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Stephen Lopez, who led the County during its recent manager transition, was appointed to be a third assistant County Manager of Doña Ana County. A news release confirmed Lopez was selected for the position by County Manager Scott Andrews.
“I am glad that the panel saw the value of Stephen’s (Lopez) familiarity with the region, historical reference to the work of Doña Ana County, and the importance of someone whose career has been dedicated to making life safer and better for our residents,” Andrews said in the news release.
Lopez was selected as interim County Manager following the county commission’s departure from the previous manager. Lopez was also a finalist for the permanent position, but the commission chose Andrews instead.
“Stephen (Lopez) brings a vast amount of regional and local government leadership experience to this role. He is a perfect fit for the culture we are working to establish with his positive attitude, fantastic consensus-building skills, and outstanding track record of problem-solving,” Andrews said.
In the past, the County had only two assistant managers. However, in the news release, Andrews said Lopez’s new job will align the County with the best practices for similarly sized municipalities.
Lopez joins Deborah Weir and Jonathan Macias as assistant county managers. According to the news release, he will focus on implementing components of the County’s five-year Strategic Plan to ensure alignment with its key priorities.
“We are working diligently to modernize our organization and seek efficiencies that improve service levels for our community,” Andrews said in the news release. “Stephen (Lopez) and our other talented team leaders will help us lead this charge.”
Before his stint as interim County Manager, Lopez served as Manager of the Office of Emergency Management since January 2021. He began his career in law enforcement at the New Mexico State University Police Department.
OEM will be helmed by Deputy Emergency Manager Amanda Bowen, who also held the job during Lopez’ interim as manager.
