Royal Pageant Judges

CRYSTAL HERRERA - AUDITOR

Crystal Herrera is the procurement bureau chief and chief procurement officer for the New Mexico Department of Public Safety (DPS). She ensures that the purchase of goods and services made by the DPS follow applicable state and federal laws. She manages all formal procurements, contracts, purchasing, as well as the agency mailroom and warehouse. She provides assistance and customer service to the staff, co-workers and outside vendors. Most importantly, she provides assistance to the New Mexico State Police in all procurement matters necessary to conduct daily operations. She graduated from the Vogue College of cosmetology in March 2012 and is currently working toward a degree in business administration with an emphasis in management.

PATSY DEFNET - JUDGE

Patsy Defnet was born and raised in Santa Fe, New Mexico. She and her husband, Joseph, recently celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary this past December. They are blessed with a son and three daughters, seven grandchildren and one great-grandson. Both their parents celebrated the great traditions of the Santa Fe Fiestas with them and they look forward in continuing that tradition with their children and grandchildren. When their children were young, they performed on the Santa Fe Plaza with the Mariachi group Los Niños Cantores and their youngest daughter was a court jester for the Fiesta Queen. Defnet was honored to participate as one of the judges for this year’s Fiestas de Taos Royal Court Pageant and wishes each contestant the best of luck.

CAROL HERRERA - JUDGE

Carol Herrera has been a member of the Santa Fe Fiesta Council for 28 years and served as chairman of the Queen & Court Committee for eight consecutive years. She established, along with Mariachi Tenampa, the Youth Mariachi Workshop and Youth Mariachi Concerts for five consecutive years as part of the Santa Fe Fiestas. She has also served and worked on many other committees within the Santa Fe Fiesta Council. Herrera worked for Mountain Bell and Quest Communications Telephone Company in Santa Fe and Albuquerque, and retired with 25 years of service. She worked in the New Mexico State Legislature as secretary to the House Sergeant at Arms for 15 years and has recently retired for the second time. Herrera was born in Mora, New Mexico. Her family moved to Santa Fe when she was 2 years old. She has been married to John Herrera for 35 years and they have five children, several grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She has a passion for Fiestas and was very excited to be judging the Fiestas de Taos Pageant.

GLORIA OLIVAS - JUDGE

Gloria Olivas, a native New Mexican born and raised in Santa Fe, is the youngest of eight children. She is mother to three children and has been married to Pete Olivas for 42 years and counting. The Olivas family participated in many aspects of the Santa Fe Fiesta where Pete served actively on the Fiesta Council for over 20 years. Olivas and her husband were part of the Santa Fe business community running their print shop for 10 years. She began her final career holding more than seven positions with Nambe, LLC (they have a store currently located on North Plaza in Taos). She retired after 30 years of dedicated service in 2018. Olivas appreciates the invitation and considers it a great honor to be part of a very important role as judge in selecting the 2019 Royal Court for the Fiestas de Taos.

PHILLIPE RODRIGUEZ - JUDGE

Phillipe Rodriguez was born and raised in Santa Fe, New Mexico. He attended Capital High School and graduated in 1998. Rodriguez started a family early in life and experienced many of life’s challenges as a young and inexperienced father. Rodriguez learned the value of hard work at an early age working two to three jobs to support his son, Sean. Rodriquez relocated to Albuquerque in 2004 for the conveniences of a metropolitan area with the feel of a small town and the beautiful landscape that New Mexico has to offer. At the age of 30, he earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration and began a late career in government finance. Over the last 11 years, Rodriguez has risen in the ranks of government from a budget analyst to the acting division director of administrative services at the New Mexico Corrections Department.

Rodriguez enjoys visiting places outside of New Mexico and is overcoming fears of international travel. He was honored to be a judge in the selection of the 2019 Reina de Las Fiestas de Taos.

ANTHONY A. ROMERO - JUDGE

Romero is a New Mexico native born and raised in Santa Fe, and a graduate of Santa Fe High School. Shortly after graduating from high school, Romero decided to start a career in corrections. He began his career as a correctional officer in 1994 at the Santa Fe County Detention Center, which was operated by Corrections Corporation of America (CCA). In the corrections field he rose through the ranks from correctional officer to the highest level in a corrections facility as warden. His tenure with New Mexico Corrections Department includes a stint as the administrator of the Security Threat Intelligence Unit overseeing both public and private prisons within the State. Romero’s most recent promotion came in 2011 when he was promoted to deputy director of adult prisons, the position he remains in today. Romero has served as a board member on the Human Services Committee with the City of Santa Fe and is a licensed boxing judge with the New Mexico Athletic Commission. He judges professional boxing matches across the state in his spare time and is an avid fisherman. He is a father of two, daughter Alexandra (26) and son Merced (20).