Jun 12, 2017
Community Foundation Names New E.D.
Terra Winter will start June 12, replacing outgoing executive director Jennifer Cervantes, who will focus on her burgeoning career as a youth author. “I’m really excited,” Winter said. “I’ll be hitting the ground running, in middle of month, so I’ll get to spend some time with Jennifer before she is gone. And I’m looking forward to reconnecting with donors and supporters.”
A self-described “Las Cruces lifer,” Winter has been here her whole life, graduating from Las Cruces High School and earning two degrees, so far, from New Mexico State University. She is currently working on a doctorate from NMSU as well. “We’re thrilled to have Terra joining The Community Foundation of Southern New Mexico and look forward to the future,” said Richard Williams, president of CFSNM’s board of directors. “We’re also very grateful for Jennifer’s inspired leadership over the last two years.”
Winter also has worked at NMSU, most recently as associate vice president for development, which she has done for the past year. Prior to that, she worked in fundraising and development at NMSU’s college of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences.Many may also remember Winter (previously Terra Van Dyke) from her 10 years at Mesilla Valley Hospice, where she served as director of development and the foundation’s executive director.
Winter’s undergraduate degree is in communication studies with a minor in health sciences and her master’s is in public health. She is focusing her PhD work on not-forprofit fundraising and managing.
The CFSNM and its staff of four manages many endowments, including agency endowments for 38 nonprofit organizations in southern New Mexico. The foundation serves seven counties: Doña Ana, Hidalgo, Otero, Sierra, Grant, Lincoln and Luna.
In her recent role at NMSU, Winter led a team of 14, raising funds for the entire university.
Winter said she looks forward to using her background and variety of experiences in fundraising and management to help other nonprofits be successful through the foundation. “It’s really important we don’t lose the history of an organization,” Winter said. “I’m honored and humbled to fill the shoes of (previous CFSNM executive directors) Patsy Duran, Stephanie Johnson- Burick, Jen Cervantes and Luan Wagner-Burn.”