Regulation and Licensing Department spokeswoman, husband killed in car crash

Daniel J. Chacón, The Santa Fe New Mexican
Updated ·2 min read
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Sep. 5—The state Regulation and Licensing Department announced Tuesday its communications director, Bernice Geiger, along with her husband, Mark, died Sunday in a car crash in Arizona.

The department didn't provide any details about the fatal car crash, including where it occurred or how, but lauded Geiger.

"Bernice was an incredible person and cared deeply about NMRLD's mission to protect public safety," Regulation and Licensing Department Superintendent Linda Trujillo said in a statement.

"In her more than 15 years at the department, she always made an effort to know everyone's name and the knowledge she had of the department made her a trusted and respected colleague," Trujillo continued. "I speak for myself and the rest of the NMRLD staff when I say we will miss the wisdom and kindness Bernice brought to work each day."

Geiger was known among reporters for her professionalism and responsiveness.

"Bernice was a class act," Ann Pierret, an investigative reporter for KRQE-TV, wrote on Twitter. "SO great to work with — extremely helpful & caring."

"This is heartbreaking," tweeted Gabrielle Burkhart, who is also an investigative reporter for KRQE.

"Bernice was definitely one of the easiest [public information officers] to work with, always responsive to requests, always helped lead me in the right direction to find answers, and just a kind person," she wrote.

Journalist Andy Lyman tweeted news of Geiger's passing had knocked the wind out of him.

"I know my job sometimes made Bernice's already tough job tougher, but she never lost her temper and ALWAYS took my call and/or called me back," he wrote.

Geiger joined the department in 2007, serving first as marketing director of the Securities Division.

"Due to her positive outlook and commitment to her work, Bernice quickly rose to become a leader beyond the Securities Division and throughout the agency as a whole," a news release states.

Geiger became the department's public information officer in 2017 after serving in the job on an interim basis for several years. According to the news release, she had two children and two grandchildren, with a third on the way.

Follow Daniel J. Chacón on Twitter @danieljchacon.