Seminar 4 - Santa Fe, NM

NMAL Class 16 State Political Processes

NMAL Class 16 headed to Santa Fe in February to observe the the state political process up close during a 30-day New Mexico Legislative Session and interact with vital political players affecting agricultural policy.

We had the opportunity to meet with some amazing professional women, who's work is vital to the organizations they serve.

Candie Sweetser, government affairs manager for the New Mexico Department of Agriculture, provided a unique perspective as she has served in the legislature and is currently a lobbyist. I appreciated her sharing the differences in her experiences and how she approaches her lobbying efforts a little differently representing a state agency.

Tiffany Rivera, director of government affairs for the New Mexico Farm & Livestock Bureau, graciously provided an impromptu presentation on the priorities of their member organization for this short budget session.

It was great to listen to Missi Currier and Ashley Wagner, with the New Mexico Oil and Gas Association, discuss how oil and gas and agriculture work together in New Mexico. They were joined by Laura Riley, owner/realtor for Verde Reality and Gavilan Solutions. I valued learning how they work together to broaden their ability to highlight their associations efforts and needs. Laura also provided a great deal of knowledge on the New Mexico Land Office, where she previously served as deputy commissioner. It was interesting to learn some of the history of how New Mexico public lands are managed to benefit education in New Mexico. 

I also enjoyed touring the Roundhouse, although I have been in the state capitol many times, this was the first time I visited the Governor's Office on the fourth floor. I appreciated learning about the Governor's Gallery. It was founded by Clare Apodaca, who served as New Mexico's First Lady from 1975 to 1978. The gallery, an outreach facility of the New Mexico Museum of Art and the Department of Cultural Affairs, presents approximately six exhibits per year, including the annual Governor's Awards for Excellence in the Arts. During our visit, the galley included a photography exhibit highlighting adoption in New Mexico. There were also STEM related activities available and an exhibit highlighting the film industry, which included some cool artifacts. One of my favorites is pictured here:



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