Lujan Grisham shuffles around Cabinet amid string of resignations

Amid an unprecedented number of resignations in Democrat New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s Cabinet, she has tapped her Tourism Department Secretary Jen Paul Schroer to be her Aging and Long-Term Services secretary following the resignation of Katrina Hotrum-Lopez earlier this month.

According to the governor’s office, Lancing Adams, the current Development Director, will be the acting Tourism Secretary.

“I am honored to champion the needs of New Mexico seniors as the new Cabinet Secretary of Aging and Long-term Services. Every New Mexican, at every age, deserves access to quality healthcare,” Schroer said in a Tuesday press release. 

“I see great opportunity in improving how the state assists older adults and their caregivers in maintaining independence, living safely and autonomously. I appreciate the governor’s confidence as I take a disciplined approach to reaching the department’s true potential,” she added.

“Secretary Schroer has been a valuable member of my cabinet,” said Gov. Lujan Grisham. “She has a long history of service to New Mexico that will inform her decisions leading a new department. As an emerging health care leader, Sec. Schroer knows how to get things done and finds creative ways to problem solve – attributes that will serve New Mexicans who use the services in the Aging and Long-Term Services Department well. I look forward to working with her in this new role.”

The governor’s press release reads, “She currently serves on several cross-agency teams including the CYFD Transformation leadership team deploying technology solutions to support foster families and social workers, as well as, supporting workforce recruitment strategies for PED and DOH. Additionally, she was appointed by [Joe] Biden to serve on the U.S. Route 66 Centennial Commission.”

The news also comes after Economic Development Department (NMEDD) Secretary Alicia J. Keyes left the administration.