Audrey McQueen
Board Chair
Audrey Hulsey McQueen born and raised in Catron County. I own and operate a 320 cow/calf ranch, and Own and Operate Trophy Ridge Outfitters. I have 4 children all are involved with 4-H and FFA. I am a commissioner in Catron County, district 2. I am very passionate about our ranching families, and am very dedicated to helping Catron County keep family business and ranches alive!
Nelson Shirley
Board Vice-Chair
Nelson Shirley is a livestock producer, operating Spur Lake Cattle Company on the New Mexico-Arizona
border. He is also the board chair of Western Landowner’s Alliance, a non-profit organization whose
mission is promoting policies and practices that support working lands and native species on connected
landscapes. His primary interest is wildlands and both the wildlife and the human communities that help
sustain them. He has a long family history of farming and ranching and has also worked in jobs from the
oilfield to construction. His business interests have included engineering services and production
automation for the petroleum industry. Currently his focus is the development of a business model that
improves the economic success of working lands while sustaining the habitat and biodiversity of the
surrounding landscape.
Jim Paxon
Jim was born and raised in Lubbock, Texas. He spent 34 years in the U.S. Forest Service and six years with Arizona Game and Fish Department. He has been a Sierra County Commissioner since July 2018. Jim and his wife, Debbie live in Truth or Consequences, New Mexico.
Tom Paterson
For 38 years, he has worked as a trial lawyer in New Mexico and Texas, primarily in the oil patch. For many of those years, he has been recognized as a Super Lawyer. The Patersons have been repeatedly recognized for their commitment to environmental stewardship in their ranching operations. Tom serves as the Wildlife Committee Chair for the New Mexico Cattle Growers’ Association, as Vice-Chair of the CLLA, and on the Board of Directors of the Natural Resource, Energy and Environmental Law Section of the State Bar of New Mexico.
Danny Monette
Mr. Monette is a Socorro County Commissioner appointed to the CLLA Board in January 2025
