Terms expiring 2026, standing for re-election: Michael Hensley, Nick Knorr (secretary/treasurer), Peter Lipscomb (vice chair), Gary Starkweather, Derek Wallentinsen: for brief bios, see our State Council page

New nominees 2026: Gina Pearson, Suzanne Eisenberg, Rachael Bechtel. Brief bios:

Suzanne Eisenberg

I recently graduated with a bachelor’s of physics with an astronomy concentration from the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology. I have a passion for science communication and would like to use my background to help with astronomy public outreach in New Mexico, so that it can be enjoyed by all! I believe that I can do this through being elected to the state council of NM DarkSky and look forward to working with you all!

Gina Pearson

Gina recently retired as a federal public servant, after 35+ years, primarily working for the National Park Service throughout the west. She has years of experience protecting naturally dark night skies with a particular interest in preserving indigenous and other cultural perspectives. Some of her dark sky work includes developing dark sky park application packets for Bryce Canyon National Park and the Rio Grande del Norte National Monument, collaborating with National Park Units across the nation on mitigating light pollution impacts, collaborating with the American Indigenous Tourism Association on night sky education, translating into Spanish the NPS Jr. Ranger Night Explorer booklet, updating the public facing NPS Night Skies website, coordinating the events for the August 21, 2017 total solar eclipse at the BLM Challis Field Office, ID, and serving as the NPS point of contact for the Colorado Plateau Dark Sky Cooperative.

Rachael Bechtel

Rachael is a photographer and astrophotographer, originally from the Houston area. After moving to New Mexico, she quickly came to appreciate the state’s dark skies, and the importance of protecting them for generations to come.