Terrelene Massey
Executive Director
Terrelene holds a Juris Doctorate from the University of New Mexico School of Law, and a Master of Public Affairs from the University of Texas at Austin, Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs. She is licensed to practice law in New Mexico and the Navajo Nation. Terrelene most recently served as the Executive Director of the Navajo Division of Social Services. She was appointed by the President of the Navajo Nation and confirmed by the Navajo Nation Council. She served in this capacity from May 2015 to January 2019. Prior to her appointment with the Navajo Nation, Terrelene was employed as an attorney at Johnson Barnhouse & Keegan, LLP, in Albuquerque. She also served as a staff attorney at New Mexico Legal Aid, Inc., where she provided legal services to low-income clients regarding federal Indian law, family law, and tribal law matters.
Terrelene previously worked as the Tribal Liaison for the New Mexico Human Services Department where she managed tribal-related projects impacting Native American health and human services programs. Terrelene also served as the Associate Director of Honoring Nations at the Harvard Project on American Indian Economic Development, Harvard University, where she co-authored reports and case studies evaluating tribal sovereignty programs and governmental best practices. Terrelene is originally from Pinon, Arizona, and is a tribal member of the Navajo Nation.
Jessica Serrano
Staff Attorney
Jessica holds a Juris Doctorate from the University of Colorado Law School and a Master of Arts in International Relations from American Military University. Prior to attending law school, she served as an officer in the U.S. Army stationed primarily with the 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg, NC. She has been a long-time advocate for workplace equality, survivors of sexual and intimate partner violence, LGBTQ+ rights, and reproductive rights. She hopes to continue this important work with the Southwest Women’s Law Center.
Tracy McDaniel
MPH, Policy Advocate
Tracy is a long-time advocate for women and families. Most recently, she coordinated a large coalition focused on improving the health and well-being of young children and their families in central New Mexico. Her past professional experience has included health promotion, birth work, lactation support, and advocating for survivors of sexual and intimate partner violence. Born and raised in Appalachia, she has had the pleasure of working, playing, and raising her three children in the East Mountains since 2009. Tracy holds a BA in Psychology and Women’s Studies from Miami University, a graduate certificate in Maternal Child Health Epidemiology from the University of Arizona, and a Master of Public Health degree from the University of New Mexico.
Jamie Savage
Office Manager
Jamie holds a Master’s degree in Psychology specializing in child and adolescent development. Jamie has over 10 years of experience in office-related work. Prior to starting with SWLC, she worked for almost 7 years at a family-owned and operated business. She has never worked for a non-profit before and she is very excited to be working for such a great organization.
Jennifer Z. Paulsen
Development Specialist
Jennifer has over 20 years working in the nonprofit sector, primarily in development and communications. She has spent the past 16 years working for organizations advancing systems to end homelessness in Utah and Texas, where, among other things, she led fund development, event planning, grants management, and communications. Jennifer is excited to be part of the team at Southwest Women’s Law Center doing vital work to advance the future of women and girls. She has a B.A. in English from The University of Texas at San Antonio.
Blade M. Allen
Law Clerk, Intern
Blade is currently a second-year law student at the University of New Mexico School of Law. He graduated from UNM with his bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering in 2018. As an intern at the SWLC, Blade hopes to work on reproductive rights issues including access to information and services regarding pregnancy options. Blade looks forward to becoming more involved in the advocacy of gender equality in New Mexico.
