Staff Directory

Alejandro Jimenez

Alejandra Macias

Front Office Secretary

phone / email

Bio
Alejandro Jimenez

Alejandro Jimenez

Counselor/Director of Restorative Practices

phone / email

Bio
Alle Kirkland

Alle Kirkland

9th grade English & High School PE teacher

phone / email

Bio
Alle Kirkland

Alejandra Macias

Front Office Secretary

phone / email

Bio
Alle Kirkland

Alejandra Macias

Front Office Secretary

phone / email

Bio

Administration

Dr. Zoë Nelsen, Ph.D.
Head Learner
znelsen@montedelsol.org
505-982-5225 x101

Erika Penczer
Assistant Head Learner
epenczer@montedelsol.org
505.982.5225 x.106

Kristina Deike
Title IX Coordinator
Athletic Director
kdeike@montedelsol.org
505.982.5225 x.112               

Operations + Admissions

Alejandra M Alarcon
Front Office Secretary
aalarcon@montedelsol.org

Anya Friday
Business Office Manager
afriday@montedelsol.org

Cruz Ontiveros
Maintenance
maintenance@montedelsol.org

Benjamin Harris
Office Manager
bharris@montedelsol.org
505-982-5225, x.100

Axiom Analytics                                Business Management              

Maria “Lupe” Cerquera
Registrar
mcerquera@montedelsol.org
505-982-5225 x.104

Michael Granado                              Culture and Safety Coordinator    mgranado@montedelsol.org  

Ryan (Uvee) Witt                  Garden Coordinator                  uwitt@montedelsol.org         

Pablo Cerquera
IT Director
pcerquera@montedelsol.org
505-982-5225 x107

Pablo D Cerquera
Digital Coach
dcerquera@montedelsol.org

505-982-5225 x119

Development + Communications

Dr. Zoë Nelsen, Ph.D.
Head Learner
znelsen@montedelsol.org
505-982-5225 x101

Judy Herzl
Development/Communications Liaison
jherzl@montedelsol.org

Student Services + Programs

Alejandro Jimenez                Counselor/Director of Restorative Practices      ajimenez@montedelsol.org          505.982.5225 x116                 

Anri Tsutsumi
Educational Assistant, Special Education
atsutsumi@montedelsol.org

Carolina Tavarez
Program Coordinator, College and Career Plaza
ctavarez@montedelsol.org
505-819-9567

Cecily Weinstein                                Out-of-School Activities Coordinator    cweinstein@montedelsol.org

Cindy Brown
Case Manager, Special Education
cbrown@montedelsol.org

Dr. Jenn Péna, JMP Academy        Special Education Advisor

David Esquibel
Counselor
desquibel@montedelsol.org
505-982-5225 x116

Elliot Ryan
Special Education Coordinator
eryan@montedelsol.org
505.982.5225 x155      

Giselle Hensel-Piburn
Director, Mentorship Program
gpiburn@montedelsol.org
505-982-5225 x115

Isela Burciaga
Social Worker, Special Education
rburciaga@montedelsol.org

Joseph Butler
Educational Assistant, Special Education
jbutler@montedelsol.org

Judy Herzl
Assistant Mentorship Director
jherzl@montedelsol.org
505-982-5225 x115

Karen Loya
Educational Assistant, Special Education, Middle School PE
kloya@montedelsol.org    

Kimberly Moyers
Educational Assistant, Special Education
kmoyers@montedelsol.org

Lisa Goldman
Special Education, Gifted
lgoldman@montedelsol.org

Molly Conway
SPED Case Manager
mconway@montedelsol.org

Raul Garcia
Educational Assistant, Special Education, Computer Science
rgarcia@montedelsol.org

Simon Mudge
Special Education Teacher/Algebra One
smudge@montedelsol.org

Susha W Pratt
Counselor
spratt@montedelsol.org
505-982-5225, x116

Vanessa Rivera
McKinney Vento Specialist
vrivera@montedelsol.org
505-982-5225 x.103

Instructional Staff

Alicia Jones
Art Department Chair
ajones@montedelsol.org            

Alle Kirkland
High School Language Art/Physical Education
akirkland@montedelsol.org

Amanda Smith
Dual Credit Culinary
asmith@montedelsol.org

Brenna Farrow
7th Grade Math
bfarrow@montedelsol.org

Carla Evans
Photography
cevans@montedelsol.org

David DePolo
Middle School Language Arts
ddepolo@montedelsol.org

Dayni Staddon
High School World History
dstaddon@montedelsol.org

Elizabeth Tidrick
High School Language Arts
etidrick@montedelsol.org

Enrique Otero
Global Studies, Financial Literacy, Blacksmithing
 

Erick Druva
Science Department Chair, Middle School Science, Math, MESA
edruva@montedelsol.org

Graciela “Chela” Butler
Middle School Math
gbutler@montedelsol.org

Guillermo Tellez
Geometry, Algebra
gtellez@montedelsol.org

Jim Heidenberger
Physics, Chemistry, Dual Credit Greenhouse
jheidenberger@montedelsol.org

John Przyborowski
Humanities Department Chair
High School English Language Arts, Health
johnp@montedelsol.org

Juan Carlos Gonzalez-Granja
Spanish/Bilingual
jgonzalez@montedelsol.org

Kim Griffis
Middle School/High School History
kgriffis@montedelsol.org

Margarita Blanco
Middle School English Language Arts, History
mblanco@montedelsol.org

Rudy Penczer
Math Department Chair, Algebra, Statistics, Calculus
rpenczer@montedelsol.org

Roger Brown
High School Science Teacher
rbrown@montedelsol.org

Todd E. Kurth
Biology
tkurth@montedelsol.org

Tracy Silva
Testing Coordinator
tsilva@montedelsol.org

Wendy Leighton
Middle School History
wleighton@montedelsol.org

Udell Calzadillas
Spanish and French Language + Culture
ucalzadillas@montedelsol.org

William Rushing
High School History
wrushing@montedelsol.org

Teaching Artists

Anri Tsutumi
Middle School Painting
atsutsumi@montedelsol.org 

Enrique Otero
High School Blacksmithing
eotero@montedelsol.org

Leslie Waltzer
Middle School Visual Art
lwaltzer@montedelsol.org

Petra Babankova
Middle School + High School Guitar
pbabankova@montedelsol.org

Food Service Team

Albert Lopez

Edward Melvin

Maria Wheeler

Alejandra Macias, Front Office Secretary
Joined Monte community: Fall 2021


Please share about your educational and professional experience

I have been working at the Monte del Sol school, helping parents, staff, and students in Spanish and English with any questions or concerns that come to the front office. Before working at Monte I helped my husband with his business. I received my degree in Mexico in Marketing and Human Resources. Before I moved to the United States, I worked in the hotel industry in Mexico.

 

Tell us about you personally – personal interests, fun facts, hobbies and family:

I am married and have three children.  Two of my children have graduated from Denver University and my youngest son is a student at XX.  I like to travel, spend time with my family and friends, and walk my dog.

Alejandro Jimenez, Counselor/Director of Restorative Practices
Joined Monte community: Fall 2023


Please share about your educational and professional experience:

I have been in the counseling/advising realm for over a decade and love to laugh with students while supporting them, and their families, to get to wherever they want to be.

 

Tell us about you personally – personal interests, fun facts, hobbies and family:

I like the outdoors and growing my own food. I love listening to music and my current favorite artists are Los Dos Carnales, Ed Maverick, Santa Fe Klan, and Silvana Estrada.

 

What do you love about Monte del Sol?

I love the size of the school. It really provides an environment where we can get to know all students.

Alle Kirkland, 9th grade English & High School PE teacher
Joined Monte community: Fall 2022


Please share about your educational and professional experience:

I have been teaching for 15 years. I began my teaching career in Madrid, Spain as an English teacher for all ages, from elementary to adults! I also taught English as a second language in both Costa Rica and Ireland (to international students living there). I moved back to New Mexico in 2013 and taught at Tierra Encantada Charter School for six years before coming to Monte del Sol in 2022.

 

Tell us about you personally – personal interests, fun facts, hobbies and family:

I have two young boys, who keep me on the move 24/7.  I love cooking, hiking, yoga and traveling. In my dreams, I’m on ‘Broadway’ and making quilts, but don’t have any of those talents (YET)!

 

What do you love about Monte del Sol?

I love the community and family Monte del Sol has created, everyone can be themselves here.