Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor several generous New Mexico residents who provided a boy from Peru with the opportunity to receive a life-saving heart surgery in Albuquerque.

In true New Mexico spirit, Pamela Zanios, her husband James and their sons, Andres and James, opened up their Los Ranchos home to 14-year-old Flavio Liberti Gutierrez while he was in Albuquerque for the heart procedure. The Zanios family gave Flavio the comfort he needed while he was away from his own home in Calca, Peru. Heart surgery is a frightening experience for anyone, especially for a teenager in a foreign country. But the Zanios family provided Flavio with the love and moral support he needed to help him through the ordeal.

Flavio got the opportunity for the heart surgery through the Healing the Children program, which arranges for medical care to children who otherwise would not receive it. I want to recognize this wonderful program, along with Dr. Carl Lagerstrom and his team at the Presbyterian Heart Group, which volunteered to perform the successful procedure. I would also like to thank the staff at Presbyterian for donating the hospital care, including operating staff, nursing staff and medications. American Airlines generously provided the air travel for Flavio as part of the company's longtime commitment to Healing the Children.

I appreciate the generosity of all New Mexicans who go above and beyond to help their family, neighbors and especially a child from a foreign land who needed a helping hand. The Albuquerque Journal's Joline Gutierrez Krueger eloquently shared Flavio's story with the community. As a result, I was made aware of the actions of the Zanios family, Dr. Lagerstrom and many others who deserve this special recognition.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor, Jessica Belmares-Ortega, an exceptional young New Mexican student. This summer, Jessica, a recent graduate of Albuquerque High School, was awarded a prestigious Ronald McDonald House HACER scholarship to attend the University of New Mexico. One of only four students in the nation to receive this scholarship, she plans to use her $100,000 award to study medicine so she can give back to her community and help the less fortunate in our state.

A first-generation American who grew up in a Spanish-speaking environment, Jessica plans to use her bilingual skills to improve health care access and delivery in rural communities. As a volunteer at a local hospital, Jessica frequently saw Spanish-speaking families wait hours for a translator to arrive before getting a diagnosis or treatment. She believes that having more bilingual medical professionals will help mitigate this problem and improve the overall health of patients all over New Mexico.

Education has always played an important role in the Belmares-Ortega home. Although Jessica's parents, who are originally from Mexico, did not attend college, they worked hard so that their children would have the opportunity to pursue their dreams. They enrolled Jessica and her two older siblings in United States of America preschool so they would learn English at a young age. They also closely tracked their children's progress to ensure they succeeded in school.

Considering Jessica's academic achievements, strong leadership skills and dedication to her community, I am not surprised that the Ronald McDonald House chose to recognize her success with this scholarship. At Albuquerque High School, Jessica enrolled in the dual-language program, took advantage of numerous Advanced Placement and honors courses and participated in a gifted mentorship program. In college, she plans to maintain her busy schedule by enrolling in a medical laboratory program and working to advance her Spanish fluency skills.

I'm honored to represent Jessica in the United States House of Representatives, and

I wish her success in her college career and in all of her future endeavors.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Alex Bregman, an exceptional New Mexican, for his outstanding athletic achievements and for his contributions to the Albuquerque community. An Albuquerque Academy graduate, Alex recently completed his freshman year at Louisiana State University, where he was a standout on the baseball team.

After a stellar career at Albuquerque Academy, Alex was selected by the Boston Red Sox in the 2012 MLB Draft, but chose instead to attend LSU. From the moment he stepped on the field in Baton Rouge, Alex has made a tremendous impact.

As the starting varsity shortstop this past season, Alex batted .369, with 18 doubles, seven triples, six home runs and 52 RBI, helping lead the LSU Tigers to a berth in the College World Series. His 104 base hits ranked second in the entire nation. After a season like that, it is no wonder that the honors and awards started piling up for Alex. He was selected as a first-team All-American and the SEC Freshman of the Year. Baseball America, Collegiate Baseball Magazine and the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association each named Alex as their National Freshman of the Year. The College Baseball Hall of Fame recognized Alex as the 2013 Brooks Wallace National Shortstop of the Year.

This summer, Alex played with the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team, where he batted .361, led the team in hits and total bases, and tied for the lead in doubles.

Players, coaches, scouts and even opponents are quick to praise Alex's incredible work ethic and his insatiable desire to become a better ballplayer. He will often go out to the baseball field at 10 o'clock at night to practice.

Alex is not only a fantastic athlete; he is a fine young man. After winning the National Shortstop of the year award, Alex, ever humble, remarked, ``This is a team award and I have to thank all of my great teammates.'' Because of his commitment to setting and achieving high educational and personal goals, Alex serves as an unparalleled role model for other young people and for the entire Albuquerque community.

Mr. Speaker, I am honored to represent Alex in the United States House of Representatives, and I am proud to consider the entire Bregman family my dear friends.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today with the gentleman from New Mexico, Congressman Ben Ray Lujan, to honor a great New Mexican business, MCT Industries, for its forty-year contribution to the manufacturing infrastructure of the American economy. On this day, we also honor Ted Martinez, the founder of MCT Industries, and the entire Martinez family for their substantial contributions and service to New Mexico and to the United States of America.

To truly comprehend the success of MCT Industries, it is important to first understand the remarkable people behind the company. Born on September 18, 1947, Ted Martinez and his five brothers and sisters grew up in a home with no indoor plumbing. Just like his ancestors who homesteaded the Trujillo land on which he grew up, Ted began working on a ranch at 5 a.m. each morning.

Ted learned of the importance of hard work from his parents, Manuel and Isabel. He watched his parents each work several jobs to support the family. Together, Manuel and Isabel ran a general store, while Isabel also served as the postmaster of the only post office in the area. When Manuel was not working in the general store or on the ranch, he also drove a school bus.

From a young age, Ted had big dreams. Knowing he wanted to do more than run the ranch, he decided to leave home and get trained in welding at the Job Corps in San Antonio, Texas. Although he completed the 12- month program in just six months, Ted could not find a job because of his youth. While looking for work, he lived in his car behind a gas station and ate only one meal a day. Finally, he came upon Eidson Metal in Albuquerque and applied for a job. After a great deal of persuasion and negotiation, the foreman hired Ted. Just two months later, Ted became the foreman of the water tank crew at Eidson Metal.

In 1969, Ted married Anedina, a woman from nearby Garita, New Mexico, whom Ted had known since he was 12. Dina's father, Benerito, served as the foreman of the New Mexico State Highway Department, and kept a ranch of his own, while his wife, Mary, worked as a nurse's aide in Las Vegas, New Mexico. Although Ted and Dina did not have much, their future looked bright. Dina soon became pregnant with their first child.

Even though Ted was working 60 hours a week at Eidson Metal and Dina had a job at the Department of Agriculture, times were tough. Wanting a better life for his family, Ted quit his job when Dina was eight months pregnant with their daughter, Claudine, to start his own business. With $200 and a welding machine, Ted and Dina set out on their own.

As their workload steadily grew, they decided to formally incorporate a business. On June 8, 1973, Ted and Dina founded Martinez Custom Trailers. Having saved up $42,000 they were able to purchase five acres of land. It would be another two years before they saved up enough money to construct a building. Living at the shop in their mobile home, Ted and Dina were able to monitor business around the clock. It was during this time that they welcomed to their home their precious son Bennie. A year after Bennie was born, Dina quit her job at the Department of Agriculture to work full time at the family business.

By 1980, Martinez Custom Trailers ran full-scale production lines of various commercial trailers, and employed 25 people. Ted soon decided to expand from building commercial trailers to building trailers for the federal government. Driven by his profound respect for the military, Ted bid for and won his first federal contract for the Army M353 general-purpose trailer.

Using his Army contracting experience, he bid jobs with Sandia and Los Alamos National Laboratories and successfully landed contracts in the nuclear transportation industry. Martinez Custom Trailers proudly contributed to the nuclear disarmament effort in the USSR by collaborating with Sandia on an inspection trailer for USSR nuclear warheads.

In recognition of Martinez Custom Trailers' success, in 1984, President Ronald Reagan recognized Ted as New Mexico's Small Business Person of the Year.

Business was so successful that, in 1987, Martinez Custom Trailers evolved into a more expansive enterprise, MCT Industries, Inc. Ever eager to expand his federal client base, Ted won a major contract to produce a self-propelled diesel powered U.S. Air Force Maintenance Stand that was slated to be deployed worldwide to service the largest aircraft in the Air Force. With this contract, MCT was able to create even more New Mexican jobs, reaching a height of 240 dedicated employees.

In 1992, 28 years after he had taken a risk by leaving the ranch to enter the Job Corps training program, Ted was inducted into the Job Corps Hall of Fame to celebrate his exceptional career.

After the tragic attacks of September 11, 2001, and the ensuing overseas military involvements, MCT was quickly able to develop and build trailers to support these campaigns. To enable soldiers to rapidly extinguish a fire during convoy operations, the Army needed to field-test two different types of foam fire suppression systems to verify they could perform in combat. In less than four months, MCT designed, built, tested and deployed trailers to Iraq that accommodated both fire suppression systems. Program leaders informed MCT that in less than a week, these systems saved $1 million in Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected, MRAP, vehicles and more importantly, protected the lives of soldiers.

Ted and the Martinez family have always displayed a fierce commitment to the wellbeing of their employees. In 2003, MCT hosted President George W. Bush. Just before President Bush addressed 4,000 people and honored MCT as an exemplary small business, the family joined him in a roundtable discussion on the vital impact small businesses have on the U.S. economy. When President Bush asked Ted about the secret of his success, without missing a beat, Ted said ``my employees.''

The new millennium continued to bring blessings to the Martinez family with the birth of the third MCT generation when Diego Dylan Martinez was born on April 21, 2007. His brother Dyson Cruz Martinez quickly followed 22 months later on February 13, 2009.

Today, Bennie and Claudine carry on their parents' legacy, with Bennie leading the commercial division of MCT Industries and Claudine leading the government division.

MCT's commercial division provides the same support as the government division to its diverse client base which ranges from a local neighbor coming in for truck and trailer customization, to deploying truck fleets of state, local, and tribal governments. In an effort to reduce its carbon footprint, in 2012, MCT installed over 500 solar panels on both the Commercial and Government plants.

MCT's successes have resulted in national recognition of its contribution to America's manufacturing base. In March 2013, Claudine accepted her appointment by the Secretary of Commerce to serve as one of 25 members of the Department of Commerce Manufacturing Council. The Council advises the Secretary of Commerce on ensuring regular communication between the federal government and the manufacturing sector, providing a forum for discussing and proposing solutions to industry-related problems, and ensuring that the United States remains the world's preeminent destination for investment in manufacturing.

To ensure he can continue to provide for MCT's team for years to come, Ted founded We The People, LLC, a real estate development company co-owned by the Martinez Family and MCT team members who choose to join. Four years ago, the Martinez family announced that they would provide $250,000 in capital to the employee shareholders of We The People, and continue making yearly contributions to the company.

In honor of the 40-year anniversary of MCT Industries, we congratulate the Martinez family and the MCT employees for their numerous and longstanding contributions to the state of New Mexico and the United States of America.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in opposition to this rule.

Every weekend, I go home to New Mexico, and my constituents always ask me: What's going on in Congress? What is Congress doing to create jobs and grow the economy and end the sequester?

There are currently 2,000 constituents in my district who are getting furloughed every week, and they want to know. There are countless teachers, construction workers, small business owners, and first responders; and they want to know. Unfortunately, the answer is ``nothing'' because of the House Republican leadership. They simply cannot govern.

Yesterday, Republicans pulled the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development appropriations bill from the schedule, illustrating that the sequester and the Republican budget are not feasible. Tomorrow, we will adjourn for a 5-week district work period, and we still haven't passed a jobs bill or a budget that replaces the sequester or that reduces the deficit, and we haven't passed comprehensive immigration reform. Instead of addressing any of these critical issues, House Republicans have decided that it's more important to vote one more time to repeal the Affordable Care Act--for the 40th time.

Mr. Speaker, New Mexicans and Americans want Congress to focus on jobs and economic growth.

Mr. Speaker, for the past 48 years, Medicare has provided seniors and the disabled with the quality health care, economic security and peace of mind they deserve. Because of Medicare, millions of Americans have been able to grow old with respect and dignity instead of mounting medical debt and uncertainty.

Let's not forget: Medicare is a family benefit. As a caregiver for my mother, I know firsthand just how important this benefit is to families all over New Mexico and America. Without Medicare, my mother would not be able to get the health care she needs, and there is absolutely no way I would be able to take care of her. Medicare has always been personal to me. It's personal to this day.

This week, House Republicans will vote for the 40th time to repeal the Affordable Care Act. Every vote to repeal the Affordable Care Act is a vote to undermine Medicare. The Affordable Care Act has already strengthened Medicare and saved seniors money by eliminating co-pays for preventive care services, closing the prescription drug `donut hole' and extending the life of the Medicare Trust Fund by nearly a decade.

Mr. Speaker, on this day and every day, we must remain committed to protecting and strengthening Medicare for today's seniors and for future generations.

Mr. Chair, I rise today in opposition to this bill and in support of New Mexico's children and the dedicated men and women who educate them. This bill cuts federal funding for education at a time when other countries are strategically investing in the next generation, and seeing positive results come from those investments. We can't afford to cut funding for education, especially when the U.S. is lagging behind in several key indicators. American fourth graders now rank eleventh in math and sixth in reading. And in a few years, we'll ask them to compete in a global economy without giving them the tools to succeed.

But funding isn't the only problem with this bill, Mr. Chairman. This bill also fundamentally alters the federal role in education. Traditionally, the federal government has assumed the responsibility of maintaining equity in education. Of ensuring that students with disabilities, or students in low-income or unique communities, have equal access to a public education. This is particularly important in my home state of New Mexico, where students of color make up a significant portion of the school-age population. Provisions in the No Child Left Behind Act requiring that data be broken down into subgroups, and that schools be held accountable for the achievement of those subgroups, have allowed us to identify where there's more work to be done, and to begin shifting support to the areas where it's most needed. But we've got a long way to go. This bill represents a step back for equity, eliminating requirements that ensure that all students have access to the services they need, and that schools, school districts, and states are held accountable when they fall short of that all-important goal.

When I talk to New Mexicans about what's wrong in public education, it's never that there's too much money, or that we provide too much support for our students facing the greatest challenges. It's that we're not getting funds to where they're most needed or providing support services that care for the whole child. That's why we can't afford to pass this bill; I urge my colleagues to reject this approach and oppose this legislation.

Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. Chairman, In 1990, the existing U.S. satellite-communications capacity would not support the warfighters during the first gulf war. The United States made an urgent attempt to launch an additional Defense Satellite Communication System III spacecraft to support the war effort; but it was not until February 11, 1992, more than a year after the war ended, that the mission was finally launched.

In nearly every national space policy guidance document, resiliency and responsiveness are key objectives in global communications, navigation,

and guided munitions, all of which rely on satellites that provide game-changing advantages on the battlefield. Before Operationally Responsive Space, ORS, was established, the capacity to rapidly develop and deploy satellites was inadequate. ORS's mission is to respond to emerging, persistent, or unanticipated needs and quickly deploy cost- effective satellites to provide transformational advantages on the battlefield. ORS has the ability to launch field-ready satellites within just a few days or weeks. It also rapidly develops, delivers, and employs new capabilities in a few months to less than a year.

Increased speed for the delivery of space assets not only helps to close gaps in the United States' space systems capacity; it can also improve resiliency and reconstitute satellites lost to countermeasures. In 2007, China used a ground-based missile to destroy one of its own satellites, demonstrating their capacity to target our satellites and space-defense systems. Russia is currently developing a sea-based missile and space-defense system. As other countries modernize their military, the threat level to our communications, navigation, and guided munitions satellites intensifies.

ORS has also demonstrated the ability to cost effectively deploy space assets. General Schwartz said:

ORS is exactly what we need, innovation and greater

efficiency as we contend with ongoing fiscal constraints and

changing space posture.

Secretary of the Air Force Michael Donley called ORS ``critical to our Nation's national security posture, and we need to proceed at the speed of need.''

Eliminating ORS would cut the very programs that give our Nation's warfighters their military asymmetric advantage in space. The growing need for information dominance is driving a remarkable transition in space systems. ORS is integral to maintaining our advantage in space. Our amendment reserves $10 million from RDT&E for this program.

Mr. Chairman, I thank the chair and the ranking member, and I look forward to continue to work on this important issue.

I yield to the gentleman from Indiana.

Mr. Chairman, I withdraw my amendment.

Amendment No. 20 Offered by Mr. Nadler

Mr. Speaker, it is important that we always remember why we're here and who we serve. And the best way to do that is by spending time with the people that we were elected to represent.

For the past few days, I've had the honor of showing some wonderful residents of New Mexico's First District around our Nation's capital, and this group includes my daughter Taylor Grisham and her new family: Ian, Kamen, Kwane and Kaden, the Stewarts.

These people are leaders in the community, they're model citizens, they're family members, and they're longtime friends. And today I would like to recognize two of these individuals for their service to New Mexico and to our Nation.

Lori Drury and Maureen Salmon, both of whom are here today, are exceptionally talented teachers and dedicated public servants. Teachers play an invaluable role in our society. Creating jobs, defending and expanding the middle class, growing the economy, and making sure everyone has a fair shot at the American Dream, teachers directly contribute to all of these noble missions. And they don't do it for the money and they don't do it for the glory. They do it because they care deeply about the students they teach.

So I rise today to thank Lori and Maureen, to thank my family, and to thank all the teachers and public servants in New Mexico and in America for the work they do each and every day to make this a finer and stronger America.

I thank the gentleman from California.

Madam Speaker, I could stand here all night talking about the many reasons why our country needs comprehensive immigration reform that keeps families together, provides a tough but fair pathway to citizenship, enhances border security, and that's in line with our core American values. But tonight, I'm going to focus on why immigration reform is good for the American economy and good for the economy of New Mexico.

Nationally, it's estimated that immigration reform will create 121,000 jobs a year and boost American GDP by $832 billion over the next decade. Nearly every day, we hear Members from both parties talking about the need to reduce our debt and deficit. Well, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office has determined that comprehensive immigration reform will reduce our national deficit by nearly $850 billion over the next two decades.

In New Mexico, comprehensive immigration reform will create 6,000 jobs over the next decade and increase our GSP--gross State product--by $3.8 billion. These economic benefits and new jobs will have a ripple effect, leading to even more economic activity, higher productivity, more critical investments, better wages, and even more jobs for New Mexicans and Americans. Simply put, we cannot afford not to pass comprehensive immigration reform.

Our economic future demands it, and that's why I'm glad that so many of my colleagues are taking to the floor this evening to make the case for comprehensive immigration reform because the American people need to know that it's good for the economy, good for business, and good for job creation.

The Senate has done its job and acted in a bipartisan manner. Now it's time for the House to do its job so we can send a comprehensive immigration reform to the President's desk and finally fix our broken immigration system.

I thank the gentleman from New Mexico.

Madam Chair, America is facing security, economic, and environmental challenges that are unparalleled in our history. Our national laboratories have

a unique set of assets we can leverage to meet these challenges.

Projects financed by LDRD have allowed the National Nuclear Security Agency to rapidly respond to unforeseen national security needs. In 1988, Sandia National Labs, located in my district, made a breakthrough in parallel computing that resulted in the ability to compute extremely complicated numerical simulations to ensure the safety and reliability of our nuclear weapons stockpile without the need for nuclear tests. As a result, we have not tested a nuclear weapon since 1993.

The benefits of parallel processing supercomputers have also improved the competitiveness of U.S. industries in the global economy. They were used to map the human genome, develop new drugs, and shorten the development time of products by finding mistakes before they end up in prototypes.

Parallel processing supercomputers have also greatly increased our understanding of atmospheric changes through global atmospheric circulation simulation. These advancements have helped provide an understanding of the climate that cannot be determined by theory or by other experiments.

LDRD investments have been historically important in advancing the state of high-performance computing. Ongoing LDRD investments are enabling next-generation computing hardware and software approaches that will eventually lead to much better performance.

I am confident that we can work with the chairman and the ranking member to fund LDRD at levels that will maintain our vital national security assets, and I thank them for their willingness to work with us on this issue.

I rise in opposition to the rule and the bill because I am absolutely appalled by the proposed cuts to the SNAP program in the FARRM Bill.

Now, I know how important the FARRM Bill is to American ranchers and farmers and to New Mexico ranchers and farmers. I want to vote for the bill, but I cannot support it if these disastrous cuts remain.

For the past week, I've joined dozens of my colleagues in the SNAP challenge, to take a walk in the shoes of the over 442,000 New Mexicans--half of whom are children--who have to eat on less than $4.50 every day, to show just how devastating any cuts to the food program would be. Nearly one in three children in New Mexico is chronically hungry. It's the worst in the Nation. It's unconscionable, and these cuts make it worse.

In addition to the SNAP cuts, this bill also cuts funding for nutrition education programs that teach SNAP recipients how to stretch their dollars further and feed their families nutritious food.

New Mexico's farmers, ranchers, and consumers need and deserve a farm bill. But this cut, this bill is morally wrong, it's cruel, and it's reckless--harming children, seniors, the disabled, and veterans in the process.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today with a heavy heart. Father's Day is a time for families to come together, a time to honor the role of fathers in our lives, and a time to count our blessings. But for many Americans, this Sunday will be the first Father's Day where they won't be able to hug their dad tight. And for fathers who have lost a child in the past year, this will be the first Father's Day where they can't look into their son's or daughter's eyes and tell them how much joy they bring them every day.

This Father's Day, I would like to honor one of my constituents, Diego Arencon, who has sadly lost both his father and his son in the past year. A dedicated public servant, Diego is a member of the Albuquerque Fire Department and is President of the Albuquerque Area Fire Fighters, IAFF Local 244. He has selflessly risked his life to keep the residents of Albuquerque safe. He is an effective advocate for his fellow firefighters, an accomplished jazz drummer, and I'm proud to be counted among those who call Diego a friend.

Diego and his continued commitment to his wife, Lupe, and to his surviving children, Santiago, Loliana and Diego, is an inspiration to all who know him.

In early January of this year, Diego's father, Jose ``Pelete'' Arencon, passed away. A prominent gypsy flamenco singer, Jose was known for his compelling voice. He began singing as a child, and became a professional singer as a teenager. Born in Spain, he moved to Albuquerque with his wife in 1975, bringing the traditional roots of flamenco to the Duke City.

Diego's son, Nikolas Ventura-Arencon, was only 14 when he tragically passed away the day before Thanksgiving last year. Even at his young age, Nikolas had ambitions to serve his community and his country just like his father. Nikolas was a member of the Los Alamos High School ROTC and had dreams of attending the New Mexico Military Institute to become a Marine. He also wanted to follow in his father's footsteps by becoming a firefighter. Within their ranks, New Mexico firefighters say Nikolas Ventura-Arencon was ``one of us.''

Mr. Speaker, with Memorial Day just around the corner, I rise to honor the memory of our brave men and women in uniform who have sacrificed their lives for our country in what Abraham Lincoln called ``the last full measure of devotion.''

At this weekend's parades, festivals, and barbeques, let's all pause for a moment to recognize the sacrifices of those who put themselves in harm's way so we don't have to.

Let's continue to support our troops on the battlefield, and let's make sure to support our veterans and their families when they return home. That means ensuring quality health care for the 61,000 veterans in New Mexico's First Congressional District, ending the unconscionable backlog of disability claims at the VA, and providing our veterans with good-paying jobs.

Our national heroes deserve nothing less.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor 32 women who were recognized as New Mexico ``Women of Influence'' for 2013.

It is important to highlight women in our communities who are achieving incredible success as local business and community leaders. Albuquerque Business First partnered with the local business community to evaluate a record number of nominations for the Women of Influence awards.

I understand the challenges of being a small business owner and overcoming hurdles that are all-too-common for women in a male- dominated culture. I appreciate and applaud this year's honorees, each of whom has contributed to the state of New Mexico in unique and exiting ways.

New Mexico's Women of Influence include CEO's, educators, entrepreneurs, and leaders in financial services, government, health and fitness, non-profits and technology firms.

Business Services

Virginia R. Dugan, Esquire, Atkinson & Kelsey, P.A.; Annette Gardiner, President, New Mexico Gas Company; Debra P. Hicks, PE/LSI, President and CEO, Pettigrew & Associates, P.A.; Jennifer Hise, Vice President, CEMCO, Inc.; Laurie Monfiletto, Vice President of Human Resources, PNM Resources; Dorothy Stermer, Manager, Sandia National Laboratories; Dr. Sandra Taylor-Sawyer, Director, NM Small Business Development Center, CEO, Dream Givers, LLC, Independent Associate, LegalShield.

Education

Barbara Bergman, Interim Dean, University of New Mexico School of Law; Marilyn Melendez Dykman, Director, University of New Mexico Veterans Resource Center; Dr. Viola E. Florez, Professor and PNM Education Endowed Chair, University of New Mexico College of Education.

Entrepreneur

Sherry M. Keeney, President/CEO, PECOS Management Services, Inc.; Janice J. Lucero, CEO/Owner, MVD Express; Susan MacLean, President & CEO, The Solutions Group; DeAnn Sena O'Connor, Creative Director, dso creative.

Financial Services

Karen M. Bard, Wealth Management Advisor, Merrill Lynch; Dohnia Dorman, MBA, VP of Marketing, Rio Grande Credit Union, Part-Time Adjunct Lecturer II, UNM; Tammy S. Jaramillo, Director of Administration, Burt & Company CPAs, LLC.

Government

Mary Ann Chavez-Lopez, Executive Director, El Camino Real Housing Authority; Ann Lerner, Film Liaison, City of Albuquerque; Katherine Carroll Martinez, Director, Construction Industries Division/ Manufactured Housing Division, Regulation and Licensing Department, State of New Mexico.

Health/Fitness

Kristie Bair, J.D., President, Bair Medical Spa; Gayle Dine'Chacon, MD, Surgeon General, Navajo Nation, Associate Professor, UNM School of Medicine; E. DeAnn Eaton Azar, CEO, Haverland Carter Lifestyle Group; Kim E. Hedrick, Vice President Strategic Business Development, University of New Mexico Medical Group, Inc.; Mary G. Martinez, Franchise Owner/CEO, Home Instead Senior Care; Dawn Tschabrun, COO, Chief Nursing Officer, Lovelace Regional Hospital-Roswell.

Nonprofit

Andrea Fisher Maril, CEO, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northern New Mexico; Kathy Mechenbier, Founder and president of the board, El Ranchito de los Ninos Inc.; Carol Wight, CEO, New Mexico Restaurant Association.

Technology

Marjorie M.K. Hlava, President and chairman, Access Innovations Inc.; Caroline Dennis, Cyber Security and STEM education consultant; Elizabeth J. (Lisa) Kuuttila, President and CEO, STC.UNM.

I congratulate these women leaders and thank them for their contributions to New Mexico.