Cabinet secretary steps down

SANTA FE — The head of the New Mexico Aging and Long-Term Services Department has left the post for a job outside state government, marking the latest Cabinet shuffle in Gov. Susana Martinez’s second term.

Myles Copeland, who was appointed to lead the agency in July 2015, submitted his resignation last week, according to the Governor’s Office. His annual salary was $98,000.

Deputy Secretary KyKy Knowles was appointed by the governor to serve as acting secretary, effective Monday, Martinez spokesman Michael Lonergan said.

Several long-serving Cabinet secretaries have stepped down in the past year, including former Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Secretary David Martin, former Corrections Secretary Gregg Marcantel, former Economic Development Secretary Jon Barela and former Environment Secretary Ryan Flynn.

Cabinet-level turnover is typical as governors enter their final years in office.

Martinez, a Republican, was reelected to a second four-year term in 2014 and is barred from running again for re-election next year.

Copeland previously worked as an executive for the Alzheimer’s Association, and during his time as Cabinet secretary he worked on a new state plan for Alzheimer’s disease and dementia.

He also worked for the Aging and Long-Term Services Department as a deputy secretary before taking the agency’s reins.

The Aging and Long-Term Services Department, one of the state’s smaller Cabinet-level agencies, oversees various programs for elderly New Mexicans, including home-delivered meals, transportation and job-finding assistance.

It had 193 employees and 47 vacant positions as of Tuesday, according to the state sunshine portal.