For questions about mediation scheduling or submission of exhibits, please contact a secretary listed below:
Francisca Duran - 505-841-6814 or Elizabeth Zon - 505-841-6076
Kenneth Owens, Bureau Chief
Kenneth Owens joined the WCA in 2018 and was later hired as the Mediation Bureau Chief. Since June of 2020 he has served as the Acting Deputy Director of Operations, which includes the Workers’ Compensation Court, Clerk of the Court, Mediation, Ombudsman and Self-Insurance Bureaus. Owens is a native New Mexican and a graduate of the University of New Mexico School of Law and New Mexico Military Institute, where he received his commission as a United States Army officer. Owens has worked in the New Mexico legal community for over 25 years for both civil legal services and state government. Owens is a certified mediator, an at-large member of the State Bar Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) committee and has been appointed to the IAIABC Dispute Resolution Committee.
Sheila Hurley
Sheila Hurley was raised in England and New York and has found her home in New Mexico. She received her bachelor’s degree in anthropology and biology from Hunter College, and her law degree from Fordham Law School in New York City. Ms. Hurley focused on both health and employment law in law school and began her career working for Epstein Becker and Green LLC in its employment law division. Subsequently, she developed her own labor and employment law practice, including representation of both employers and employees. Ms. Hurley has served in various roles in federal, state and city government for many years. She assisted Social Security Administration administrative law judges in medical file reviews and decision writing. She served as a hearing officer for the City of New York’s Office of Administrative Trials and Hearings (OATH). She joined the Workers’ Compensation Administration in June of 2021.
Alicia Leger
Alicia Leger was born and raised in Las Vegas, New Mexico. After high school she studied in Singapore for two years and completed her international baccalaureate. She graduated from the University of New Mexico (UNM) with a degree in business administration in 2014 and received her law degree from the UNM School of Law in 2018. Following law school Ms. Leger primarily practiced Guardian ad Litem work and employment discrimination on behalf of New Mexicans throughout the state. She has a passion for her native state and its diverse cultures and peoples and enjoys traveling.
Douglas Christopherson
Doug Christopherson was raised in Salt Lake City, Utah and received both his undergraduate degree in psychology and his law degree from the University of Utah. Before attending law school, he spent several years managing psychiatric research studies in the University of Utah's Department of Psychiatry. Following law school, Mr. Christopherson worked as a prosecutor for the State of New Mexico, where he handled DWI and domestic violence cases. He spent the next decade as a practicing workers' compensation defense attorney before joining the Workers' Compensation Administration in September of 2023.
Isabella Pacheco
Isabella Pacheco is originally from Clovis, New Mexico. She completed her undergraduate studies at the University of Notre Dame, and earned her law degree from the University of New Mexico in 2017. She has practiced in both criminal defense and civil litigation in Albuquerque. Pacheco joined the Workers' Compensation in October of 2023.