Representative Pamelya Herndon Contact information

Pamelya Herndon, born on November 23, 1952, in Hempstead, Texas, is an American attorney, accountant, and politician serving as a member of the New Mexico House of Representatives from the 28th district.

Herndon’s early life was spent in Texas where she was born to Kathryn and Daniel Norris Herndon. After graduating from Roy Miller High School, she pursued higher education at Howard University, earning a Bachelor of Business Administration in accounting in 1975. She then attended the University of Texas School of Law, receiving her Juris Doctor degree in 1978.

In 1978, Herndon married Alfred Mathewson, and they moved to Denver, Colorado. Her early career began in Denver, where she worked for a major accounting firm. She was then hired by the Internal Revenue Service as a senior litigation attorney.

In 1983, Herndon and her husband relocated to Albuquerque, New Mexico. Her career in New Mexico began with her continuing to work for the IRS. In 1998, she was appointed by Attorney General Patricia Madrid to serve in New Mexico’s Litigation Division. She provided legal representation to state officials and agencies until 2006, before being appointed general counsel for the State Regulation and Licensing Department of New Mexico.

In 2009, Herndon became deputy cabinet secretary for New Mexico’s General Services Department, overseeing the administration of the government agency which housed the Risk Management, Building Services, Property Control, Transportation Services, and Administrative Services Divisions.

In February of 2011, Herndon became managing partner of Herndon Legal Services, and served until October of that year. She was then hired by the Southwest Women’s Law Center in 2012 to work as their executive director until October 2018 when she founded the KWH Law Center for Social Justice and Change and became their president and CEO.

Herndon has also taught courses on the main campus and in the law school of the University of New Mexico. She also helped train paralegals and legal secretaries at Brookline College in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

On June 22, 2021, Herndon was appointed to the New Mexico House of Representatives by members of the Bernalillo County Commission. Herndon represents the 28th district, which was vacated when Melanie Stansbury resigned to serve in the United States House of Representatives.

Herndon and her husband, Alfred Mathewson, have three adult children: Eryn, Amber, and Justin. Alfred Mathewson is an emeritus professor and former co-dean at the University of New Mexico School of Law.