Southwest Regional Education Cooperative Staff

We are proud to employ a dedicated staff of experts in their field! With a love for our community and a desire to provide our students with an exemplary public education, we are committed to providing local school districts with services that streamline their administrative responsibilities so they can focus on what matters most—students! If we can help you in any way, please feel free to contact us. We are here to serve you!

<br /> A group photo shows fifteen individuals, mostly women, of varying ages and ethnicities, standing in two rows. All are wearing identical dark red polo shirts with a circular white logo on the right side of their chests. They are smiling and looking towards the camera. The background is a gradient of dark gray to light gray.
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  • Brea Valerie
    Valerie Brea Executive Director Send message »

    Valerie Brea has been in education for over 29 years. She spent the first eight years of her career as a special education teacher in a self-contained K–5 class and then as a reading coach in an elementary school in Silver City, New Mexico. During these years, she obtained two master’s degrees, one in special education and one in educational leadership, in addition to her BA in elementary education. Providence led her to a ten-year position, during which she was simultaneously the principal and SPED director, and she taught as many as three classes a day in history and English to middle and high school students. Ms. Brea has spent the past 11 working with the Southwest Regional Education Cooperative (SWREC). She started as a program director and associate director, designing and implementing professional development for teachers covering a wide range of topics including Special Education and MLSS, and now has the position of Executive Director. She also coaches principals and school leaders across the state in various Priority Schools Bureau programs and throughout the SWREC member districts.

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  • Reyes Erica
    Erica Reyes Finance Director Send message »

    Erica was born in Phoenix, Arizona, but she has lived in Deming, New Mexico, all her life. She started as a vocational transition specialist who, after being in the banking business for ten years, plunged into this new career on August 1, 2017. Erica has earned a bachelor's degree in general business and a master's in business administration, both from Western New Mexico University. As of January 3, 2018, she is the SWREC Finance Director.

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  • Smyer KaLee
    KaLee Smyer HR Director Send message »
    KaLee was born and raised in New Mexico. KaLee graduated from New Mexico State University with a bachelor’s degree in 2019. During her free time, she enjoys spending time with her husband, kids, and family. KaLee joined the SWREC team in April 2021 and took on the role of HR Director in 2022.
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  • Armijo Debora
    Debora Armijo Office Manager/IGA Support Send message »

    About Debora Armijo

    Debbie is originally from Phoenix, Arizona, but has lived in Deming for over 33 years. Debbie has been with the SWREC for almost four years in the capacity of Office Manager/IGA Support, after previously working at the local hospital for over 24years. Debbie is married and has a son, daughter, stepson, and six grandchildren. She and her husband live on a “mini-farm” along the Mimbres River where she enjoys the peacefulness of country living and attending her grandchildren’s many activities. Debbie is currently pursuing a degree at Western New Mexico University in Human Services

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  • Camacho Kristina
    Kristina Camacho Medicaid Clerk Send message »

    Kristina Camacho was born and raised in Deming, New Mexico. She started with SWREC in 2018. She is a medicaid clerk for the organization. She hopes to pursue a degree in graphic design. Kristina is married with four boys, three of them grown and the last one in high school. In her free time, she plays women's slow pitch softball. She loves to hang out with her husband and boys while hunting and fishing, or just playing softball!

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  • Gonzales Crystal
    Crystal Gonzales Medicaid Financial Coordinator Send message » 5755465951 ext. 3009
    1321 E. PoplarDeming, NM, United States

    Crystal Gonzales is a proud Deming native who joined the Southwest Regional Education Cooperative team in February 2023 as the Medicaid Financial Coordinator. She brings over 21 years of experience with Deming Public Schools, where she served in a variety of roles that reflect her deep commitment to supporting students, staff, and her community. Among her most meaningful positions were Administrative Assistant for the Transportation Department and Lead Equity Liaison for the Equity Department, where she was passionate about helping ensure all students felt seen, supported, and valued.

    During her time with the Transportation Department, Crystal earned her bachelor’s degree in Business from Western New Mexico University—an accomplishment that speaks to her perseverance, faith, and dedication to continual growth.

    At the heart of Crystal’s life is her family. She is a devoted wife and a proud mother to one beautiful daughter and two awesome sons, who inspire and ground her every day. Guided by faith and a strong sense of purpose, she strives to bring compassion, positivity, and integrity into both her personal and professional life.

    Outside of work, Crystal’s time is centered around her family. While life keeps her busy, she treasures the moments she’s able to share with her loved ones.

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  • Hester Terrance
    Terrance Hester Events Coordinator Send message »
    Terrance is a New Mexico native and has lived here his entire life. He was born and raised in Alamogordo and attended college at both UNM and NMSU. He graduated from New Mexico State University in May of 2011 with his bachelor's in business administration, specializing in finance with minors in banking and risk management and insurance. Terrance came to our team after spending 10 years in the federal sector working for the USPS management team. In April of 2021, Terrance joined the SWREC team and is motivated to work with his school teams and the Business Services Department.
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  • Dr. Hull Toni
    Dr. Toni Hull Instructional Specialist Send message »

    Dr. Toni Hull is a passionate educational leader with 32 years of dedicated service to students, spanning 14 years in New York and 18 years in New Mexico. Her extensive career encompasses diverse roles, including teacher, instructional coach, trainer, principal, director, and head administrator, showcasing her experience across various facets of education. She firmly believes in cultivating a foundation of positive culture, setting high expectations, and fostering a "do to learn" philosophy among students. This empowering approach for students, teachers, and staff was instrumental in her leadership of the innovative team that founded the Mesilla Valley Leadership Academy in Las Cruces, New Mexico, in 2016. She has been recognized as a 2012-13 Teacher Ambassador Fellow for the US Department of Education, a 2015 Woodrow Wilson MBA Fellow, a 2019 Champion for Children Nominee by Jardin de Los Ninos, and a 2023 Ron Clark Academy Global House Ambassador. She is a regular presenter at conferences locally, statewide and nationally. She also serves as a performance coach in New Mexico’s Priority Schools Bureau leadership programs and teaches at the university level whenever she has the chance. Dr. Hull's driving passion is to connect school culture with the instructional experience, allowing for a successful reimagining of school for students, teachers, staff, and the community. She champions a holistic approach centered on gratitude, relationships, attitude, scholarship, and purpose, inspiring all those around her to achieve educational excellence.

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  • Labadie Virginia (Gina)
    Virginia (Gina) Labadie Special Education Instructional Specialist Send message »

    Virginia (Gina) Labadie joined the Southwest Regional Education Cooperative (SWREC) in July 2019 as a Special Education Instructional Specialist. She brings over 28 years of experience in education, with a strong background in both general and special education settings.

    After graduating from Western New Mexico University in 1997, Gina began her career teaching Head Start for three years. In 2000, she transitioned into public education, where she has since dedicated nearly two decades to supporting students and educators.

    Throughout her career, Gina taught general education for six years before moving into special education, where she served for thirteen years. She has extensive experience working with students across grades K–12 in a variety of settings, including resource rooms, self-contained classrooms, and inclusive environments.

    Gina holds a Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education and a Master of Arts in Teaching in Special Education. She maintains a Level III dual teaching license in K–8 Elementary Education and K–12 Special Education, reflecting her expertise and commitment to high-quality instruction for all learners.

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  • Pastran Lisa
    Lisa Pastran Business Services Specialist and Medicaid Support Send message »

    Lisa Pastran has lived in New Mexico for 50 years. She comes from a military family with many family members being career military. She joined the Southwest Regional Education Cooperative in March of 2013. She came from a lengthy 28-year career in Banking and Finance where she worked her way to becoming a bank officer. During that time, she worked across most departments and considered her co-workers family. In her 12+ years with the SWREC she has also worked across many positions such as events coordinator and office management and Medicaid support. At present she holds the position of Business Services Specialist which puts her back in her niche and a role she enjoys with her love for numbers where her passion has been for most of her working career. In her time away from work she enjoys church, time with family and has been known to win a Chile cooking contest or two. She also has a love for writing and hopes to publish a book once she decides to put away her calculator for good.

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  • Richmond Amber
    Amber Richmond Instructional Specialist and IT Send message »

    Amber Richmond joined the Southwest Regional Education Cooperative (SWREC) in July 2022, bringing over 17 years of educational experience to the team. While she initially joined as an Instructional Specialist, her role has evolved significantly to meet the cooperative's technical needs.

    Amber now serves as the sole IT lead for the SWREC, managing the organization's technology infrastructure and troubleshooting essential systems. Despite her primary focus on IT, she remains deeply integrated with the instructional side of the organization. She continues to provide vital support through CPI (Crisis Prevention Institute) training, Coaching Principles, and Leadership mentorship.

    Her unique dual expertise allows her to bridge the gap between technical operations and classroom success. Amber works closely with the instructional team to plan and execute initiatives such as SchoolKit Math walkthroughs, ensuring that data-driven insights are paired with the right digital tools.

    With a Bachelor’s in Education (Endorsements in Reading, ELA, and Technology), a Master’s in Educational Leadership, and a K–12 Administrative License, Amber’s versatility makes her an indispensable resource. Whether she is resolving a complex network issue or coaching a principal through leadership challenges, her commitment to the growth and stability of the SWREC remains her driving force.

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  • Rivera Amber
    Amber Rivera Medicaid Specialist Send message »
    Deming, NM, USA

    Amber Rivera
    Medicaid Specialist
    Southwest Regional Education Cooperative

    Amber Rivera is a Medicaid Specialist with the Southwest Regional Education Cooperative, where she provides billing support and guidance for the Medicaid School-Based Services Program. She works closely with over 50 school districts and charter schools across New Mexico, helping them navigate the ins and outs of Medicaid billing with confidence and clarity.

    Before joining the team, Amber spent nine years at Mimbres Memorial Hospital as an ER Registration and Admissions Clerk, gaining valuable experience in healthcare administration and patient services.

    When she's not helping schools stay on track with billing, Amber enjoys spending quality time with her husband, kids, and grandson. Family means everything to her, and she brings that same warmth and care to her work every day.

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  • Dr. Soderberg Toby
    Dr. Toby Soderberg Project Administrator Send message »

    Dr. Toby Soderberg is from New Mexico and brings extensive experience in teaching and school leadership. He holds a Level III teaching and administrator license in New Mexico and has taught music, English language arts, and served in school administration.

    Dr. Soderberg earned an MA in Educational Leadership from Western New Mexico University, an MA in Education with an emphasis in Reading/TESOL from Eastern New Mexico University, and a PhD in Curriculum and Instruction with an emphasis in Educational Learning Technology from New Mexico State University.

    He is the Project Administrator and Structured Literacy Coordinator for the Southwest Regional Education Cooperative in Deming, NM. He also teaches at the university level: previously as an adjunct at Western New Mexico University, where he taught Multicultural Education and English Language Acquisition and Development, and currently at New Mexico State University, where his courses include Elementary Literacy I, Elementary Literacy II, Sociopsycholinguistics of Reading, and Literacy Assessment & Evaluation.

    Dr. Soderberg’s priority is to support school districts and educators to ensure all students in New Mexico receive an equitable education.

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  • Verduzco Lauren
    Lauren Verduzco IGA Coordinator & Chief Procurement Officer Send message »
    Lauren is a New Mexico native who has been residing in Deming most of her life. Lauren is currently pursuing a business degree from WNMU with an emphasis in finance and management. For the past seven years, Lauren has worked at and managed two local non-profits. These non-profits aimed to address domestic violence and our homeless population in Luna County. The business and grant portion of her work helped to ignite her passion for business services and, particularly, finances. Lauren joined the SWREC team on contract in August 2020, managing a grant for daycares throughout the state of NM, and she became a full-time business services specialist in June 2021. Lauren is married with two children and has a growing farm outside of town.
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  • Villalba Deborah
    Deborah Villalba Structured Literacy Coach Send message »
    • Thirty-four years of educational experience
      • Elementary Education
      • Structured Literacy Coach
    • Degrees
      • BA: Elementary Education
      • TESOL and Bilingual Endorsements
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