Regional Representatives

   Samantha Nelums has been a Social Worker for over ten years with a background in Child Welfare, Public Health and Prevention, Medical Social Work, and Behavioral Health. She was born and raised in a small mountain town called Bishop, California and moved to New Mexico over three years ago. Samantha received her Bachelor of Arts in Social and Behavioral Sciences at California State University, Monterey Bay and recently completed her Master’s in Social Work at Walden University. Her various roles in health and wellness coalitions, foster care placement teams, and at-risk adolescent prevention groups has given her the opportunity to collaborate with diverse individuals at all community and political levels. As the Albuquerque Metro Program Unit Chair, her goal is to promote pride in membership participation along with providing support to our strong collective of Social Workers for the NASW-NM chapter.  

 Carolyn Tollett is a  licensed master’s social worker. She currently resides in Portales, NM  and works as the Field Director for the Social Work Program at Eastern New Mexico University. She is also a licensed  independent home study investigator for the State of New Mexico and is  pursuing her DSW with the University of St. Thomas out of St. Paul,  Minnesota. Carolyn’s interest in representing this region of New Mexico in NASW-NM lies within her passion for political advocacy  and social justice while incorporating Eastern New Mexico culture. She  has served previously as the representative of Eastern New Mexico for  the NASW-NM Chapter and looks forward to continuing to serve with this organization.   

 Jolene Martinez, LCSW is a social worker living and working in Las Cruces, NM. She received both her graduate and undergraduate degrees from NMSU School of Social Work, and teaches as an adjunct faculty there from time to time. She is a licensed clinical social worker and board approved supervisor with experience in child welfare, school social work, administration, supervision, and community impact initiatives. Jolene currently serves as the Chief Operation Officer for Families & Youth, Inc. - a broad spectrum community health and mental health organization. Her professional interests include social work leadership, organizational development, collective impact strategies, child welfare systems, and supervision. She looks forward to representing the professionals from Southern New Mexico. 

 Karen Whitlock works for the National Association of Social Workers – New Mexico Chapter as their Government Relations/Advocate/Lobbyist and is an  adjunct faculty professor at WNMU and worked for 16+ years in the  Environmental Field. Karen is a graduate of Western New Mexico University’s Social Work Program with a master’s in social  work. Her undergraduate degree is in Political Science from American  University in Washington, DC.   

 For Jody Howell, LBSW facilitating recovery groups led her to an education and career in social work. As a Bachelor of Social Work graduate from Eastern New Mexico University, Jody is now a student at Western New Mexico University working on her Masters of Social Work. Jody is currently the Social Services Director at The Rehabilitation Center of Albuquerque where she enjoys working with the patients, residents and their families. Previously she had worked in behavioral healthcare serving those on the autism spectrum and their families. A past member of the Best Buddies advisory board, Jody values connecting with others to give back to her community. She looks forward to continuing this as a member of the NASW NM board with the opportunity to connect with fellow social workers and live out the social work values. In her free time Jody enjoys spending time with family and friends, hiking and biking the many beautiful, diverse trails in New Mexico. 

  Rilke (pronounced Ril-kuh) was born and raised in Albuquerque, NM. He has traveled all over the world and prefers to eat his way through foreign cities. He graduated cum laude from UNM with a Bachelor of University Studies, focusing on Spanish, Sociology, and Communications in 2012. After five years in Seattle, he returned to New Mexico to support his wife as she entered medical school at UNM. Seeing how much fun she was having with a crushing load of homework encouraged him to apply for NMHU’s MSW program, where he is currently attending as a first year student. He hopes to put his Spanish skills to use helping the underserved communities of Albuquerque, with an eye towards childhood development and food security.