Jill van Nortwick joined the Governing Council in October 2017. She is currently the principal consultant for Curate Impact. Jill brings a unique perspective to the GC having worked in business, government, and the nonprofit world here and abroad. After completing her Masters in International Business, she has dedicated herself to helping boards and management teams identify and implement key cultural levers for ethical decision making.

Jill moved to New Mexico in 2004 after spending many years living in Australia and New Zealand. It was in New Zealand that she experienced a charter school with her two daughters as students. Jill has been involved in and with many different boards and is excited to support the mission of the school and ensure its ongoing success.

Louis is one of the parent members of Cottonwood Classical Preparatory School’s Governing Council.  He and his wife Brenda have three sons and have been part of the Cottonwood family since 2011. Louis works at Sandia National Laboratories in the areas of Business and Organizational Development and has more than a decade of experience in higher education.  Louis currently holds an adjunct faculty position with Lewis University where he teaches undergraduate, graduate, and online courses in Human Resources, Business and Organizational Leadership and Development. Louis has also served as board president and been an active member of several private school organizations.

Clifford is a pricing analyst and contract administrator for a private government contracting company. Prior to this, he worked as an estimator for a commercial construction company gaining an extensive background in the construction industry. He received his bachelor’s degree in 2010 in Psychology from the University of New Mexico.  Living in Albuquerque nearly his entire life, Clifford not only enjoys being a resident but is also enthusiastic about giving back to his community and being a part of something bigger than himself.  Clifford brings his contracting, accounting, budgeting, and business administration knowledge to the board and is excited to be a part of the CCPS Governing Council.

Alexandria Tavarez, Member

Alexandria Tavarez is the newest member to the Governing Council. She was born and raised in Albuquerque and attended New Mexico State University to get her degree in Hotel, Restaurant and Tourism Management. Since graduating college in 2014, she has been working at the New Mexico Cancer Center Foundation, where they help adult cancer patients with their non-medical expenses. As of last May, she was promoted to Assistant Director and enjoys her career in the non-profit sector.  She loves giving back to the adult community through the work she does at the cancer center and is excited for the opportunity to now give back to the future generation by serving on the Governing Council.

Danielle Silva, Member

Danielle Silva was born and raised in Albuquerque, New Mexico. She graduated from the University of New Mexico with her Bachelor of Business Administration, concentration in marketing and minor in economics. Danielle is the Director of Public Relations and Community Engagement  at U.S. Eagle Federal Credit Union. U.S. Eagle is a local, financial cooperative that serves its member-owners through outstanding member experience. Her role as community engagement specialist is to invest in the community through events, communication, contributions, financial literacy, and partnerships. In her spare time, you can find her volunteering, purchasing a latte at a local coffee shop, or running the trails of Albuquerque. Danielle brings experience in marketing, strategic community partnerships, and continuous improvement to the Board. She is passionate about seeing our youth succeed and is excited to serve Cottonwood Classical.