board Chair: Dr. Ismael Camacho is a New Mexico Legal Aid Staff Attorney.​ Areas of practice: Labor and Employment Law, Fair Labor Standards Act, Agricultural Worker Protection Act, Farmworker Health & Safety.​ Bar Admissions: New Mexico (1997) U.S. District Court for the District of New Mexico (2004)​ Education: J.D., University of New Mexico School of Law (1997), B.A., New Mexico State University (1992), Paralegal study, Antioch School of Law (1978). ​Professional Association and Memberships: State Bar of New Mexico.​Background & Practice Experience: Dr. Camacho is of Mexican descent and is fluent in Spanish. His valuable speaking, writing, and reading Spanish skills are indispensable when communicating with Spanish-speaking farmworkers. He received his B.A. from New Mexico State University in 1992 and his Juris Doctorate from the University of New Mexico in 1997. State Bar member since October 1997, and his practice has developed from his 17 years of experience working on behalf of farmworkers and 13 years of experience working for the Office of the New Mexico Attorney General. Educational knowledge about your rights is presented to high school, middle, and elementary students.
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Board Vice-Chair: Ana Mangino grew up in neighboring El Paso, TX, where she attended El Paso High School and the University of Texas at El Paso. She received a degree in banking from the Western States Graduate School of Banking, Anderson Business College at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque. Her background inspired her to pursue a career in banking, where she has been for 50 years.
Ana is described as a leader everyone respects because she quietly helps set the direction for organizations and helps accomplish goals for organizations. She is known for her strong commitment to the community and involvement with the Las Cruces Rotary Club (member since 2001), past president, N.M. State Department of Energy, Minerals, & Natural Resources-Youth Conservation Commission-Board Commissioner, and Women’s Information Network. She has raised millions of dollars to build a better community. Ana retired as a Vice President of Business Development for First American Bank. She is now a Businesswoman and enjoys retirement.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​
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Board Treasurer: Maria Elena Garza, I am honored to be accepted to serve at Raíces del Saber as part of the Governance Board. My experience with Public Libraries allowed me to collaborate in different educational programs that inspire me to continue helping in any capacity to enhance our children's education. I do believe in Community Schools supporting our children and their families holistically. Students must experience what it is to belong to a school that cares about individuals and is part of a society where everyone can contribute and improve knowledge and education. I also hope to assist with my long-term experience and skills in the private and public sector as an Administrator Manager, having experience in designing and implementing programs that involve the overall quality of administration, developing entrepreneurial guidelines to export and import industrial products worldwide, and the ability to adapt new concepts and direction, embracing new challenges and learning opportunities.
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Board Secretary: Mary Ann Clark has over 46 years of experience in education in Texas and New Mexico, retiring from Gadsden ISD in 2024. Her educational experiences include classroom teacher grades 2-12, Coordinator of Special/Gifted Education, Director of Advanced Academic Services, and Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum & Instruction. During her career, she has received several awards including NAGC Outstanding Curriculum, campus Teacher of the Year/EPISD District Teacher of the Year finalist, TAGT Regional Teacher of the Year, TAGT Regional Advocate of the Year, Outstanding Teaching of Humanities (TX Council for the Humanities), and NMAG as Administrator of the Year. She is most proud of her work with Dr. Joyce Juntune, Texas A&M University, identifying and supporting students from poverty and second language learners in gifted and advanced programs. At Texas A&M Dean’s Round Table, she was awarded Transformational Leadership for her work. Most recently, Mrs. Clark was presented with the “Excellence in Student Achievement Award” by the New Mexico School Boards Association in cooperation with the GISD Board of Education. She is a graduate of Texas Tech University with a bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education (minor in Speech Communications) and a Master’s Degree in Educational Administration from NMSU. Mrs. Clark has served on several executive boards, including SCNMAG, WTAGT, and TAGT. She is married and a proud mother of three: a son who is a high school principal, a daughter who teaches high school English, and a daughter who is in nursing school.
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Board Member at Large: I am originally from Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico. I have lived in the United States for over thirty years and have four children and four dogs. I graduated from NMSU in 2012 with a degree in Criminal Justice. I have been chairing the school's Concilio de Padres (Parent Council) for two years. This experience made me believe that when families, schools, and communities work together effectively and as partners, parent involvement is a powerful strategy that enhances the student's academic performance and helps better prepare our children to lead healthy, happy, and productive lives. Because of that, I would like to continue to serve at my child's school by being part of the Raíces Governance Board. I believe I would be an asset to the board because I have the enthusiasm and charisma. I’m Bilingual, but most importantly, I desire to create an environment of trust, identify the needs of children and parents and school, and all of our work together for a better tomorrow. Also, my academic and work experience gives me a better understanding of how to deal with government rules and regulations. My understanding of Public Education is no exception. I work for the City of Las Cruces, and such a position allows me to be exposed to great connections to establish beneficial partners for our school.
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