Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham appoints two new cabinet secretaries in September.
September saw two major changes in Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s cabinet leadership with two appointments in the state’s Public Education and Aging and Long-Term Services departments.
Lujan Grisham announced the Sept. 10 designation of Mariana Padilla to the Public Education Department following former Secretary Arsenio Romero’s resignation due to his position as one of the finalists in the running for New Mexico State University president.
Padilla is the fifth PED secretary to take over the department since Lujan Grisham took office in 2019. However, she has served as the Children’s Cabinet director since the start of the administration – a position that oversees state partners including the Public Education Department.
Secretary-Designate Mariana Padilla of the New Mexico Public Education Department. (Provided by the Office of the Governor)Through Padilla’s work with the Children’s Cabinet, she also serves as the governor’s senior education policy advisor for early childhood, K-12 and higher education.
“In this role, Padilla has shaped program, policy, and budget priorities, and worked across state agencies to implement key initiatives and system-wide improvements,” a news release from the governor’s office states.
It is unclear whether Padilla will continue in her role at the Children’s Cabinet. The governor’s office did not respond to multiple emails and phone inquiries from Source New Mexico about the lack of comprehensive annual fiscal reports since 2020 from the Children’s Cabinet and any potential conflict of Padilla’s roles prior to publication. Padilla is listed on the Children’s Cabinet website as executive director and secretary-designate of the Public Education Department.
Our request for an interview with Padilla is also pending the Public Education Department’s response.
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Padilla stepped in to lead the PED briefly in 2023 between the retirement of Kurt Steinhaus and the appointment of Arsenio Romero. She has also served as acting cabinet secretary for the Children, Youth and Families Department, according to the news release.
“Her work has been instrumental in shaping our state’s education system, and I am confident that she will continue to bring positive change for New Mexico’s students,” Lujan Grisham said in a news release.
Padilla has worked with Lujan Grisham going back nearly a decade. Padilla served as state director on Lujan Grisham’s congressional staff, according to the news release. Since taking over leadership in the Children’s Cabinet, she has also served on the Public School Capital Outlay Council, among other boards and councils.
According to her LinkedIn profile, Padilla has a master’s in community and regional planning and a second master’s of water resources policy and watershed planning.
“My career has been focused on serving the communities and families of our state,” Padilla said in a news release. “I am committed to working collaboratively with students, families, educators, and community partners to achieve the outcomes we all want to see.”
The cabinet seat appointment is the second by Lujan Grisham in September.
Lujan Grisham appointed Emily Kaltenbach on Sept. 24 to fill the Aging and Long-Term Services Department position left vacant after Jen Paul Schroer stepped down. Paul Schroer served in the position for about a year following four years as secretary of the state tourism department.
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Kaltenbach has worked with the Drug Policy Alliance for over 13 years. She was the senior director of criminal justice reform strategy and state director for New Mexico and this year, took over as senior director of state campaigns. The national nonprofit organization advocates for updated drug policies across the country, with legal regulation and drug decriminalization at the forefront.
According to the Drug Policy Alliance website, Kaltenbach was involved in passing marijuana legalization in New Mexico as well as starting the “second law enforcement assisted diversion program in the nation.”
Secretary-Designate Emily Kaltenbach of the New Mexico Aging and Long-Term Services Department. (Provided by the Office of the Governor)Before this, she worked with the aging and long-term care department for five years, including as director of policy and planning.
“I am honored to return to ALTSD and serve New Mexico’s elders and families,” Kaltenbach said in a news release. “I look forward to collaborating with stakeholders statewide to ensure all New Mexicans have access to the care and services they need to live with dignity and independence.”
Kaltenbach’s educational history includes a master’s in health care administration from the University of Washington and a bachelor’s in sociology and health care studies from Beloit College.
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