VOICES OF LOS ALAMOS NEWS
Former state Representative Stephanie Garcia Richard will speak on her first year in office as State Land Commissioner at the next Voices of Los Alamos meeting, to be held from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Monday Jan. 27, at the Unitarian Church of Los Alamos, The event is free and open to the public.
Commissioner Garcia Richard is the first woman, the first Latina, and the first educator to serve in the position as New Mexico’s Commissioner of Public Lands. At the meeting, organized by Voices of Los Alamos, Stephanie and her staff will talk about the ways her team is engaging on the climate crisis, water scarcity, bonding assurity for oil and gas infrastructure, and diversification of NM’s economy after 100 year history of a heavy reliance on extractives. She will also address the current status of the Greater Chaco after ~10 years of fracking have devastated the landscape, and how they’re engaging with student groups and tribes.
BIO: Stephanie grew up in a family that operated ranches on the eastern plans and northern mountains of New Mexico, sparking the strong connection to our land that she holds today. After graduating from Silver High School, Stephanie went on to receive her undergraduate degree from Barnard College at Columbia University in New York.
Stephanie was elected to the New Mexico House of Representatives in 2012. During her six years as a State Representative, she championed laws to increase access to a quality education, transparency, and investments in renewable energy, job training, and economic development. She served as Chair of the House Education Committee for two years before being elected Land Commissioner in 2018.
As Land Commissioner, Stephanie is focused on raising as much money as possible while always keeping an eye toward stewardship and preserving the land for generations to come. With the largest continuous oil and gas resources potential ever assessed in the world sitting in Southeast New Mexico, and land that is prime for wind and solar development, Commissioner Garcia Richard is committed to working to make more money for New Mexico while protecting the health of our land.
Voices of Los Alamos (VOLA) is a non-partisan, progressive advocacy group created as a way for Los Alamos residents to voice their concerns over the current political events (both at the state and at the federal levels). We strive to build community, educate, discuss, and enact action plans, with a focus on the following issues: social justice, women’s rights, human rights, education, and the environment.
VOLA meets every fourth Monday of the month at the Unitarian Church (1738 N Sage Loop, Los Alamos, NM 87544), from 6:30 until 7:30, to share political action items (phone calls, petitions, town hall meetings, etc.) regarding Los Alamos County and/or New Mexico.