A look back at the secretaries who have left Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s Cabinet — and those secretaries wh

AGING AND LONG-TERM SERVICES DEPARTMENT

Original: Alice Liu McCoy

Successor: Katrina Hotrum-Lopez, August 2019

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Jeff Witte

CHILDREN, YOUTH & FAMILIES DEPARTMENT

Original: Brian Blalock

Successor: Barbara J. Vigil, October 2021

DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS

The governor appointed Julie Jones, but Jones decided to decline the job a month later.

Alisha Tafoya Lucero served as interim secretary before taking the job full-time.

DEPARTMENT OF CULTURAL AFFAIRS

Debra Garcia y Griego

EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION & CARE DEPARTMENT

Elizabeth Groginsky

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

Alicia Keyes

ENERGY, MINERALS AND NATURAL RESOURCES DEPARTMENT

Sarah Cottrell Propst

ENVIRONMENT DEPARTMENT

James Kenney

DEPARTMENT OF FINANCE AND ADMINISTRATION

Original: Olivia Padilla-Jackson

Successors: Debbie Romero was appointed in June 2021, retired at the end of the year. She was followed by Wayne Propst.

GENERAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT

Original: Ken Ortiz

Successors: Ortiz retired at the end of June 2021. Deputy Secretary Duffy Rodriguez served as interim secretary until the appointment of John A. Garcia in October 2021. Garcia announced his departure last week. His last day will be Friday.

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH

Original: Kathy Kunkel

Successors: Kunkel retired in September 2020. She was followed by Dr. Tracie Collins, who left at the end of July 2021. Outgoing Human Services Secretary David Scrase led the agency, in addition to the Human Services Department, until the appointment of Patrick Allen, who took over Jan. 3.

HIGHER EDUCATION DEPARTMENT

Original: Kate O’Neill

Successors: After O’Neill resigned, Kathie Winograd ran the agency until her temporary contract expired in June 2020. Stephanie Rodriguez stepped in as acting secretary in September 2020 and was confirmed in 2021.

DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT

Original: Jackie White

Successors: White, now known as Jackie Lindsey, resigned in November 2019. Deputy Secretary Kelly Hamilton served as acting secretary before Bianca Ortiz Wertheim became the new secretary in June 2021. The governor appointed Ortiz Wertheim as director of infrastructure and implementation in January 2022. The governor’s deputy chief of staff, Diego Arencón, served as acting secretary until David Dye took over the department in May 2022.

HUMAN SERVICES DEPARTMENT

Original: Dr. David Scrase

Scrase announced his retirement last week, effective Feb. 24. Deputy Secretary Kari Armijo will serve as interim leader of the department.

DEPARTMENT OF INDIAN AFFAIRS

Original: Lynn Trujillo

Successor: Trujillo announced her departure in November 2022. The position remains vacant as the Governor’s Office conducts a search.

DEPARTMENT OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

Original: Vincent Martinez

Successor: Martinez stepped down in February 2020 and was followed by John Salazar, who resigned in July to help care for his family. Raja Sambandam served as acting secretary until the appointment of Peter Mantos in June 2022.

OFFICE OF AFRICAN AMERICAN AFFAIRS*

Original: William Scott Carreathers

Successor: Carreathers stepped down in June 2020. Amy Whitfield served as director-designate and was appointed as the housing and homelessness advisor for the Governor’s Office in November 2022. Charles Reado stepped in as acting executive director in September.

DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC EDUCATION

Original: Karen Trujillo

Successors: The governor fired Trujillo in July 2019. Deputy Secretary Kara Bobroff ran the department on an interim basis until Ryan Stewart was selected for the job. Stewart stepped down in the summer of 2021. Kurt Steinhaus, who followed Stewart, retired Friday. Children’s Cabinet Director Mariana Padilla has been tapped to lead the department until a permanent appointment is named.

DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY

Original: Mark Shea

Successors: When the governor fired Shea in September 2020, state police Chief Tim Johnson stepped in as interim Cabinet secretary. Jason Bowie was appointed secretary-designate in July 2021 and was confirmed in February 2022.

REGULATION AND LICENSING DEPARTMENT*

Original: Marguerite Salazar

Successor: Linda Trujillo took over in January following Salazar’s retirement.

STATE PERSONNEL OFFICE*

Original: Pam Coleman

Successors: Coleman stepped down in February 2021. Ricky Serna served as acting state personnel director until Teresa Padilla assumed the role in July 2022.

TAXATION AND REVENUE DEPARTMENT

Stephanie Schardin Clarke

DEPARTMENT OF TOURISM

Jen Schroer

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Original: Michael Sandoval

Successor: Serna, who served as acting state personnel director and acting secretary for the Department of Workforce Solutions, took over the department in July 2022.

DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS SERVICES

Original: U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Judy Griego

Successors: Sonya Smith succeeded Griego following her retirement in late 2020. Donnie Quintana was appointed in January to replace Smith, who stepped down in November.

DEPARTMENT OF WORKFORCE SOLUTIONS

Original: Bill McCamley

Successors: McCamley stepped down in April 2021. Serna served as acting secretary until Sarita Nair took over in August.

*Not a Cabinet-level department