SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham has announced the appointment of Bianca Ortiz-Wertheim as the director of infrastructure and implementation.
Ortiz-Wertheim comes into the role from the Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management where she served as the cabinet secretary since May 2020. While at DHS, Ortiz-Wertheim managed the distribution of more than $100 million in federal grants to New Mexico’s communities, funding investments in irrigation systems, electrical grids, and other critical infrastructure.
In her new role, Ortiz-Wertheim will work directly with broadband and water advisors to organize and oversee major investments in New Mexico’s infrastructure following the $1.2 trillion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act signed into law last year.