SANTA FE - Governor Susana Martinez announced today that she has made appointments to New Mexico's two top water management positions. Governor Martinez has appointed Scott Verhines of Albuquerque to the position of State Engineer and has named Estevan Lopez of Peñasco Director of the Interstate Stream Commission.
"As we face some of the driest conditions in New Mexico's history, responsible water resource management is more important than ever," said Governor Martinez. "As State Engineer and Interstate Stream Commission Director, Mr. Verhines and Mr. Lopez face serious challenges to preserve and maintain New Mexico's water supply while ensuring that resources are available to those who rely on them to make our state thrive. I am confident that both of them are up to the task and will work diligently to support the interests of all New Mexicans when it comes to water management."
Prior to his appointment as State Engineer, Scott Verhines served as program manager for the Eastern New Mexico Rural Water Authority, overseeing a $500 million regional water supply project that provided municipal and commercial water to communities throughout Eastern New Mexico. He has extensive experience with water issues both in and outside New Mexico. Verhines has managed and participated in over 200 hydrologic and hydraulic studies ranging in size from individual residential lots to over 500 square miles of watershed and has planned and designed over 60 major transportation projects. He earned his B.S. in Civil Engineering from Texas Tech University, as well as his M.S. in Civil Engineering and M.B.A. from the University of New Mexico.
Estevan Lopez has served as Acting Director of the Interstate Stream Commission under the Martinez administration. He was originally appointed to the Director position in 2003. Prior to joining the Interstate Stream Commission, Lopez served as Santa Fe County Manager as well as Director of the County's Land Use and Utilities Department. He also worked as a Public Utility Engineer for the New Mexico Public Utilities Commission. Lopez is also the current New Mexico Commission for the Canadian River Compact Commission and represents the state on numerous other water committees. He earned his B.S. in Chemistry and B.S. in Petroleum Engineering from the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology.