New leaders for family services dept.
Homelessness, affordable housing among priorities
Leadership changes are coming to the city of Albuquerque’s Department of Family and Community Services as part of an effort to create programs that help keep kids off the streets, expand affordable housing and homelessness services and address gaps in health services, including for those struggling with behavioral health and addiction.
Mayor Tim Keller on Monday appointed Lisa Huval as deputy director to oversee housing and homelessness efforts. She recently served as associate director at the New Mexico Coalition to End Homelessness.
Gilbert Ramírez, a licensed clinical social worker who most recently was the director of student support for Health Leadership High School in Albuquerque, was appointed deputy director for health programs, including behavioral health.
Claire Dudley-Chavez will serve as a senior education advisor focusing on early childhood, after-school and summer programs. She was executive vice president for policy and stakeholder engagement at United Way of Santa Fe County/New Mexico Early Childhood Development Partnership.
Carol Pierce was appointed by Keller in February as director of the Family and Community Services Department. She was previously manager for the SchoolBased Health Center Program at University of New Mexico, Pediatrics.
“Making sure that we have a team running point on some of our city’s most pressing challenges is a priority for me,” Keller said in a statement. “To really tackle the public safety needs of our city and bolster the police department’s efforts to fight crime, we also need focus on addressing education, behavioral health and homelessness. The Family and Community Services department is now set up to do that, with leaders who will help us create a safer and more inclusive Albuquerque.”