Four individuals honored as 2024 ACE Award recipients during Compliance Week

For the third year, UNM honored four individuals who exemplify a commitment to fostering a healthy, ethical, and compliant work and learning environment. The ACE awards recognize individuals who have demonstrated remarkable dedication to Advancing Compliance and Ethics and who are actively contributing to a better UNM. This event takes place as part of Compliance Week 2024 which is held Nov. 4-8, 2024.

The following are this year's ACE Award winners:

Adrienne Helms, Clery coordinator, Office of Compliance Ethics & Equal Opportunity
Adrienne Helms has served as UNM's Clery Coordinator since February 2022 and is passionate about using her background to bring UNM's Clery program to life.

Prior to joining UNM, Helms began her career as an urban planner specializing in current and long-term projects as well as historic preservation. She went on to expand her work in public service as a crime prevention specialist, public information officer, and trainer for local police agencies and non-profits. She specializes in Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) and has completed over 100 community projects throughout New Mexico, Virginia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania. At UNM, Helms co-chairs the President's Safe Campus Living Task Force, contributes to awareness and prevention programs on campus, and oversees the University's compliance with the federal Jeanne Clery Act.

She received her Bachelor of Arts in Urban Studies from the College of Charleston and her Master's in Urban & Regional Planning from Virginia Tech (VPI & SU).

Kate Davis, director, Office of Academic Personnel
Kate Davis is the director of the Office for Academic Personnel (OAP). She holds a Master's in Organizational Management and Development and has been with UNM since June of 2019. Davis started her UNM career as an HR consultant with working primarily with HSC departments. She transitioned to OAP in October of 2021 and was promoted to director of OAP in June of 2024. Davis has been an HR professional for over 10 years and has recently specialized in Labor Relations.

Jessica Hermosillo, facility security officer, Industrial Security - Provost's office
Jessica Hermosillo spent 22 years working for two large, cleared defense contractors in the Albuquerque area before joining UNM in early 2022 as the facility security officer and manger of the Industrial Security Department. Her office is dedicated to assisting faculty and staff with information on threat awareness to protect intellectual property, disclosure requirements, and reporting responsibilities.

She is currently the NCMS Enchantment Chapter chair, a national professional society dedicated to mentoring and developing other security professionals in the industry to protect national security. Hermosillo serves on UNM's Health & Safety Advisory Committee, UNM's Institutional Compliance Committee, and the national NCMS Ethics Committee.

"If you always do the right thing, you never have to worry," said Hermosillo.

Laura Burton, Ph.D., associate director, UNM Health Sciences Rio Rancho Campus
Laura L. Burton is the associate director of Business Operations for the UNM Health Sciences Rio Rancho Campus. She assisted in the successful campus transition from general education to the health sciences in 2018. Burton's oversight includes the HSC academic areas of the Rio Rancho campus, including "building one" (the old UNM West building) and the new Center for Excellence in Orthopedic Surgery and Rehabilitation research areas. In pursuit of the University's strategic goals, she continues to work on strategic planning and program development to address our workforce shortages.

Burton developed a certificate program to address the common areas of weakness for applicants to graduate health programs. This program focuses on communication, culture, and critical thinking for healthcare professionals. The first cohort of the Pre-Health Scholars Certificate, a 15-credit hour humanities-focused program, graduated in 2023. She also works with schools throughout Sandoval County to inspire students to pursue health careers. Additional pathway programs are in development.

Before her associate director role, Burton worked as faculty at UNM. Her research areas included exploring how hope is facilitated in recovery groups and indigenous patient experiences in the highlands of Guatemala. Her teaching focus included health communication, meaning-making around health and illness, intercultural communication, and communication theory. She serves on various internal and external boards and committees.