May 10, 2026

Welcome and Annual Meeting Overview

We are not your HOA, we are your Property Owners Association.

On March 26, 2026, the Picacho Hills Property Owners Association convened its Annual Meeting at the Picacho Hills Country Club, as required by our bylaws. It was wonderful to see so many members take an active interest in our Association, with 48 members and the current Board of Directors present.

Board of Directors Election

I am pleased to share that two new Directors were elected to the Board: Lyle Wetherholt and Rebecca Klein. Both were nominated and received a majority vote from the membership during the meeting. Their talent, experience, and commitment to service will be valuable assets to both our membership and the greater Picacho Hills community. Additionally, I was reelected for a second term and am excited to continue contributing to this dynamic and vital social organization.

New Officers and Board Changes

At our Organization Meeting on April 2, we selected new Officers for the upcoming term. At the April Board Meeting, we also appointed a member to fill the Board position recently vacated by Terri Kasmoch, who resigned on March 18, 2026. We sincerely thank Terri for her dedicated service and leadership in Marketing, and she will be missed by our group. We also want to welcome Hilda Reyes to the Board.

2026-2027 Officers

• Allen Potter – President
• Rebecca Klein – Vice President
• Bruce Barker – Treasurer
• Hilda Reyes – Secretary

Committee Assignments and Volunteer Opportunities

Committee assignments have been made and can be reviewed on our website. Please remember that any member of the PHPOA is welcome to volunteer and participate in our various activities throughout the year.

Gratitude and Closing Remarks

I extend my thanks to all Directors, Committee Chairs, and volunteers whose efforts have contributed to the success of our Association.

Wishing all our members a wonderful Spring and Summer. I look forward to seeing and connecting with you as the year progresses.

With best regards,

Allen R. Potter, President PHPOA

Our NEW WEBSITE is up and running!  Visit PHPOA Website to see everything your Association has to offer.  On our NEW site, you can see upcoming calendar events, buy memberships, sign up to volunteer and much, much more.  Here's what you need to do:

• Go to PHPOA Website https://www.picachopoa.org/.
• Click on the Log In button or the Registration button.
• If you already have an account with another organization that uses Membership Toolkit you can use the same email and password to login. You can then proceed to the numbered steps below.
• Select "Create Account" and fill in the name, email, and password information.
• Click "verify my email" and then check your email for a link to complete the process. The link expires in 2 hours. If you do not receive the email, check your spam or junk folders.
• Once you have verified your email address, log back in and finish the registration process.

1. Complete the Member Information.
2. Complete the Directory/Publish Preferences.
3. You’ll also see forms for Volunteer Opportunities. 

Once the Primary Account is set up, the Primary User can "invite" other email addresses to access his/her account.  This allows the Secondary User to have their own login information but still have access to the family account (if you want to set up this feature, we can email instructions).

Please Note:  All New Contacts Require Approval - all new contacts/user accounts will be reviewed and approved by a PHPOA Admin. This means that ALL NEW user accounts require approval by an Admin before new users can access PHPOA site or Open Forms. This may take 1 – 2 business days.

Questions? - Please don't hesitate to contact us at phpoanews@gmail.com

Jeff and Jennifer Simpson - Calle Vista Belle

Amanda Guaderramo - Camino Nuevo Mejico

John and Kristine Scherber - Vista de Oro

Michael Campsmith - Castille Court

Jean Roach - Alhambra Court

Stephen and Diana Lueke - Vista Hermosa

Sally and Mike Kennedy - Arco De Goya

Jon Hall - San Marcos Court

Jeane and Bruce and Katie Macintosh - Camino Blanco

Diana and Bill Haberman - San Savino Court

Mary Hoffman and Jim Sorenson - San Savino Court

Lydia Tamez - Bright View

Gerald and Mary Kukta - Idyll Court

Robert and Mitchell Zeemont - Barcelona Ridge

William and Christine Stein - Tuscany Drive

We are excited to invite you to join our mission to enrich the beauty and vibrancy of our beloved Picacho Hills community! 

Last year, we proudly welcomed 318 members, just three shy of our goal of 321, and currently, we stand at 296 members. With over 1,200 homes in our picturesque neighborhood, it's evident that each resident plays a vital role in the aesthetics of our shared spaces. 

Your annual membership fee of just $75 not only contributes to the landscaping that greets you as you enter Picacho Hills Drive but also funds enjoyable social events and provides access to valuable merchant discount cards that enhance the quality of life for all members. Just imagine the incredible achievements we could accomplish with a fully engaged membership; our budget is designed for 330 members, and every additional member allows us to flourish. 

Let us unite in cultivating a thriving community where everyone can enjoy the benefits of our collective efforts. Join us in making Picacho Hills the best it can be—together, we can truly nurture this wonderful place we call home!

As a member, you can enjoy discounts on a variety of services, including auto, home, technology, dining, groceries, personal items, gifts, printing, storage, and wellness in Las Cruces, New Mexico.

By choosing to shop with merchants that offer member discounts, you are supporting local small businesses.

Please feel free to submit your photos using your merchant card to:

phpoanews@gmail.com

The Picacho Hills Property Owners Association (PHPOA) strives to make our community a better place to live with the goal of enhancing the safety, well-being, sense of belonging, and community pride of Picacho Hills. The Association strives to protect our property values, work with government agencies on issues impacting the community and serve as liaison with the Picacho Hills Country Club and the homeowners associations of Picacho Hills.

The trees at the entrance of Picacho Hills Drive were pruned by the Picacho Hills Property Owners Association. This is a great example of how your annual membership fee contributes to maintaining the beauty of our neighborhood. 

• Three new plants were recently planted by the Landscape Committee 
• Newly installed plants are being watered; additional filter screens have been ordered and are expected next month.

Meet Arnie Klein, who has been a lively addition to our Picacho Hills community for the past year and five months! Originally from Chicago, Arnold and his Wife Rebeca were drawn to New Mexico for the warmth—both the beautiful weather (for most of the year) and the incredibly welcoming people. In fact, he says the people are what drew them to Las Cruces.  Literally almost everyday when they go for a walk they meet people and invariably engage in a friendly conversation. When they are heading out for a bite to eat they have found some local favorites like Spotted Dog, The Shed, or Saenz Gorditas among other restaurants.  

Arnie is semi-retired but continues to keep busy with clients and the ever-changing world of Information Technology as there is always something to learn. Currently that would be understanding AI and using it to create small tools to assess fake emails. He also has a strong passion for photography, has joined both the Dona Ana Photography Group and the Photography Enthusiasts of El Paso (PEEP). His professional background is in IT Consulting.  Starting his career prior to the advent of personal computers.  One of his favorite accomplishments is writing software for an engineering forensics firm back in 1988 that was used until just a few years ago (as he jokingly puts it, "Take that Cobol!"). He continues to be concerned about people using their computers and making sure they stay safe in the increasingly complex world.  He has shared his expertise by giving cybersecurity presentations to local groups, including our very own Picacho Hills Property Association.

Arnie truly appreciates the sense of belonging that comes with being part of a larger community. He particularly enjoys the Arts in the Garden event and monthly Lunch and Learn hosted by the Picacho Hills POA. It is amazing how many people have such varied interests they are willing to share.

When it comes to winding down, he and Rebecca have a tradition of watching The Maltese Falcon once a year as well as just about any movie in black and white. He also confesses to the guilty pleasure of reading fictional works by Mickey Spillane—admitting it's a bit of a "character flaw"—and is currently hooked on the show The Pitt. As for vacations, back when he lived in Chicago, Las Cruces and New Mexico was actually his favorite destination.  Now, they have to find new places to explore!

Saturday April 25th.

We extend our heartfelt gratitude to all the wonderful volunteers who dedicated their time and effort to participate in the Great American Clean Up and Keep Las Cruces Beautiful initiatives. 

The community showed incredible resilience and commitment to cleaning up our neighborhood. The overflowing dumpsters on Via Norte and Renoir are a testament to the hard work and dedication of our volunteers.

We kicked off the 2026 lunch and learn program with Stargazing with Astronomer Mike Beddo. It was big success with 48 attendees for the talk and approximately 28 people staying for a delicious pulled pork slider buffet lunch. 

There was such a positive reaction to Mike’s talk that we have signed him up for the 2027 season! Our upcoming lunch and learn on May 12 will be Dr. Erin Wahl. She is the archivist at NMSU and will be speaking on storing our family photos and heirlooms properly. She encourages you to bring any small items you may have questions about.

Linda Mandel

Event committee co-chair

Birds of a Feather Flock Together- Lunch and Learn

Birds of Southern New Mexico: Habitat and Climate Change Effects

....and It's Not All Bad News

Event took place on February 10, 2026, at 11:00 at the Picacho Hills Country Club. 

Ed and Ginny Blair, neighbors and fellow PHPOA members, return offering us a renewed connection to nature through their love of birding. An avid ornithologist himself, Ed has researched how habitat and climate change is affecting our feathered friends. 

Mike Beddo earned his PHD in 1990 with a thesis on polarized neutron-proton scattering, followed by a postdoctoral appointment at Argonne National Laboratory. His physics career took him to Fermilab, Brookhaven, and even Saclay, France. 

Mike described stars and other objects that are visible at night using our eyes and binoculars. He reviewed names of the brightest stars, constellations and how to find the objects. The presentation continued with Mike's discussion of "citizen science," amateur sky watchers and what can be done with a "smart" telescope, designed to cancel out light pollution from city lights, and can be easily set up in one's backyard or porch with view of the sky.

Picacho Hills Candidate Forum - Sponsored by the Picacho Hills Property Owner Association and the Picacho Hills Country Club

Tuesday, May 19th, 4:00 pm

Please join us for the Picacho Hills Candidate Forum for our slate of primary candidates for local and regional New Mexico public offices.  All candidates in competitive races for the offices of the US House of Representatives (District 2), Secretary of State, Commissioner of Public Lands, County Commissioner (District 1), County Sheriff, and County Assessor have been invited and are expected to participate in the forum.  All of these offices have more than one candidate for one or both parties running, making the primary a must win for most of them.

The event will take place on Tuesday, May 19th at the Picacho Hills Country Club, 6861 Via Campestre, Las Cruces starting at 4:00 pm to 7:00 pm.   It is open primarily to residents of the Picacho Hills community.

Dr. Christa Slaton, NMSU Professor of American Politics, and Walt Rubel, former editor of the LC Sun News and Political Commentator, will act as moderators for the forum.  Candidates for the various offices will be given a opportunity to briefly introduce themselves followed by questions from the moderators and the audience.  The format is designed to maximize the opportunity for interaction between the audience and the candidates.

As space is limited (the first 100) and seats are available on a first come, first serve basis please arrive early to ensure you are able to participate in this important event.

The following are the list of candidates invited to participate:

• US House of Representatives, District 2: Gregory Cunningham (R) and Jose Orozco (R)
• Secretary of State: Katharine Clark (D) and Amanda Lopez Askin (D)
• Commissioner of Public Lands: Juan de Jesus Sanchez III (D), Matthew McQueen (D), and Jonas Moya (D)
• County Commissioner, District 1: Angela Rowe Garcia (D) and Daisy Ann Maldonado (D)
• County Sheriff: Gabriela Lozano (D), Jon R. Day (D), Rafael Reyes, Jr (D), James A. Frietze (D), Ricardo Segovia (D), Eugene C. Alvarez (D), Vanessa Ordonez (D), Todd Garrison (R), Byron Hollister (R) and Jaime Marquez Quezada (R)
• County Assessor: Ruben Reyes (D), Shannon Reynolds (D) and Eugenia Montoya Ortega (D)

The Artists of Picacho Hills was founded in 2008 by artists living in the Picacho Hills Community and who shared interest in promoting the arts. Together they launched Art in the Garden, which is now an annual May event that showcases artwork and landscaping in the western corner of Las Cruces.

In addition to the May showcase, the group presents a Fall show that features the work of 15 to 20 artists.

May 9, 2026, 10:00 am - 4:00 pm

The Artist of Picacho Hills will be presenting Art in the Garden. Maps will be at the Welcome Center which will lead you to 6 different houses displaying 20 different artist works.

Picacho Hills Property Owners Association

P.O. Box 51

Fairacres, NM  88007

We are your Property Owners Association, not a HOA