FACES & PLACES
New Mexico Economic Development Secretary Alicia J. Keyes has named Daniel J. Gutierrez, a cultural anthropologist who has been working in economic development for over a decade, as director of the New Mexico MainStreet program.
Gutierrez has been involved in New Mexico MainStreet since 2014 and worked closely with Rich Williams, the former program director who retired in April.
Gutierrez is a Northern California native. He received a Bachelor of Arts from the University of California, Davis and a Master of Arts from the University of Illinois at UrbanaChampaign, where he was advanced to Ph.D. candidacy in 2007. He moved to Albuquerque that year to work on his doctoral dissertation about community–based planning and the changing demographics of the Barelas neighborhood. He spent six years doing fieldwork and working for the Barelas Community Coalition, where he helped initiated the Barelas MainStreet program.
Gutierrez is married and has four children ranging in age from 7 to 27. He plays guitar, is an avid pool player, and enjoys mountain biking and hiking.
Santa Fe Community College has announced Thomasinia OrtizGallegos is the new associate vice president for student success. She has served in higher education in a variety of capacities for 22 years.
The majority of Ortiz-Gallegos’ experience has been at New Mexico Highlands University. Additionally, she worked as Program Officer for Financial Aid and Program Outreach at the New Mexico Commission on Higher Education in Santa Fe.
Ortiz-Gallegos received a bachelor’s degree in business administration in 1999 and a Master of Business Administration in 2007, both degrees from Highlands. She is currently completing a doctorate in education.