Board Members - Hands & Voices NM
Executive Director/GBYS Parent Coordinator
My name is Carmen Armenta. I have a blended family that I share with my husband. We have four children. Our two eldest are hearing and our two youngest are Deaf/Hard of hearing. I joined Hands & Voices NM in 2013. I started out as a Parent Guide and in 2016 became the Executive Director/GBYS Parent Coordinator. Both my youngest kids referred on their New Born Hearing Screen (NBHS) and were later diagnosed with mild-server bilateral hearing loss. Hands & Voices NM has been a blessing in our lives because we have learned how to advocate for all of our children throughout the years and now are teaching them how to advocate for themselves.
President and Parent Guide
Rachel is a Spanish-speaking Parent Guide from Southeastern New Mexico who joined Hands & Voices New Mexico (HVNM) in January 2013. A mother of six, she sought out support from HVNM after her fourth child was identified at birth by the Newborn Hearing Screening and shortly after diagnosed with Auditory Neuropathy Spectrum Disorder (ANSD). This diagnosis led her family to the New Mexico School for the Deaf (NMSD), which provided vital early intervention services and inspired a deep focus on language development and the importance of community.
While her toddler attended preschool, Rachel went to college and earned associate degrees in both Spanish and ASL Interpreting. She later had two more children; her youngest was diagnosed with ANSD at birth simultaneously it was discovered that her five-year-old was identified with ANSD/APD (Auditory Processing Disorder). Recently discovering their hearing differences are due to a rare recessive genetic mutation in the Otoferlin gene.
Driven by her personal journey, Rachel's goal is to "Reach One, Teach One." Through advocacy and unbiased parent-to-parent support, she passionately reassures families with Hands and Voices’ core philosophy: “What works for your child is what makes the choice right!”
Board Member
Matthew Bacher is a Deaf filmmaker and Digital Utility from Denver, Colorado. Born Deaf due to CMV, he received his right cochlear implant at age 2 and left at age 4. He attended mainstream school and began learning ASL in middle school, forming lifelong friendships through RMDS and CSDB. Matt graduated from the University of New Mexico with a degree in Film and Digital Media Arts and is a member of the International Cinematographers Guild. He has worked on projects for Disney, Netflix, and A24, as well as several independent films, and his UNM capstone film, Silent Courage, reflects his commitment to emotionally driven storytelling and Deaf representation.
Matt has served for 20 years for Hands & Voices in Colorado and volunteers each summer at a cochlear implant camp, staying active in the Deaf and Hard of Hearing community through advocacy, mentorship, and service.
Board Member
Lorraine Crespin worked in the field of Deaf education for 38 years. Now retired, her professional career included working as a classroom Teacher, an Interpreter, a Developmental Specialist, and a Supervisor for an early intervention home visiting program. These days you can find her linedancing, hiking, and playing pickeball. She has served on the NMHV board since 2022. She loves observing parents connect with each other and embracing their child's hearing difference.Volunteers are the backbone of our organization. We offer a variety of opportunities for individuals and groups to get involved and make a difference in the lives of those we serve.
Board member
Kathleen Aranda-Myers was born with a severe-to-profound bilateral hearing loss and became a bilateral cochlear implant user in 2010. Her lived experience from childhood through adulthood as a Deaf individual shapes her passion for advocacy, early support, and family-centered care for Deaf and Hard of Hearing children. She supports children and families through hearing device guidance, early development, and language acquisition using spoken language and/or American Sign Language (ASL). Kathleen holds a master’s degree in Mental Health Social Work and has extensive experience providing socio-emotional support, mental health services, and transition planning. She is deeply committed to early intervention, community outreach, and increasing awareness of assistive and implantable hearing technologies, and enjoys volunteering, spending time with family and friends, listening to music, reading, traveling, and photography
Board Member and Parent Guide
Hello from Zia Pueblo! Andrea Shije is a parent board member. She and her family have been a part of H&VNM for many years. Andrea has two Deaf sons, Andy and Patrick. Andrea's sons attended NMSD and later went onto college. Their family and Pueblo have many generations of deaf community members that use a signed language. She believes that H&VNM is a great way to extend her experience in life onto parents who are just starting their journeys.