Board of Directors

Michelle Madrid-Branch
Please click here for more information on Michelle.

Jill Gonzales
Jill A. Gonzales grew up in California and graduated from UCLA with a Bachelors in Political Science. After working for a non-profit association in Washington, D.C., Jill returned to school to pursue her passion in education and earned her Teaching Credential and Masters in Educational Administration. She has been a high school teacher, an educational advisor and an assistant principal. In addition to her volunteer work with the AML Foundation, Jill is actively involved in "Young Life" and serves as the YL Committee Chair. Jill lives in Santa Fe with her husband, Greg, and their two children: Michaela (age 6) and Luke (age 4).

Fran Mullin, Vice President
Fran is the founder and owner of Triumfo Property, LLC, a commercial property company that owns and operates five buildings within or adjacent to the historic district of Santa Fe. He is also the owner of Vanessie Restaurant. Prior to moving to Santa Fe, Fran’s career as a corporate leader included: Execuitve Vice President and Director of the Dr. Pepper/Seven Up companies, Inc.; President and Chief Operating Officer of Seven-Up; manager of CSM & Associates in Atlanta; President and Chief Operating Officer of Tofuttii Brands Inc.; and various senior management positions with RJR Nabisco’s Del Monte Franchise Beverages and The Canada Dry Corporation. Fran serves on several boards, including the Community Coffee Company; Thornburg Mortgage Company; The National Dance Institute; and the Southwestern Association of Indian Arts (SWAIA). He is the founder and event coordinator for Health and Human Services Week, which benefits Santa Fe non-profits.

Jeff Branch, Treasurer
Raised in Santa Fe, Jeff Branch received his Bachelor of Science degree in Architecture & Urban Planning from Arizona State University. After graduating in 1985, he returned to his hometown to join in the family business: Branch Realty. Upon his return, Jeff didn’t waste any time diving into community service. He became a member of the Historic Design Review Board in 1986, and the Metropolitan Redevelopment Commission in 1990. He is a former President of the Santa Fe Commercial Council, and a past New Mexico board member for the National Association of Office and Industrial Parks. He holds a Certified Commercial Investment Member designation (CCIM). The year 2002 saw the start of Jeff’s full service commercial real estate company, Columbus Capital, LLC, whose latest Santa Fe development and leasing projects include the mixed-use developments: San Isidro Village and Colores del Sol/Plazas del Sol. Jeff is married to AML Founder, Michelle Madrid-Branch

Ruth Rael
Ruth Rael has had a forty-year career working with at-need families and children in New Mexico. She retired in 2002 from the NM Children, Youth and Families Department where she was a Clinical Deputy Director for Protective Services. Prior to a 25 year career in child protective services social work, she worked at Laguna Pueblo with Head Start.

She has an undergraduate social work degree from the University of Minnesota and a Master of Social Work from NM Highlands University. As part of her volunteer work she provides field supervision of social work students at a non-profit agency in Santa Fe. Other volunteer work has also focused on at risk families and children.

Ruth has been on the AML Board since July 2008. Ruth is also active as an AML Amigo. She divides her time between Santa Fe and Lake City, Minnesota.

Larry Brown
In Memory of Larry Brown
Larry is a founding member of the Positive Deviant network, and currently serves as a Trustee of America’s Promise. With more than 35 years experience in youth programming, he has managed the design and delivery of WAVE’s training and program development activities for 28 years. With degrees in psychology and law from Boston College and Suffolk University Law School respectively, Mr. Brown brings a unique background to this field of work. He previously worked as a Director of Planning and Development and later Executive Director of Youth and Family Resources, Inc., an adolescent drug treatment program. He has also been a supervisor and Director at a number of other youth development agencies.

Larry is a Steward for the Institute for Education (IFE) in Washington, DC, and in 2002 was awarded the IFE Service Leadership Award. He served the US Department of Labor as a program coach during the implementation multimillion-dollar Youth Opportunity Grants. Larry has served numerous business, education, and charitable organizations as an advisor and consultant. His special expertise includes Hoshin (strategic) planning, organizational assessment and development, board cultivation and development, systems design, staff development, and program design and evaluation. He is a student and advocate of the teachings of R. Buckminster Fuller, W. Edwards Deming, and Marshall Thurber of MetaQuality, Inc.

Lee Brower
Lee Brower is Founder and CEO of Empowered Wealth, LLC, an international consulting firm headquartered in Bountiful, Utah. With more than 30 years experience, Lee advises successful businesses, families, trusts, foundations, professional athletes and celebrities on how to protect and empower their Human, Intellectual, Civic and Financial assets. In this capacity, he has created The Empowered Wealth System, The Family Empowered Cooperative, The Family Empowered Bank concept, and The Relevant Living Trust. These breakthrough innovations have become cornerstones for the construction of bridges that transport a family’s True Wealth to future generations. Lee frequently lectures and leads seminars.

Born and raised in California, Lee attended Brigham Young University and the University of Redlands, where he majored in business administration and Spanish. He then went on to practice and study financial planning, earning a CLU and ChFC designation from American College in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania. He is Co-author of Wealth Enhancement & Preservation, he is recognized in Who’s Who in the West and Who’s Who Worldwide.