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. 

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 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 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 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.

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 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!”

Originally from Weatherford, Texas, John was raised fishing for Crappie and other panfish in rivers and lakes across Texas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Kansas. John taught himself to fly fish during a fishing trip to Colorado with his father, and has been hooked on fly fishing since. Following his bachelors degree, John moved to Las Cruces, New Mexico to attend New Mexico State University where he received his Master’s degree in Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Ecology. John moved to Santa Fe in 2023 where he currently works as the cold-water sportfish biologist for eastern New Mexico with New Mexico Department of Game and Fish.

I am an elementary school teacher and I love building relationships with students & families. I believe that meaningful connections can create an atmosphere of love and safety. I enjoy being outdoors with my dogs, Tillo and Charlie. I recently moved to New Mexico from Kansas so I am an avid Chiefs & Royals fan!