The new year brought changes to the Mancos Valley Resources charity organization.
According to a news release, Mancos Valley Resources is a community-based nonprofit 501(c)(3) charitable organization dedicated to preserving and enhancing the cultural, historical, recreational, educational and charitable assets of the Mancos Valley.
Previous board member, Clara A. Martinez, Ph.D., is the new president of the organization.
Martinez is a professional social sciences program developer, evaluator and grant consultant whose proposals have earned more than $70 million to date in grant awards, according to a news release.
She has also been instrumental in construction funding grants for the Mancos School District and the Mancos Public Library.
“I am gratified to serve as MVR’s president and grateful for the confidence of my board colleagues,” Martinez said in a news release. “My goal and vision are to carry out our mission and maintain relevance and capacity for the collaborative services we offer organizations that desire support to serve their missions.”
Martinez’s doctorate is in education anthropology, with a primary focus on language literacy and culture and a further specialization in Native American language and cultural revitalization.
Tami Graham, previous president of the board since 2012, remained a member of the MVR board.
Other new officers include Lizzy Scully, vice president; Tim Hunter, previous vice president and now secretary; and Dan Whitehead, treasurer.
MVR currently benefits 15 local organizations. The Raven Narratives is its newest project. Other beneficiaries include, the Mancos Creative District, Mancos School of the West, Mancos Valley Chorus, Painted Turtle Studio, the High Desert Conservation District, Montezuma School to Farm, Mancos Farmers’ Market, the Mount Lookout Grange, Chicken Creek Nordic Trails and Mancos Trails Group, the Giving Tree, Mancos Foodshare, the MLK Jr. Breakfast and the Pay It Forward Fund.
