SANTA FE COUNTY COMMISSIONER DISTRICT 3
1. What prior experience and education prepared you for this position?
I have committed 30 years of my life to the betterment of community in our culturally and geographically unique region. My experience in higher education as a professor and academic dean placed me in leadership roles that allowed me to steward the goals and achievements of others. Trained as an environmental scientist with advanced degrees in environmental epidemiology and health education, I understand the scope of the challenges we face in these times-as well as ways to communicate those issues most affecting our communities. Interwoven in my professional life has been a commitment to work within the community by engaging diverse voices and partnerships in the interest of solving community issues.
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I have spent my adult life as a public servant. I spent 24 years in the City of Santa Fe Fire Department where I served as a firefighter/ paramedic and retired as the Fire Chief in 2010. In 2012 I was elected to serve as a City Councilor representing District #3. As a City Councilor I am a part of a team of elected officials and city staff that helps to set policy regarding City matters and managing an operating budget of over 100 million dollars.I am uniquely qualified to advance collaboration between the City and the County, which is sorely needed. I have a certificate from Harvard Kennedy School of Executive Education in “Senior Executives in State and Local Government” and an Associates Degree in Business Administration and Para-medicine
2. What is the most pressing problem in Santa Fe County?
Water quantity and quality continues to be the issue of most concern in Santa Fe County. Both as a citizen in the rural community of La Cienega and in my profession I have witnessed a significant drop in the water table and increased risk to water quality. I am committed to continued work within the universe of coalitions and community groups who serve to protect this critical asset. I will continue to leverage relationships between those who have expertise in water issues so that collectively we can all work toward the best solutions.
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Securing water for generations to come is the most pressing problem for Santa Fe County. Though we have the Buckman Direct Diversion and the city as a back-up source, it is still not an unlimited supply. We need to ensure that we are being aggressive with our conservation efforts both for residential and commercial users. We also need to ensure that as population grows and more homes are being built that we are considering green building codes and giving builders and home buyers rebates for utilizing water conservation appliances and landscape plans that require the least amount of water possible. We need to work with the city to diversify our water sources and look for new and effective ways to make use of the water that we currently have
3. What are your suggestions for reducing violent crime?
Research shows that investment in community resources that provide place-based opportunities for personal development and social interaction have less violent crime. These resources may include summer employment opportunities, social activities, and support services to engage disinvested community members. Connected communities have less crime and I will employ community engagement strategies for this purpose and for the purpose of improving the quality of life. Unfortunately, reducing violent crime and addressing violent crime as a community are both necessary - it remains important for community members to be informed on how to protect themselves and work collectively to reduce crime in our area.
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One of the basic ways to help reduce violent crime is to provide the Sheriff’s office with the funding and resources needed to hire as many officers as needed to serve the entire county. Another way is to ensure that the county is responding to calls for service in the appropriate manner. One example may be to ensure that the right resources are dispatched to calls for mental health, which may not necessarily require a law enforcement response. Another example would be to make it less of a priority to stop vehicles with burnt out signals or cracked windshields. Both of these examples would increase the availability of officers for response to more violent crimes. Lastly would be to ensure we have competitive pay and benefits.
4. Do you support creating dedicated open spaces for people experiencing homelessness? Explain.
The homelessness crisis is much more complicated. Though not all homeless are affected by mental illness, since the 1980s this has been a major factor for most who live on our streets. Though I have never heard of “open space” as a solution for this problem, I do understand that people require infrastructure and support services to have stability and an improved quality of life. Creating inclusive spaces where individuals have support to live with dignity and respect is the ideal place-based solution, and I am committed to working toward such efforts.
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I do support creating dedicated open space for people experiencing homelessness as long as it is done with safety and consideration for everyone involved including the public. I support open spaces because it gives homeless persons a place that they can go and feel safe as compared to the alternative of camping in an arroyo or in the forest where an open fire could be disastrous. It allows for areas that can be secured and maintained and can allow homeless persons access to bathroom and other facilities. Having the homeless in a specific area could lead to better wrap around services such as social workers or counseling services if needed.