LWV VOTERS NEWS
The League of Women Voters’ community event, Lunch with a Leader , will be on Thursday, June 17 from noon until 1PM via Zoom with State Land Commissioner, Stephanie Garcia Richard who will be discussing the initiatives she is overseeing.
The Land Commission’s purpose is funding public education and other public institutions. Our own Stephanie Garcia Richard, was the first woman, first Latina, and the first educator elected to this position in the history of New Mexico. She oversees 9 million surface acres and 13 million mineral acres. They Commission makes money by leasing state trust land for a multitude of purposes including gas and oil, renewable energy, agriculture, and a broad array of commercial uses.
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. We can diversify the revenue that comes into the Land Office by tripling the number of renewable energy projects, promoting outdoor recreation, and encouraging new and innovative commercial development on state trust land. 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.
Stephanie is a native New Mexican who was raised in Silver City, She learned at a young age the importance of serving others. Her father, a WWII veteran, was a teacher; her mother was active in their church and community. 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. Stephanie received her undergraduate degree from Barnard College at Columbia University in New York. She majored in education to follow in her father’s teaching footsteps. She was elected to the NM 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.
To access the zoom address click on the link below and fill out the form.
You are invited to a Zoom meeting.
When: Jun 17, 2021 12:00 PM Mountain Time (US and Canada)
Register in advance for this meeting:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZAtdOitqzgjH9YBRHOrblVA_BaWOCDBBQih