BY KRISTIN HENDERSON
Candidate for
UNM-LA Advisory Board

UNM-LA is one of the most important institutions in our town, and we are incredibly fortunate to have it here. 

The role of the UNM-LA Advisory Board is to provide input to the UNM Board of Regents on the priorities of Los Alamos. The unofficial role is to also serve as a sounding board to the UNM-LA Chancellor.

I am running for a seat on the Advisory Board because I would like to advocate for the values and priorities of Los Alamos to the Board of Regents, and be a part of the sounding board for the Chancellor. I believe I have a good sense of the advantages and disadvantages of our community as well as a reasonable take on our broader priorities, and a good sense for how UNM-LA can continue to serve, and perhaps expand it’s service, to Los Alamos.

Some of the most important programs which I want to be sure continue at UNM-LA include the ability for local students to begin or continue their college education here in town, adults to be able to advance their skills and careers locally – from nurses to teachers and beyond – and our high school students to try college courses and various fields through the Dual Credit program.

I have lived in Los Alamos for over twenty years, worked in small business for over a decade (in real estate) and currently for a DOE contractor, and I raised my children here. I am a big believer in education – I have an undergraduate degree in philosophy and a law degree from UCLA School of Law. 

I am honored to have been elected to the Los Alamos County Council, several terms ago, and to have been selected as Chair by my fellow Councilors during that time. My values included investing in our kids and making reasonable progress as a town, which I think we did during my term – I advocated for the teen centers, development of trails, the White Rock splash pad and other capital investments, among other things.

Over the years, I have volunteered with a number of entities in town, from the Little Forest Play School Resale event to the Manhattan Project National Historical Park Friends Group (which I founded).

I am open to and interested in hearing from people about their values and priorities for UNM-LA – kristinhendersonla@gmail.com.

It is important that UNM-LA have strong advocates for the community and for the school on the Advisory Board; I think I can provide that kind of voice and I ask for your vote.