Allan Saenz, owner of Los Alamos Network, and assistant Eric Burnside spoke June 28 at the Rotary Club of Los Alamos meeting about the 25th anniversary of Los Alamos Network, LosAlamos.com and the upcoming plans for SALA Los Alamos Events Center, which will occupy the former Reel Deal movie theater space. Photo by Maire O’Neill/losalamosreporter.com
BY LINDA HULL
Vice President
Rotary Club of Los Alamos
Allan Saenz, a local businessman and entrepreneur, spoke at the June 28 meeting of the Rotary Club of Los Alamos at Cottonwood on the Greens, sharing the celebratory news of the 25th anniversary of his company Los Alamos Network.
The company began as Los Alamos Community Network, an Internet provider dating back to the 2000s.
Through a PowerPoint presentation, Saenz described the evolution of his business and the core values he maintains: “fast and friendly customer service, no data caps, symmetrical speeds, data privacy,” and an altogether better Internet.
He and his assistant Eric Burnside took turns explaining the company’s high speed fiber optic and wireless connections to the Internet and then expanded their talk into Saenz’s most recent endeavors: the LosAlamos.com website and SALA Los Alamos Event Center.
The website is designed as an aggregate of local news and events, which Saenz described as “giving a face to a lot of special events” and as being a digital avenue for artists who may show their work in this online format. In addition to the art gallery, special events, weather, and news from the Los Alamos Reporter, the Santa Fe New Mexican and other sources, there are also tabs “coming soon” for restaurants, housing, jobs, and outdoor places to visit and discover. Advertising is also available.
The SALA Los Alamos Event Center is the outgrowth of Saenz’s purchase of a Rotary Club auction item offered by Rotarian Jim O’Donnell at the February 2022 Crab Fest fundraiser: exclusive use of the Reel Deal movie theater for an evening. Saenz was the high bidder, planning only to hold a 25th business anniversary celebration there for his employees. Not long after, community support and connections led him to purchase the movie theater. Saenz plans to re-open the theater as a gathering place for the community to watch movies and sports events, host parties, and hold tech talks. He has already spoken with the Los Alamos Historical Society, UNM-Los Alamos, and the YMCA about possible collaborations.
Visit www.LosAlamos.com.
Saenz, a native of Costa Rica, is the creator of LosAlamos.com and the owner of Los Alamos Network, which provides internet service to Los Alamos, White Rock, and Sierra Los Piños in the Jemez Mountains.
A soccer player and fan, Saenz coaches U10 soccer (typically 3rd and 4th graders) with the Los Alamos Youth Soccer League. He also teaches cross-training to 1st and 2nd graders. Saenz and wife Christa are the proud parents of three children.
The Rotary Club of Los Alamos, through its Club Foundation, is a 501(c)3 non-profit and one of over 34,000 clubs worldwide. Rotary, which now has 1.5 million members, was founded in 1905; the local Club was chartered in 1966. Rotary areas of focus include promoting peace; fighting disease, particularly polio; providing clean water, sanitation, and hygiene; supporting education; saving and enhancing the lives of mothers and children; growing economies; and protecting the environment.
The Rotary Club of Los Alamos meets in person noon to 1 p.m. Tuesdays in the Community Room, Cottonwood on the Greens at the Los Alamos County Golf Course. A Zoom option is available by contacting Rotary Club Vice President Linda Hull at 505.662.7950. Hull is happy to provide information about the Club and its humanitarian service.