Cat Vanderpool is NDI New Mexico’s Event Manager, responsible for supporting all tasks related to the execution of successful events, including the annual Galas and summer programing, serving both The Hiland Theater in Albuquerque and The Dance Barns in Santa Fe.

An event planner to the core, she began her career in reserving space at community centers in rural New Mexico for local musicians while she was still in high school and transitioned to managing the El Rey Theater, a 700-person capacity historic venue in downtown Albuquerque. From there, she started working in events with the University of Oklahoma in 2011, planning meetings and trainings for various state and federal government agencies through the University’s Center of Public Management and then as a Program Manager for the Economic Development Institute, a national training program for economic development professionals.

During her career in event planning, she has overseen conferences for over 1,000 participants, events in over a dozen national markets, month-long strategic planning sessions, several weddings and Ska Prom, an all-ages music festival that showcased independent musicians and bands from throughout the Southwest. Cat has also worked for the New Mexico Legislature and served as a Staff Assistant for US Senator Pete V. Domenici in his Albuquerque field office.

Cat is a proud graduate of the Film and Media Arts program at the University of New Mexico. In her spare time, she loves to bake biscuits, watch spots, make quilts and take naps with her dog Lupe. Her biggest accomplishment is backpacking to the bottom of the Grand Canyon, twice.