SANTA FE — Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham today announced the appointment of Rebecca Roose as New Mexico’s Natural Resources Trustee through the remainder of her term.

Roose has served as the governor’s senior infrastructure advisor since fall 2023 and as acting Natural Resources Trustee since March. Roose’s term as trustee will end when the governor’s does on Dec. 31, 2026.

The Office of the Natural Resources Trustee (ONRT) is the State of New Mexico’s natural resources watchdog. When contamination injures New Mexico’s land, water or wildlife, ONRT works to hold the responsible parties accountable for the damage and collect fines for remediation.

Roose brings more than two decades of environmental, water and infrastructure experience to the role. In her current position, she spearheaded landmark legislative successes including the New Mexico Match Fund, the Strategic Water Supply program and a $1.5 billion transportation bonding package.

“Rebecca Roose knows New Mexico’s water, land and environmental challenges from the inside out,” said Governor Lujan Grisham. “Her knowledge and experience position her to be a strong and effective advocate for New Mexico’s natural resources.”

Prior to her current role, Roose served as deputy cabinet secretary at the New Mexico Environment Department (NMED), where she oversaw environmental and public health programs statewide and led the agency’s work on infrastructure, tribal relations and water policy. She also directed NMED’s Water Protection Division during the governor’s first term. Before joining state government in 2019, she spent 13 years leading national environmental programs at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Roose holds a law degree from the University of New Mexico School of Law and an undergraduate degree in geography from Valparaiso University.