Behind the public persona
Face to Face interviews tell the stories of New Mexico’s newsmakers
Mayors. Judges. Governors. Doctors. Lawyers. University presidents. Lawmakers. CEOs.
These are just some of the people who make New Mexico run. And who make it unique. We see their names in headlines and their pictures on the front page.
And every one of them has an interesting personal story that helps explain their public persona and how they got to where they are. Why they do what they do.
Face to Face is a series of interviews with New Mexico newsmakers that takes readers behind the scenes as they talk not only about policy and philosophy but some deeply personal experiences that make them who they are.
Kent Walz, senior editor of the Albuquerque Journal, launched the Face to Face features after retiring from his 22-year stint as Journal editor.
“I have appreciated the willingness of these New Mexicans to take the time for this project and for being willing to open up on topics that go beyond the news of the day. That’s not an easy thing to do,” Walz said about the more than two dozen individuals he has interviewed. “Finally, I have appreciated getting to know each and every one of them better and thank them for sharing their stories with Journal readers.”
Today, the Journal provides a special section with 16 of those Face to Face interviews.
These profiles are republished in their original form, further providing a snapshot of a particular time in New Mexico’s recent history.
Some are eerily prescient, such as state Sen. John Arthur Smith, who had predicted and tried to plan for the economic crash of 2008. In a summer 2018 interview — during New Mexico’s unprecedented oil boom — he defended his reluctance to tap into the state’s permanent funds.
While a candidate for governor, Michelle Lujan Grisham laid out plans for education, the oil and gas industry and health care in a July 2018 profile. She’s now two years into her term and in the midst of a coronavirus pandemic.
And Mayor Tim Keller, interviewed in December 2017, just a month after winning the office, shared some of his goals: increasing the ranks of police officers, championing a sick leave ordinance and promoting a “one Albuquerque” policy.
All of the interviews can found on ABQjournal.com.