Abby Boyd
Executive Director
Abby and her husband moved to West Texas in 2015, where she became head of Visitor Services at Chinati Foundation, bringing together her love of art and customer service background. She went on to serve the City of Marfa as Director of Tourism, allowing her to grow local connections and gain a better understanding of the greater community of Marfa. In 2021 Abby was elected President of the Marfa Chamber of Commerce, and made it her mission to advocate for the Marfa local students will inherit when they enter the working world. Through that work, she found a deep passion for serving community. In 2023 the opportunity to join MEF came along, offering her the chance to work for the students, teachers and staff of Marfa ISD in a more direct way.
Abby hopes her love of connecting people and inspiring involvement will make an impact on the work MEF does for Marfa students and strengthen the community.
Beth Kerzee
President
Beth has been a Music Teacher, Drama Teacher, Choir Director, Musical Theatre Director, Orchestra Conductor, and the former Head of Music at Yew Chung International School, China.
Having earned a B. M. in music education (Dallas Baptist University) with a double concentration in piano and voice, a M. Ed. (SRSU) and a M.M. with a concentration in Choral Conducting (UTEP) has allowed Ms. Kerzee to teach music from two-year-old children up to senior citizens. Additionally, Beth has worked with local regional theatre’s from Texas to China, serving as Musical Director, Actor, Director, and crew member. Recently retired after 23 years of teaching in Texas and 12 years in China, Beth has served as a church musician and music minister in many churches throughout Texas, New Mexico, Hawaii, and China. Ms. Kerzee is presently serving as Music Director/organist at First Presbyterian Church, Marfa, accompanist to the vocal music program for SRSU and accompanist for the Big Bend Community Choir. Beth has also served on many non-profit boards as well as local chamber of commerce organizations and joined the MEF board in 2023.
Scott May
Vice President
After two decades in California being a modern human; Scott headed back to the family home of Marfa.
The past 22 years have featured several adventures including a great marriage, obtaining a Texas Teaching certificate, and participating in the Master Naturalist program. His MISD graduate nephews are now at UTEP. He now spends most of his time wrestling his dogs, rounding up kitties, and growing up a passel of veggies. (Oh, and contorting his body in Yoga and Pilates).
Kate Calder
Treasurer
Kate is a success story that came of a rural education. Growing up on a farm in Illinois, Kate excelled academically. After earning her B.S. from the University of Illinois she enter the world of Corporate Finance, serving many years at Crate and Barrel and Ogilvy & Mather. In 2019, Kate made a huge life change, relocating to Marfa, Texas. In 2020 she took her biggest risk yet, becoming the owner of Communitie, a popular store on Marfa’s main street where she has become an important member of the local business community. Kate wanted to put her experience volunteering with children to use for Marfa kids and joined the MEF board in 2023.
Susan Kirr
Secretary
Susan Kirr worked as a journalist for 10 years in Tokyo, Dallas and Austin before segueing into film, and she has worked in the film industry in the Southwest for 23 years. She has produced the independent features “Amanda & Jack Go Glamping,” “Winter in the Blood,” “All She Can,” and "Only in America," as well as the Amazon pilot for “I Love Dick.” She served as line producer on the Fox series “Cosmos,” Terrence Malick's "The Tree of Life,” Harmony Korine’s “Spring Breakers,” Michael Winterbottom’s “The Killer Inside Me,” Richard Linklater's "A Scanner Darkly," and Danny Boyle's "Pistol," among others. She holds a B.A. in English and Theater from Princeton University, and an M.F.A. in Film from New York University. She has volunteered and served on several non-profit boards, all geared toward supporting education and the arts.
Kathylina Acosta
Kathy Acosta is an educator and counselor who lives in Marfa, Texas, with her husband and two children. She is currently teaching Art History online. Kathy joined the MEF board in 2024.
Lori Flores
Lori has been a member of the Marfa ISD School Board since 2023. She is very active in supporting the district in various organizations, including the Booster Club and PTO. Lori has three children who graduated from Marfa ISD and is a proud grandmother of three.
Vincente Fuentez
Vince Fuentez originally grew up in El Paso, TX, though his extended family on both sides is originally from, and still lives in, Presidio County. Since the mid-1800s, his family has ranched, farmed, and wrangled horses in the Big Bend Region. He and his wife are grateful to have careers in which they can work remotely and be a part of the Marfa community.
Vince is a Certified Energy Manager (CEM), knowledgeable in providing solutions for facility management and energy assessments. He has spent the past 16 years in the high efficiency heating, cooling, and outside air system equipment sector providing application solutions for commercial buildings, both new construction and retrofit projects. Vince graduated from Stanford University with a B.S. in Industrial Engineering & Engineering Management. His family resides in Marfa, Texas, and they also spend time at their ranch in Casa Piedra. His wife, Stela is also active in the nonprofit Marfa Community.
Malinda Galindo
Malinda Galindo came to Marfa in 2022 to join the Chinat Foundation as Associate Director of Development. She is an experienced fundraiser, committed to nurturing the relationships that are essential to a foundation’s stability and growth. From 2017 to 2021, she was at El Museo del Barrio, New York, doing institutional advancement and patron programming before recently stepping up to serve as interim director of development. Galindo is cofounder of Atomic Culture, a curatorial platform that encourages dialogue around concepts of art and experimentation, which was the recipient of a 2019 Tulsa Artist Fellowship.
Yasmine Guevara
Born and raised in Marfa, TX, Yasmine attended Marfa ISD, graduating in 2014. She first studied at South Plains College in Levelland, TX, then transferred to Sul Ross State University where she is majoring in Industrial Technology and plans to get a Bachelor’s degree in Science. She is employed at Judd Foundation as the Office Manager and recently joined the Marfa Chamber of Commerce as the Vice President. In her downtime she loves to spend time with her six year old son, DJing, metalworking, exercise, and spending time with family. She is grateful to be able to help the teachers and students from the school she once attended, and where her son is now a student, through her work with MEF.
Yasmine’s goal is to become an active helper in her community in order to help enrich the lives of the future generations. She wants to inspire people like her, from the Latinx community, by proving that anything is possible, and show that there is always opportunity for growth with hard work and determination.
Annette Mendoza
Annette’s first 5 years of experience as an educator began in Alpine and Marathon, TX. She applied her graduate studies from Sul Ross in both urban and rural schools in southeast Texas. Later, a Master's degree from Lamar University was key in allowing her to work for the Bureau of Indian Affairs in the Navajo Nation in New Mexico. Her career background includes work as a teacher, special education teacher, educational diagnostician, and finally as a counselor in public and private schools.
As an educator, she believes the ultimate goal is for us all to "win" as a community. Children have families, teachers, and neighbors as champions to help them realize their potential. She chose to be part of MEF because it supports teachers in achieving their dreams, and taps into student potential. The outcomes are gifts to our broader community. The win-win concept is a reality in Marfa; it is an honor for her to serve the community in this way.
