BY DAVID IZRAELEVITZ
Los Alamos County Councilor

I will be proud to vote for Rio Arriba Commissioner Leo Jaramillo to represent me in Senate District 5, which includes the Los Alamos townsite. He is a hard-working, thoughtful, and warm person, deeply interested in the well-being of his community, beginning with his proud roots in northern New Mexico, but extending to Los Alamos County and the greater surrounding area, drawing on his employment and relationships at Los Alamos National Laboratory.

I first got to meet with Leo in his capacity working for LANL Community Programs, which is the organization within LANL in charge of outreach to the surrounding region. He was a natural for this position. Engaging, a good listener, eager to make a difference, he is the type of person who quickly becomes a friend. He was promoted to greater responsibilities within the laboratory, and I was happy to see his career progression, even as we met less frequently.

It was then a delight to learn that Leo had been elected to the Rio Arriba County Commission. As a natural leader, it provided him an opportunity to help his community in a more prominent capacity. and we were able to renew our friendship. In his new capacity, he has been tireless in meeting with people and organizations, showing the energy and dedication to lead, but also to learn from others. It has been a pleasure to serve with Leo on the Regional Coalition of LANL Communities, where we represent our respective communities to highlight causes common to all, such as legacy cleanup and economic development. 

Senator Martinez has been a very strong advocate for Los Alamos, and I am the first to thank him for his contributions and long service. However, Leo represents an invaluable opportunity for our region to elevate a new leader with new ideas and perspective, someone whose experience  has brought deep understanding of the key economic and workforce role LANL plays in our region, someone who can bridge the proud traditions and history of the region, with its future potential and excitement.

Please join me in supporting Leo Jaramillo for Senate District 5.

David Izraelevitz
Los Alamos County Councilor