Article by Mary Alice Murphy Photos by Lynn Janes

Silver City-Grant County Chamber of Commerce Director Romeo Cruz introduced the speakers of the day, the newly elected commissioners, then thanked the county for supporting the chamber's work at the Grant County Veterans Memorial Business and Conference Center.

District 3 Commissioner Nancy Stephens spoke first. "It's really a privilege to have been voted into this position. I just want to tell you a bit about myself and some of my values. I grew up in rural Indiana, raised by two public school teachers. My dad taught art and my mom taught science. I always thought it was a good balance. We lived out in the country, and our home was surrounded by corn fields. Most of our neighbors were farmers, and my first job was detasseling corn, and I remember crying with blisters and sunburn. My dad said: 'You're not a quitter.' So, I didn't quit.

"My family valued education, so we always had books in our home. I've continued to be a real proponent of literacy. I think reading can be such a joy and such a source of knowledge. Another value that I hold is service. My parents always volunteered on boards. My mom volunteered with the Mental Health Association. My dad was a real supporter of the underdog. He seemed to attract people in his life that needed a little extra help."

She said she and her sister had the privilege and stability of living in the same house for their entire first 18 years of life.

"We also had a really big garden and woods nearby. So having that access to nature, I think, is another real privilege that I value a lot, so I decided to take a slightly different path and not become an educator, but instead become a social worker."

She went to Indiana University for undergraduate, "and then I decided I needed an adventure, a little more excitement, so I had a book of social work programs, and there was one in Las Cruces, New Mexico State. I thought, you know, New Mexico, because it was intriguing, and all my roommates told me, Well, why don't you go, and we'll follow you. So, because I graduated early, I packed up my car and I didn't have a job or a place to live, but I stayed at a Super Eight, and I looked at the newspaper, and I got a bank account and an apartment the next day, and I established residency and worked as a substitute teacher and at the Southwest Environmental Center, leading back by noon hikes, and then I went to graduate school for social work."

She considered that a great experience. "Through my career, I've learned that all people do have dignity and worth. It's not just the talking point. I really do believe that, and that has kind of added on to my early history, and made me want to be of service to my community. So after graduate school, where I met my husband, who was raised in Las Cruces, and we bounced around just a little bit. We went to Louisville, Kentucky, to be closer to my family when my parents were going through some health issues, and then my husband is a pediatrician, so he did the National Health Service Corps, and we wanted to return to New Mexico and work in an underserved area. So we chose Grant County."

"That was about 17 years ago, and we raised both of our kids here. They're 13 and 16. I'm very proud of them. I've also tried to instill the importance of community service for them. When they were little, I read to them every day. I've just become so appreciative of the gifts that I've had in my life. And I do believe that when you have been given such good fortune, it's your responsibility to pay it forward, which is why I ran for county commissioner, and I will do my best to represent all of you."

Stephens said her day jobs are as a school social worker at Aldo Leopold Charter School and with Dolly Parton's Imagination Library of Grant County, which acts as a liaison for Imagination Library of New Mexico, with Priscilla Lucero administering the grant through the early childhood education department.

"I feel that the thing that connects social work with county commission, with the Imagination Library, is trying to give people the opportunity to realize their potential, and also recognizing that everybody has something to contribute, and starting from a very early age. You know, I think if whatever we can do to support families with young children really benefits the whole community, and whether that's recreation, education, health care, that all ties together. I want to thank all of you, because I know you wouldn't be in the room here if you weren't doing your part, if you weren't engaged and paying attention and just aware of your surroundings and trying to improve the quality of life for our neighbors. So thank you all so much. And my door is always open. We commissioners were just talking about how regardless of what district you're in, I think all of us five commissioners, we all want to work together. We want to be responsive to your needs. So feel free to reach out to me, regardless of where you live, and we'll try to address your concern. Thank you."

District 4 Commissioner Eddie Flores spoke next. " Thank you all for being here. I want to thank the chamber for having us. I recognize numerous people in the room, former Representative Rudy Martinez, Senator Gabriel Ramos, Melanie Goodman, representing Sen. Ben Ray Lujan of Congress. You guys do a great job. And, of course, our county manager [Charlene Webb] and last but not least, our commissioners. I'm very proud to be on this Commission. It's going to be a positive group. I feel it. I know everyone on here. We all respect each other's values and our opinions A little bit about me. I'm born and raised here in Silver City. I'm a product of Silver Schools. I attended Western. I got my degrees there at Western and I'm retired law enforcement, as a captain in the State Police."

" I come from a family of, I guess, of service," Flores continued. "I didn't want my kids to do it, but my oldest son was a state policeman for 12 years. He was up in Albuquerque right after he went to the Academy. My daughter went to the Academy, which I didn't want her to do. But now I know when my mom and dad always told me they were always worried about me in law enforcement. I wasn't too worried about Anthony, who's 6 foot 2, but my daughter isn't that big.

"My brother is a Silver City police officer, and I'm currently Chief of Police at the university. I've been there for 17 years, since I retired. I appreciate Commissioner Stephens' comments about public service. I came onto the Commission because I've served my whole life. I've been a police officer since I was 18. I have over 39 years experience. I've coached Little League, softball, baseball, and I've been on the Silver School Board a couple of times. I think I've made positive changes. The first time I addressed Title IX issues because my daughters played softball and they weren't getting treated as well as the football players. In my latest term, I pushed armed security guards for the schools and after six long years of pushing, we have armed security guards in our schools."

He said he came to the commission with the same attitude to continue the work of his predecessors, because "I think every commissioner that has been on the board has had the same idea of making Grant County a quality place for all its citizens. I'm no different and neither are these four people at this table. We all want to make Grant County a better place for all. I support getting police services in our rural areas. It's not fair that they don't get the same services we do in the city. Healthcare is also near and dear to my heart. I support quality patient care at Gila Regional. We're lucky to have that hospital here."

He concluded by saying he holds himself accountable and wants to hold others accountable, too. "My door is always open. Call me and reach out to me with any questions for concerns, such as fixing the pickle ball courts in Cliff. I want to work on little issues like that."

Cruz said it was great to see the collaboration and cohesion of the Board of Commissioners.

District 5 Commissioner Thomas Shelley spoke next. "I have lived my whole life here except for a few college years and service in the U.S. Army. I appreciate this opportunity to serve with this Board of Commissioners, but really to serve the people I love here in Grant County. I have recently retired from 31 years as a copper miner. I had a great career with Freeport and
served mainly as an environmental manager for many years and and got to do a lot of fun projects, including thousands of acres of reclamation, which was fun for a civil engineer. That's what I studied in college. I have a master's degree in civil engineering from the University of Texas at Austin, and I had the opportunity to really learn to appreciate all the hard working people at the mines."

Shelley said he comes from a family of people that work hard. "I'm a cattle rancher. I own and operate a cattle ranch. That's my night job. We came to New Mexico in 1884, and we must like it here. It's really important because our economy thrives on people being willing to work and make our economy prosperous. One of my key goals is to look at what we're doing as a county and make sure we're providing the services and infrastructure that just help families and people to thrive and grow their businesses, which helps us all."

He also serves on the Board of Supervisors for the Grant Soil and Water Conservation District. "I'm also the Vice President of the Grant County Cattle Growers. I've really enjoyed many, many years of hiking and backpacking in the Gila Wilderness. It's been my favorite thing to do my whole life here. I got to lead a lot of groups of about 15 to 20 Boy Scouts, backpacking in the wilderness. It's a little harder to do right now. I'm really disappointed with the condition of the forest up there and the great trails we used to be able to hike. I know it's one of the greatest draws to people that love to live here."

"So my priorities for my work on the County Commission are
to take care of our economy so our families can thrive. I know a lot of my friends and constituents are concerned about crime in our state, and as community members we have probably the most important affect on that."

He concluded by saying that he reviews a lot of the bills at the legislative session, partly because of his career. "Now, as a county commissioner, I see multiple, multiple bills in the legislature being considered right now that will have big impacts on our county operations, as well as our businesses and it seems
very important that we make sure we're not making it harder for our community to thrive. So, I spend a lot of time doing that. I appreciate you all; I appreciate Rudy and many other people that have served our community in the past, and thank you."

Cruz then introduced current District 2 Commissioner Eloy Medina, who also serves as Mayor Pro Tem of Bayard and is a life-long resident of Grant County.

Medina said he has served on the Bayard City Council for going on about 10 years, and he is serving in his first term as county commissioner. He said he graduated from Cobre High School and got his his degrees from Eastern New Mexico University. He served 22 years in the Silver City Fire Department, retired as a captain. He then worked as a paramedic for Gila Regional EMS, where he has now served 11 years as director.

"I really enjoy the position but we're facing a lot of challenges, which we are addressing making our services even better," Medina said. "When I decided to run for county commissioner, I kind of sat back and wondered who I could make the most impact for."

He decided it was the mine and its workforce. "My support for them was never in any danger. My dad retired from there and he loved it, so, as it is one of the biggest employers in the county, I made sure it was a priority. It's a big driver of the economics for the county."

Medina said he holds regular meeting in the Mimbres Valley, because he felt it was never recognized. "I made it a point to go out there, to have these quarterly meetings with the residents of Mimbres, and I go out there and I let them have free will tell me what's on their mind. The first time I went out there, I almost needed a police escort to get out of there because they were so angry over things that they brought up. Some people told me that we should take the sheriff out there and deputize them, so they could put some police protection out there. I finally got out of that meeting. Second time I got smart, took Charlene, took the sheriff, and it took the heat off. It's been amazing, the relationship I build with those people out there; they call me for everything and anything. I appreciate them so much. I make sure I'm available to them at all times."

He noted that the job as a commissioner has its challenges. Being a county commissioner is a challenge, from everything from the barking dog to the money to fund a vo tech school. I've been blessed to be put on the Regional Water Project Board, and when you see the machines start working as well oiled as it is right now, it's amazing to see how you put it together and how you see things come together. You're only as successful as the people that work around you. My fellow commissioners, when you get the opportunity work with individual like that, it makes you better. So I'm very blessed to be working with those individuals."

"It's been a fun challenge, and I just look forward to it. I mean, I'm in my first two years, in my first term, I am looking to running for a second term, and I've enjoyed the challenges that have come forth with it. I think I've been part of some big things that have grown and grown, and are going to get better."

He said the city of Bayard just purchased 695, acres around the city of Bayard. "I'm trying to push. I've been talking to Charlene, I've been talking to Priscilla, and said, let's figure out how to get a hospital out there. Let's figure out how to get houses out there. Let's figure out how to make things grow. That's how it gets bigger and better. I do want to make myself available to any of you at any time. Please feel free to call me, email me."

Cruz introduced another life-long resident of Grant County District 1 Commissioner and Board of Commissioners Chair Chris Ponce.

"It's great honor to serve with this Board of Commissioners. You know, I started with one of the commissioners. Eddie Flores and I went to high school together, and we started law enforcement about three months apart. So I've known him for a very long time. I worked with Mr. Shelley at Freeport And then, of course, Commissioner Medina was in the Fire Department when I was with the Police Department. And I think his dad's married to my aunt somewhere in there. And then our new commissioner, Ms. Stephens. I'm getting to know her, and what I've seen of her, I can tell she's really passionate and cares about her community. She's very level-headed, and she's very intelligent and sincere with what she says. So, it's going to be great working together with all these commissioners."

He said that the new commissioners are way ahead of where he was when he started as commissioner, trying to learn the job. "It takes all of us commissioners to make sure that we continue building in Grant County and giving the people places to meet, to rent and to come in here. You know, we have a great county manager, Charlene. She is our only employee, but our biggest job as commissioners is to support her, to make sure that she has the budget, that she accomplishes things that she needs to accomplish, not only for Grant County, but for the rest of the employees."

He noted that former representative, Martinez was a great asset to this community. He also pointed out Priscilla Lucero [Southwest New Mexico Council of Government executive director] as "our go to when we need money. We need things for water infrastructure, whatever it is, there she is, and she does so much for all of you. Her son's following in her footsteps. He's involved in the community. You look around everybody that's in here, we have Melanie Goodman. I've known her for quite a few years. Sabrina Pack (of SkyWest Media), she's also helping us. We need all our community to come together. Part of our job as commissioners also is to support our communities and support our mayors, our councils, our trustees, not to step on their toes, but to support them in bringing the services, the infrastructure that they need for their communities. And you're going to see that these commissioners are already headed that way."

"I really appreciate what everybody in this room has done. Everybody sitting here is part of our community and is doing what they need to do for our communities. You know, I look at our mine, what other mine provides water to communities? Freeport turned around and gave water rights to the Mining District. It's one of our biggest employers. You know, we have to support them. We also have to hold each other accountable on our environmental issues, and Freeport does. Commissioners today got a class in our county-owned hospital, Gila Regional, a big responsibility for us. You look at the at our commissioners here, you know we're not always going to agree on on things, but you know what? I can tell we're going to respect each other, and we're going to try to do the best that we can for all of you. And thank you, Mr. Cruz, for inviting us, and I could sit up here and talk on hundreds of projects that we have, but I won't. I really appreciate you guys. Please continue to do what you do for your community. Keep going.Let's keep doing what we need to do for our people and for Grant County, and let's focus on the issues and Llet's see what we can do for you."

"If you want to get a hold of any one of us, it doesn't matter where you live or what, we'll make sure we let the appropriate commissioner know what's going on, and we'll do what we can for you. I really appreciate you guys, and thank you."

Cruz noted that YG Events had catered the meal.

He invited Carlos Lucero, the president of Prospectors, to talk about the recent Grant County Day at the legislative session.

"We had a very successful day in Santa Fe at the Roundhouse." Carlos Lucero said.. "All of our legislators did participate throughout the day with us, and they did get to hear the needs of our community. The Prospectors did have legislative initiatives that we took up to Santa Fe, first being local government and the support of our local governments, as well as education, to include higher education, public education and early childhood education, and rural investment, mostly talking about the growth funds that really impact our nonprofits in our community. And then community health. So I know all of our legislators, as well as the governor, were able to hear the needs of our community and the importance of these themes. And our overall theme was 'grow rural investment,' which is a big part of continuing rural Grant County to make sure that we're represented just the same as metropolitan area. And if you have any questions about the Grant County Prospectors or Grant County Day or logistics, or maybe looking at Grant County day 2026, please let us know. Thank you."

Cruz said the Wreaths Across America would be at the Conference Center that weekend. [Editors' Note: However, due to vehicle troubles, the event has been rescheduled for March 8 and 9. It's sponsored by the American Legion Post 18, the Jacob Bennett Chapter of Daughters of the American Revolution in Silver City, Grant County and the Chamber of Commerce.]

He also said preparations are already starting for the Fourth of July events, which this year, will take place on Friday.

Lori Rogers announced a webinar on Feb. 20 for Heart Month.

Stephen Lindsay of Future Forge Maker Space announced a fifth anniversary event on Feb. 21 at the Murray Hotel. "We would love to have all of you there. It's a free event."

Bruce Ashburn, chamber board member, said he was president of the board when they signed the agreement with the county to manage the conference center. "We appreciate the support that you have given us already and the support that we hope to get from you going forward."

Cruz agreed and said when people come from Santa Fe or Albuquerque, they say they didn't have any idea that Grant County had such a nice facility. "I'm trying to make sure that it's known. We're a rural community, small community. We have a big voice."

He also recognized two new chamber members.

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