Meet Our New Executive Director
Con Alma’s Board of Trustees has hired Linda Candelaria-Dodd as the foundation’s new executive director starting January 3. Linda has served as a Con Alma trustee member since 2021 and replaces Denise Herrera, PhD.
“We thank Denise for helping us refine our policies, and we’re excited to welcome Linda to the role of executive director,” said Board President Nathan Padilla. “We believe she’s the right person to guide our investments in nonprofits supporting people’s health and our work toward health equity for all New Mexicans.”
Linda has served as resource development manager at Carlsbad Lifehouse, Inc., where she executed major fundraising and outreach efforts, including grant writing. Prior to that role, she managed all aspects of daily operations as executive director/CEO at United Way of Eddy County and served as program director of the Carlsbad Literacy Program. She has a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Eastern New Mexico University.
“Growing up in rural Northern New Mexico, I have witnessed the health disparities that plague rural communities and the adverse effects they have on leading a healthy prosperous life,” Linda said. “I am eager to continue advocating and championing for the most vulnerable populations in our state.”
Linda was raised in rural Los Brazos and has spent her life residing and working in small communities in New Mexico and Arizona, including the Navajo Nation in northwestern New Mexico and the White Mountain Apache Reservation in Cibecue, Arizona. Throughout her journey, she has cultivated strong connections and implemented effective strategies that have furthered the missions of the organizations she has been involved with, including her role as a volunteer board member for the Ronald McDonald House Charities of NM and the Eddy County Health Council.
Linda will help Con Alma invest the remaining $4 million MacKenzie Scott gift as well as its annual cycles of grant giving focused on improving health and working toward health equity in New Mexico.
