18 apply to be senior policy climate adviser, three names submitted to governor

May 1—With no opponent in the Democratic primary in June and no Republican challenger in the November general election, state Rep. Kristina Ortez of Taos is all but guaranteed a third term in the New Mexico House of Representatives.

But for a moment, Ortez considered giving up her House District 42 seat for a job in the Governor's Office.

Ortez is among 18 people who submitted a résumé and cover letter expressing interest in the new position of senior policy climate adviser to Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, according to documents obtained under a public records request.

The governor created the job to support her work with the U.S. Climate Alliance, where Lujan Grisham will serve as executive committee co-chair alongside another Democratic governor, New York's Kathy Hochul.

The adviser will also be tasked with serving as a liaison between the Governor's Office and federal partners, tribal governments, the Legislature and state agencies, among other duties, according to a job posting, which doesn't list a salary or salary range.

Ortez, who was among the sponsors of a bill signed into law earlier this year that establishes standards for clean transportation fuels in New Mexico, said the job piqued her interest but she only gave applying for it brief consideration.

"I have spent my career advocating for climate solutions and the preservation of our land and water, as a nonprofit leader and as a state legislator," Ortez said in a statement. She has worked as executive director of the Taos Land Trust for the past 10 years and served as past president of Conservation Voters New Mexico.

"When I learned that the Governor was planning to hire a climate policy advisor, I sent along my résumé, because I briefly considered applying for the role as a new avenue for this advocacy," Ortez said. "I love being a legislator, and I am committed [to] serving my constituents, which is ultimately why I decided not to formally apply."

In her cover letter, Ortez called her interest in the job "sincere."

"My aspiration is to work with the Governor's team to catalyze New Mexico's talent and vitality to leverage this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to tackle climate change," the letter states. "Now is the time to invest in new technologies that reduce emissions and to bring in federal and philanthropic dollars to make our communities resilient."

Ortez vowed to work across agencies and with others to set measurable goals, prioritize investment in innovative technologies and ensure the state is setting ambitious and achievable climate goals.

"New Mexico is already a leader under this administration. Let's show the world what we can do," she wrote.

Other applicants for the position include Leslie Padilla, who served as corporate counsel for Public Service Company of New Mexico from December 2019 to April 2023; Mary Jane Parks, a senior adviser at the New Mexico Public Regulation Commission; Miana Campbell, a policy analyst at the Department of Energy; Samantha Kao, climate and energy director at Conservation Voters New Mexico; and Theresa Cardenas, founder and president of Noble Renewables Group of the West LLC, a for-profit consultancy company.

Among the pool of candidates, 10 were interviewed by staff, and three progressed to interviews with Lujan Grisham, wrote Jodi McGinnis Porter, a spokeswoman for the governor, in an email.

"The Office of the Governor will be announcing the new hire for the senior policy climate advisor soon, marking the next step in the administration's commitment to tackling climate change," she wrote.

Follow Daniel J. Chacón on Twitter @danieljchacon.