SANTA FE – New leaders have stepped in for retirees at the Regulation and Licensing Department and Veterans Services Department.

Linda Trujillo is the incoming superintendent of the Regulation and Licensing Department, succeeding Marguerite Salazar who retired late last year. Trujillo was previously a state representative and worked as an educator and attorney and served on the board of Santa Fe Public Schools before returning to state government. Her previous work at the state included 11 years of service; she began at RLD as deputy director of the Boards and Commissions Division and was later appointed the state records administrator. She earned a bachelor's degree in public administration from Evergreen State College in Olympia, Wash., and her law degree from Seattle University.

Sonya Smith is the secretary-designate of the Veterans Services Department, succeeding Ret. Brig. Gen. Judy Griego, who late last year resumed her retirement from military service.

A veteran of the Gulf War, Smith served as a medical technician in Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm. A member of the U.S. Air Force Reserve, she received an honorable discharge. She earned a bachelor’s degree in health services management from Norfolk State University in Norfolk, Va., and a master’s in health care compliance from Argosy University. Smith previously worked at the New Mexico Department of Health, helping coordinate the efforts of the agency's COVID-19 testing team.

In addition, Amy Whitfield, who had served as the interim executive director of the state Office of African American Affairs, will lead the agency full-time going forward. Whitfield was previously a special projects coordinator at the Children, Youth and Families Department and executive director of the Domestic Violence Resource Center in Albuquerque. Whitfield earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology and criminal justice from Wayne State College in Wayne, Neb., and a master’s degree in social work from the University of Maine.

“I am incredibly grateful to Marguerite and Judy for their service to our state,” said Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham. “Working in state government is a challenge and an honor, and I wish them and their families the very best in the next stages of their lives.”