Open Space Innovator Changes Departments

There are no parks or outdoor plaques bearing his name, but officials say Clay Campbell was a driving force behind the successful establishment of the county’s open space program.

Bernalillo County established its Open Space Program in 1999 and now has 12 properties in Albuquerque and the East Mountains. Among them are Bachechi Open Space, Hubbell House and Valle del Bosque Open Space.

After 13 years, Campbell has left his post as a planning manager with the Parks and Recreation Department to fill a new position within Bernalillo County. He started his new job as the county’s Capital Improvement Program technical evaluation manager, which is part of the Public Works Division, in early November.

Campbell was not only instrumental behind the scenes with the above projects but also with improvements at Atrisco Park Little League, the East Mountains trails and bikeways master plan, Los Padillas game field and swimming pool construction, Los Vecinos Skate Park, Paradise Hills skate park and pool renovation, and the Rio Bravo dog park.

The county recently started a way to evaluate and set priorities for capital improvement requests. The requests are evaluated based on certain criteria and given a score. Campbell, who will earn $68,000 a year, will be responsible for answering questions about the scores, and he will work with neighborhoods during the planning process.

Ed Chismar, director of parks and recreation, said Campbell was an “extraordinary individual.”

Campbell “was an innovator,” Chismar said. “He was willing to try things without knowing whether he would succeed. He was brave and had great courage to take risks. Those traits, combined with his tenacity, were the foundation to the open space program.”
— This article appeared on page C2 of the Albuquerque Journal