Veronica Garcia, Secretary

Public Education Department

Dr. Veronica García was appointed as New Mexico's first cabinet Secretary of Education in October of 2003.

As a cabinet secretary, Dr. García has direct access to Governor Bill Richardson and the other cabinet secretaries. She is the Constitutional Officer charged with oversight of the 89 New Mexico school districts, 36,000 employees of the public schools, and an annual operating budget of over 2 billion dollars.

Dr. García has been an educator in New Mexico for 30 years. She has experience as a teacher, principal, assistant director of special education, school psychologist, assistant superintendent, and associate superintendent.

The recipient of numerous awards and honors, including various leadership and community service awards, Dr. García has been named the Superintendent of the Year for New Mexico. Upon her retirement as Superintendent of Santa Fe Public Schools, Dr. García assumed the position of executive director for NMCSA.

She was featured in the education journal Executive Educator, and in Nuestras Mujeres: 500 Years of Hispanic Women in New Mexico as an outstanding educator in our state.

Dr. García has keynoted over one-hundred national and regional conferences and was the Judith Taack Lanier guest lecturer for the Holmes Partnership in Cincinnati, Ohio.