James Abeyta Stevens, a native New Mexican, is originally from Las Vegas, NM and now resides in Albuquerque, NM. He holds a master’s degree in Guidance and Counseling, Professional Counseling, from New Mexico Highlands University, which led him to his professional therapeutic career in 2012. He also holds a bachelor’s degree in marketing from the University of New Mexico and a bachelor’s degree in organizational psychology from the College of Santa Fe. On top of that, he is also a licensed mental health therapist in the state of New Mexico.

In 2021, James retired from his position as Director of Human Resources after a career in the Native American tribal gaming industry that extended over two decades. During this period, his leadership led the organization to earn more than a dozen top honors from the Albuquerque Journal and other companies in categories such as Top Workplaces and Best Places to Work in New Mexico for a large company.

As a therapist, he currently assists those with gambling addictions, bereavement, substance abuse, domestic violence, and career counseling. James recently took over the role of Chief Human Resources Officer for his agency, handling all HR functions for the organization in addition to his role as a therapist.  You can take the person out of Human Resources, but you can never take the Human Resources out of the person. In fact, “Fun” is James’ middle name as he is a corporate culture champion.

James is an instructor in the Substance Abuse Certificate and the Human Services Degree program at Central New Mexico Community College (CNM) in Albuquerque, the largest community college in the state of New Mexico.

James currently serves as the State Council Director for the SHRM New Mexico State Council, the first male in this position in SHRM NM’s history. He also serves on the Membership Advisory Council (MAC), representing ten (10) states in the Southwest Central Region for SHRM, a position he was elected to by his fellow State Council Directors. He will serve a two-year term in a position considered to be the highest level of Volunteer Leadership that SHRM National offers.  James is a driving force to bettering Human Resources support in and around the state of New Mexico, tribal nations, the Southwest Central Region of SHRM, and the country.