Matt McQueen cares about NM’s future

New Mexico is truly fortunate to have the talents and experience of state Rep. Matt McQueen.

As chair of the New Mexico House Energy, Environment and Natural Resources Committee, his calm demeanor and thoughtful questions set an important tone as we seek collaboration to protect the lands and water that sustain all New Mexicans.

I first met Matt at a Sierra Club event when he arrived in town, fresh with a prestigious law degree from University of Michigan and a masters in Natural Resources, which revealed where his heart lay.

It was obvious that protection of the environment was paramount in his goals, and he surprised me in stating that he was a Republican. My surmise was that this brand of that party was closer to the “Teddy Roosevelt wing,“which valued and sought protections for our nation’s natural wonders and resources.

Matt volunteered his talents and expertise to our community, including the Santa Fe Watershed Association and the Galisteo Mutual Domestic Water Consumers Association, and as an advisor to the Small Agricultural Land Conservation Initiative. He’s served on the Santa Fe River Commission, and was a member and chair of the Santa Fe County Open Land, Trails and Parks Advisory Committee.

So many activists in the environmental community recognized his talents and quiet dedication, and urged him to run for office that he listened to their counsel, changed his voter registration and became an outstanding Democratic representative of District 50. Just as importantly, Matt became a husband and father of two young children with a deep concern about future opportunities for his children and all New Mexicans. SUSAN C. MARTIN

Santa Fe