Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham announced a secretary-designate to head the New Mexico Public Education Department following Arsenio Romero’s departure in August.
Lujan Grisham announced Tuesday that her senior education policy advisor Mariana Padilla is the new PED secretary-designate. Padilla will have to be confirmed by the state Senate to be officially named PED secretary.
Padilla currently serves as the New Mexico Children’s Cabinet director, a role she has held since 2019, according to a press release about the PED appointment.
Padilla will be the fifth leader of the PED under Lujan Grisham.
Padilla hails from Albuquerque’s South Valley where she began her teaching career and currently lives in Santa Fe with her husband and three daughters.
“Mariana’s deep roots in New Mexico and her lifelong commitment to children and families make her the right leader for this moment,” Lujan Grisham said in a press release. “Her work has been instrumental in shaping our state’s education system, and I am confident that she will continue to bring positive change for New Mexico’s students.”
Padilla has served as acting cabinet secretary for both the PED and the Children, Youth and Families Department.
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As NM Children’s Cabinet director, Padilla “has shaped program, policy, and budget priorities, and worked across state agencies to implement key initiatives and system-wide improvements. Her accomplishments include establishing the New Mexico Early Childhood Education and Care Department, launching a statewide literacy initiative, and driving the Governor’s Cradle to Career education agenda supporting students from birth through college and career readiness,” according to the press release.
Prior to leading the NM Children’s Cabinet, Padilla was a state director of Lujan Grisham’s congressional staff, before Lujan Grisham ran for governor.
“I am incredibly honored to be appointed by Gov. Lujan Grisham to lead the New Mexico Public Education Department,” Padilla said in the press release. “My career has been focused on serving the communities and families of our state. I am committed to working collaboratively with students, families, educators, and community partners to achieve the outcomes we all want to see. As a parent of grade school students, I share the sense of urgency to deliver for our kids.”
Padilla replaces former PED Secretary Arsenio Romero who is on the shortlist to be New Mexico State University’s new president. The governor’s office said Romero was given the option to either continue as PED secretary or pursue the NMSU position.Romero and the other four candidates are on NMSU’s flagship Las Cruces campus this week which will include public forums for each candidate each day this week beginning Tuesday.
