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Bob Perls, State Chair
Bob is a former New Mexico State Representative and U.S. Diplomat with the U.S. Department of State, currently serving as Honorary Consul for Germany in New Mexico. He attended Albuquerque Public Schools and earned a B.A. in Government from Pomona College and an M.S. in Healthcare Management from the University of Maryland. Bob's career spans entrepreneurship and consulting across healthcare, cybersecurity, and renewable energy, and founded New Mexico Open Elections—an organization that helped advance primary-election reform in New Mexico in 2025. Bob serves as the New Mexico Forward Party Chair.
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Melanie Johnson Hope Greenham, Executive Director
Melanie is a project management professional, policy researcher, evaluator, and Ph.D. student in Political Science at University of New Mexico, with concentrations in public policy and methodology. She serves as project manager for the New Mexico Telehealth Alliance, and Graduate Research Assistant and Senior Fellow with UNM’s Evaluation Lab. She has contributed to applied policy and evaluation work through the UNM Center for Social Policy, UNM Cradle to Career Policy Institute, and New Mexico Legislative Finance Committee as an MPP State Legislative Fellow focused on child welfare systems. Melanie’s research and policy work is focused on supporting evidence-informed policy-making in U.S. family court systems to resolve high-conflict child custody cases and post-separation abuse cases.
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Dennis Dinge, State Secretary
Dennis is a physicist whose career spans industry, national laboratories, and academia, with research experience in supercomputing, astronomy, computational fluid dynamics, and related fields. He holds a B.S. in Electrical Engineering, an M.S. in Physics from Clemson University, and a Ph.D. in Astrophysics from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Dennis has been involved in politics throughout his adult life, including local leadership roles in the Democratic Party and a 2017 run for Congress. He and his wife were foster parents for eight years and have actively advocated for reforms to New Mexico’s foster care system. Dennis serves as New Mexico Forward Party Secretary.
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John Gerhart, State Treasurer
John brings a cross-sector career spanning public service, private industry, entrepreneurship, and education. He has served as a legislative assistant for a U.S. Senator, held management roles within a Fortune 500 company, worked as CFO for an Albuquerque start-up, and taught in Albuquerque Public Schools. John holds degrees from Princeton University and the MIT Sloan School of Management, and is now retired and serving as interim Vice Chair, Secretary, and Treasurer for the New Mexico Forward Party during the ramp up to gain formal political party status in New Mexico. John serves as the New Mexico Forward Party Treasurer.
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Ana Moran, Community Organizer & Volunteer Coordinator
Ana is a political professional, farmer, and community organizer with nearly 15 years of experience working at the intersection of climate justice, civil and human rights, housing, healthcare, and food systems. She holds an M.S. in Community and Regional Planning from the University of New Mexico with a focus on community development and water resource management. Since 2016, Ana has worked on issue and electoral campaigns and has supported public-interest policy efforts at the congressional, state, and municipal levels, helping to design and improve local to national-scale electoral, sustainability, and social-impact programs. Ana is engaged in regenerative, community-centered agriculture and water stewardship work, and she brings a practical, coalition-building approach to strengthening the New Mexico Forward Party.
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Stuart Culpepper, Executive Committee Member
Stuart is a creative director and producer whose work spans film, digital, and interactive media. He founded Culpepper/Williams to create digital experiences that support collaboration and build community. Since then, he has partnered with companies, institutions, and individuals—particularly in the healthcare sector—to produce short films, documentaries, apps, and websites that advance the work of healthcare professionals and improve patients' lives. In addition to his interactive work, Stuart has produced and directed award-winning feature films and web series in partnership with outlets including Sundance Channel, Lifetime, and WDR.
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Tracy Gustilo, Executive Committee Member
Tracy is an educator, writer, and civic-minded community member who has taught across graduate, adult, and K–12/homeschool settings. She brings a deep interdisciplinary background to her leadership with a B.A. in Philosophy from the University of Chicago, a Ph.D. in Ecology and Environmental Ethics from the University of California, and graduate training in theology, including degrees from St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary. Through her professional work and interest in sustainable development, including the impact of responsible tourism, Tracy focuses on practical lifelong learning, thoughtful dialogue, and grassroots problem solving.
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Richard Olson, Executive Committee Member
Richard is a retired U.S. Foreign Service officer who served 34 years with the U.S. Department of State. His assignments included U.S. Ambassador to Pakistan, U.S. Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates, and U.S. Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan. Richard also served in Afghanistan as Coordinating Director for Development and Economic Affairs at the U.S. Embassy in Kabul, and he is the recipient of numerous honors, including a Presidential Distinguished Service Award, the Secretary of State’s Distinguished Service Award, and multiple Superior Honor Awards, among other U.S. and international recognitions. Richard holds an A.B. with honors from Brown University in Law and Society and History.
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Karin Williams, Executive Committee Member
Karin is a writer and content strategist with extensive experience producing digital media and live events. As a partner at motion-media company Culpepper/Williams, she writes and produces projects including The Captive (Webby People’s Choice Award; NYTVF “Best Web Series”) and independent feature films (Jordan; When Cats Fly), and her stage plays have been produced across the U.S. and internationally. Karin holds a B.A. in Writing and Theatre from University of Redlands and an M.A. in Playwriting from the University of New Mexico. Karin has also served as marketer and creative director for dozens of technology and life-science clients.
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