Pamelya Herndon

Herndon was born November 23, 1952 in Hempstead, Texas to Kathryn and Daniel Norris Herndon. She is African-American.[2] After attending Roy Miller High School, she earned a Bachelor of Business Administration in accounting from Howard University in 1975 and a Juris Doctor from the University of Texas School of Law in 1978.[2]

Herndon moved to Denver in 1978, where she worked at an accounting firm. She was then hired by the Internal Revenue Service as a litigation attorney. She moved to Albuquerque, New Mexico in 1983. In 1998, Herndon joined the litigation division of the Attorney General of New Mexico's office. In 2006, she was appointed general counsel of the New Mexico Regulation and Licensing Department. In 2009, she became deputy secretary of the New Mexico General Services Department.[3] Herndon operated an independent legal practice until becoming executive director of the Southwest Women's Law Center in 2012. In October 2018, she became president and CEO of the KWH Law Center for Social Justice and Change. She has taught law courses at the University of New Mexico School of Law and paralegal courses at Brookline College–Albuquerque.[4] Herndon has also hosted radio programs on KUNM.[5]

Herndon married Alfred Mathewson in 1978.[2] They have three children.[7] Mathewson is an emeritus professor and former co-dean at the University of New Mexico School of Law.[8]