Sante Fe, New Mexico Project

I believe being outdoors and fly fishing would be
a great outlet for children in Foster Care, whether
to just let out some stress, or
focus on something positive.

Kaileigh Cera, Co-Lead Mentor

Santa Fe, New Mexico Project

Project Location

Santa Fe, New Mexico

 

Year Project Founded

2020

Project Lead Mentor

Brandon Cera and Kaileigh Cera

 

Mentors on this team

14

Children mentored to date

18

 

Children to be mentored in 2026

6

Local foster care partners

New Mexico Children Youth & Families Department (2020)

Local companies that support this project

Aspen Medical Center, Northside dental and NM Outdoor Equity Fund, First Citizens Bank, Oral Surgery Center of Santa Fe

Apply to Mentor

For more questions about this project,
contact Brandon Cera and Kaileigh Cera at:
knorris.451@gmail.com

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Support the Sante Fe, New Mexico  Project

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“These projects are a great way to embrace nature and be yourself.  They give the children a chance to create a passion for fly fishing as well as new experiences and friendships.”

Brandon Cera, Lead Mentor

Santa Fe, New Mexico Project

Project Mentors

Brandon Cera, Lead Mentor
Born and raised outside of Dayton, Ohio, Brandon Cera attended Ohio State University and obtained both a bachelor’s degree in biology and his Doctor of Dental Surgery degree. It was there that he also met and married his wife, Kaileigh, who is a health care provider in Santa Fe as well.  Brandon Cera and his wife are avid hikers, campers, skiers, fishermen and more, which means that you will often find them out and about with their dogs, enjoying the beautiful geography that Santa Fe has to offer.
Kaileigh Cera, Mentor
Born and raised north of Cincinnati, Ohio, Kaileigh grew up fishing with her family on ponds and lakes. Her first river fishing experience was when Brandon, her now husband, took her on a trip to Colorado where he proposed! That is where she learned about fly fishing and how beautiful the west was! She moved to New Mexico with Brandon in 2014, and they’ve been fly fishing ever since! Kaileigh loves to enjoy the peace and beauty of nature, reading a good book, seeing the wild animals, and fly fishing is just an added bonus! Kaileigh has 2 boys, ages 3 and 1, and they’re already little river rats. Kaileigh currently works at Aspen Medical Center as a Nurse Practitioner.
Nancy Wheaton, Mentor

Nancy grew up in South Texas, fishing for catfish with blood bait on a spinner rod with her brothers. These days, Nancy leaves serious fly fishing to her husband Jeff, while she enjoys the beauty of nature by accompanying him on his fishing trips, doing her own hiking, biking, or reading by the river.
As a mentor for the Mayfly Project, she wants to share with others, just as she instilled in her two children, that being outdoors is essential to finding peace, reducing anxiety, and feeling centered.

Jeff Wheaton, Mentor
Jeff grew up in Houston and lived in mostly big cities such as Austin, Miami and New Orleans before moving to Santa Fe, NM in 2000. There he finally came to appreciate the great outdoors, initially mostly hiking and skiing but more recently in the last several years really getting into fly fishing. Jeff loves the challenge of learning something new and the connection to nature and the peacefulness fly fishing provides. Though he still feels he has much to learn Jeff is excited to share his passion with kids.
Jackie Martinez, Mentor
Jackie was born in Santa Fe, New Mexico and was raised in the Northern mountains of the state where she learned to fish from her father who is an avid outdoorsman. She taught herself to fly fish off of the recommendation of her younger sister and has since dedicated her time on the water to perfecting her craft with a fly rod. She and her partner share two kids and together they fish as often as they can with some of their favorite spots being the waters surrounding the Questa area where her father is from and the Jemez Mountains near their home in Rio Rancho. Angling holds a special place in her life and Jackie has sought out to share this passion with anyone willing to listen so making the choice to join the team at TMP was a no-brainer.
Daniel "DG" Garrison, Mentor
Growing up in rural Ludowici, Ga Daniel found a love for fishing the small creeks and rivers, and ponds near his home at a young age. “That love of fishing has followed along throughout my life and career and helped me along in ways that are too many to list” Says Daniel. Learning to fly fish in 2003 from a co-worker while serving in the United States Air Force, Daniel found a real love for both the challenges and simplistic nature fly fishing offered. Now retired from the Daniel can be found fishing around the local waters of New Mexico, or looking for other new fishing adventures around the country. Daniel is excited to share his experiences and love of fly fishing as a Mentor with the Sante Fe, NM Mayfly Project!
Peggy Clews, Mentor
Peggy grew up in Nebraska where she enjoyed ice fishing with her father and brother. She attended school in Missouri and lived in Indiana for a few years before settling in New Mexico. Peggy retired in 2016 after working as a chemical engineer for 35 years. She loves spending time outdoors hiking, biking and learning new skills. Peggy is new to flyfishing and is excited to learn as much as she can. Sometimes teaching a skill is the best way to learn the skill. She is looking forward to being a mentor for the Mayfly Project so she can be an example to those in the program saying, “If I can learn this, so can you!”
Kaleb Twilley, Mentor

 Kaleb lives in Farmington New Mexico, and has been adventuring the outdoors for most of his life. Colorado ,New Mexico , Texas are just a few places that he spends his time hunting and fishing from red fish to trout depending on the time of the year. He has been fly fishing since a young age and loves to pass that knowledge on to the next generation of outdoorsmen.

Brandon Ihlein, Mentor

 A New Mexico native who grew up fishing on the San Juan River with his Mother and Grandfather. Teaching himself fly fishing he became enamored with it learning multiple methods for different bodies of water and fishing all over the state from high alpine lakes to the small streams of the Gila. Attending New Mexico State University he got his bachelor’s in Computer Science and started his career in software development in his home city of Albuquerque. He’s excited to share his passion and the knowledge he’s gained with others as a mentor with the Mayfly Project!

Doug Moser, Mentor

Teaching English to middle school students in Santa Fe is Doug Moser’s full-time career, but teaching fly fishing to youth is one of his greatest pleasures outside of school. Living in Santa Fe since 1989, Doug has always been interested in everything to do with fish from his earliest childhood. His fishing passion began with fishing and swimming in Michigan farm ponds, blossomed with keeping seven fish tanks in middle school, and grew with age when snorkeling and traveling to fish around the world. He has been known to snorkel in rivers and ponds simply to learn more about fish habits and their ecosystems. Fly fishing from a kayak is Doug’s latest attempt to learn how to pursue fish around New Mexico’s lakes and rivers.

Morgan Krueger, Mentor

 I am a New Mexico native who grew up spending most of my time outdoors. I learned how to fly fish in 2022 and have been practicing ever since. I have enjoyed fishing with my fiancé and my two dogs by my side. I love to travel and have been lucky enough to fish most of southern Colorado, northern New Mexico, northern Utah, and western Wyoming. I am excited to grow my mentorship with children who are learning to love the art of fly fishing.