Mystery surrounds NGA conference event in Santa Fe
Governors visiting in July have secretive special evening on agenda, but all that’s certain is ‘fuego’ likely will be involved
It’s the buzziest secret in Santa Fe. They’re calling it the Noche de Fuego.
In mid-July, when state governors and their families arrive for the annual National Governors Association conference, they’ll enjoy top-shelf margaritas, high-desert scenery and all the green chile they can handle.
From July 19-21, they’ll take part in panels, meetings, parties and more. There might be a foreign leader or two on hand. Perhaps the vice president will show.
And then there’s this very special, top-secret event: La Noche de Fuego, or the Night of Fire. That’s its name on the National Governors Association conference agenda.
It’s so secret that officials’ lips are sealed, including those who would ordinarily talk. If the secrets were revealed, security could be jeopardized and the event might be canceled, was all people in the know would say.
(And, no, the event is not a Santa Fe Fuego baseball game. Santa Fe’s Pecos League ballplayers are scheduled for a four-game set in Tucson, Ariz., that weekend.)
When The New Mexican requested permits for July park reservations at Fort Marcy Ballpark and Magers Field — outdoor city properties near the downtown Santa Fe Community Convention Center, where the conference will be held — the city provided a permit agreement for an event. However, the location and other significant details were redacted.
The city cited an exception to the state’s public records inspection law for “tactical response plans or procedures … the publication of which could reveal specific vulnerabilities, risk assessments or tactical emergency security procedures that could be used to facilitate the planning or execution of a terrorist attack.”
“We do not have any additional comment,” city spokesman Matt Ross said, when asked about the public records exception.
The permitholders for the event are Ray Sandoval and Laura Kesselman. Kesselman is the founder of an Albuquerque conference management company. Sandoval, of the Kiwanis Club of Santa Fe, is the lead organizer of the annual burning of Zozobra, a nearly century-old tradition that draws tens of thousands of people to the Fort Marcy park in September to watch their gloom go up in smoke.
The Kiwanis Club is listed as the “organizer/ sponsor” on the permit agreement, along with the Santa Fe Community Foundation. Messages for Kesselman and the foundation were not returned.
Sandoval said the Kiwanis Club has been hired “to provide a service for the conference,” but directed all other questions to the National Governors Association.
An NGA spokeswoman, asked about the closing reception, wrote in an email that nighttime event details were not included in the state’s bid to host the conference.
The governor’s conference brings with it a global spotlight, organizers say, one that will make Santa Fe the epicenter of American politics for a summer weekend.
And the entire noche looks to be a fun one. According to the conference agenda, the Noche de Fuego follows a VIP invitation-only reception for governors, their spouses and special guests at Gov. Susana Martinez’s official residence.
An abnormally ambiguous City Council resolution permitting alcohol to be consumed at an NGA event — the location is listed as “city property,” and the timeframe “11 a.m. to 11 p.m.” — was approved late last month. The document states 750 attendees are expected.
When City Councilor Renee Villarreal recently asked a city attorney to be more specific about the resolution, the lawyer responded he didn’t have to be.
An item to be introduced for City Council consideration this week proposes moving the reception up a day, but according to the draft agenda, the Noche de Fuego is planned as the closing reception to the conference.
In recent years, the National Governors Association has exhibited a trend with its closing receptions: A one-of-a-kind, only-inthis-state experience — the best good time the host has to offer.
In Providence, R.I., where the governors association held its summer conference last year, the finale was a clambake.
The previous year, in Des Moines, Iowa, the conference re-created the famous Iowa State Fair with activities, “sweet indulgences” and a performance by classic rock band Three Dog Night.
Neither holds a candle to the intrigue of the Noche de Fuego.
Both the Rhode Island and Iowa closing receptions were listed on the respective NGA agendas with specific locations and a description of the entertainment.
Two other nighttime receptions scheduled for the Santa Fe conference are also more clearly identified: A Western-themed evening at Bonanza Creek Ranch and an arts and culture celebration on Museum Hill. The Noche de Fuego, however, is a cipher. But it will be held outdoors from 6-9:15 p.m., according to the conference agenda. “Dinner will be served under a tent,” the agenda reads, “with picnic-style seating for dessert and entertainment.” There’s a recommendation for a “light sweater or jacket.”
“Like each state who has hosted before them, we know New Mexico is working hard to showcase the most unique and awe-inspiring elements of their culture,” NGA spokeswoman Brittany Donald said.
City Councilor Villarreal, whose district includes the downtown and Fort Marcy areas, said she was concerned about the scope of the reception, its potential to inconvenience neighbors and whether the city would be reimbursed for whatever public safety presence it puts toward keeping the site secure.
She said she expressed concern to organizers when they pitched her the concept months ago and was unsure what might have changed in the interim, if anything.
“I hope that it would be an event that lifts up our cultural traditions and our cultural pride but doesn’t bleed into cultural appropriation,” Villarreal said.
She added, referring to the potential for fuego at the Noche de Fuego: “I’m not thrilled about that. With our drought.”
City spokesman Ross said the city was working with the conference organizers to “minimize the impact” of the conference on residents. He said the city will be reimbursed for the costs it will incur for hosting the Noche de Fuego.
“We’re working with the event organizers on the details of that process,” he said.
Asked about the rationale for the secrecy, Ross said, “It is standard for high-profile events of this nature to have a high level of security surrounding them.”
For all the hush surrounding the one-ofa-kind New Mexico reception, one thing is clear about the jampacked conference: The nation’s political leadership won’t leave Santa Fe gloomy.