New leader of state aging department followed unique path to Cabinet-level post

SANTA FE — Emily Kaltenbach grew up off the grid just south of the state’s capital city, with her nearest neighbors about 1 mile away.

That experience, which included lengthy bus rides back and forth to school in Santa Fe, cultivated an early awareness about health care deserts and economic insecurity.

“We had to dig our own well and figure out how to get our own water and our own electricity,” Kaltenbach recalled during a recent interview.

“I think those early experiences really shaped my interest in health,” she added.

After being appointed in September to lead the state’s Aging and Long-Term Services Department, Kaltenbach plans to draw on that background in a state with an increasingly elderly population.

As many younger New Mexicans leave rural areas in search of job opportunities elsewhere, she said there is a growing need to support those left behind.

“We have a lot of older adults who are living alone,” Kaltenbach said.

She called the number of friends and family members who serve as unpaid caregivers for elderly residents still living in their homes the “unsung heroes” of the state’s long-term care services system.

While the exact number of those caregivers is unclear, she said the department is considering ways to better support them.

That could include more financial assistance, as Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s budget recommendation calls for $5 million to compensate such caregivers for their time and efforts.

New Mexico’s aging population

Nearly 20% of New Mexico’s population is 65 years old or older, which is higher than the national average of 17.7%, according to 2023 U.S. Census Bureau data.

The age category is projected to be the state’s fastest-growing over the next 15 years, with an estimated 80,000-person increase of state residents age 65 or older between 2020 and 2040, according to Aging and Long-Term Services Department data.

In addition, adults age 60 or older made up at least 39% of the population in three New Mexico counties: Sierra, Catron and Harding.

As of last month, there were 410 centenarians in New Mexico — or those age 100 or older — compared with 284 in 2010.

Kaltenbach said rising inflation rates, plus steadily increasing housing costs, have made it difficult for many older individuals to afford retirement.

For those elderly adults who are able to retire, many live alone and not all are able to receive regular help from family members, friends or neighbors.

There are also financial challenges, as nearly 10% of the state’s senior population has an annual income of less that $10,000, according to department figures.

In part for that reason, she said she plans to seek a budget increase for a state fund that provides food assistance, transportation and other types of caregiving for eligible seniors.

“We learned so much during the (COVID-19) pandemic, and one of the things we learned is elderly adults can’t live in isolation,” Kaltenbach said.

From drug policy to helping the elderly

If not a full circle, then Kaltenbach’s career trajectory has at least been an unplanned loop.

After several years working for Presbyterian Medical Services in Santa Fe after college, Kaltenbach got a job with the Aging and Long-Term Services Department in 2006.

She eventually rose to the position of agency director of policy and planning but left state government at the end of 2010 to work as New Mexico director of the Drug Policy Alliance.

In that role, Kaltenbach pushed for more progressive drug policies at the Roundhouse, including a law enforcement diversion program for individuals charged with drug-related offenses.

Kaltenbach also helped lead the push for the state to legalize recreational cannabis sales for adult users, a multiyear effort that culminated in 2021 when Lujan Grisham signed legislation making New Mexico the 18th state to legalize marijuana.

Sen. Gerald Ortiz y Pino, D-Albuquerque, who worked with Kaltenbach on the cannabis legalization bills, described her as a good listener with an even-keeled demeanor.

“From the contacts I’ve had with her, I’ve always found her to be a very calm person,” Ortiz y Pino told the Journal. “She doesn’t panic no matter how many barriers are in front of her in the legislative process.”

“I think she was a very effective lobbyist and she will hopefully bring some of those same skills to her new position,” he added.

Kaltenbach spent the last several years with the Drug Policy Alliance’s national office and said she decided to take the job as Cabinet secretary of the Aging and Long-Term Services Department in large part due to a desire to return to New Mexico-based work.

She described former state Rep. Deborah Armstrong — who also served as ALTSD secretary — as a mentor and said her past experiences have helped prepare her for the new post.

“I feel very honored and privileged to be where I am now,” Kaltenbach said.

Lujan Grisham herself is also a former state aging secretary, and the governor said in announcing Kaltenbach’s appointment that her depth of experience in public health and policy issues would allow her to make an immediate impact.

While Kaltenbach’s appointment is still subject to Senate confirmation, she said listening to elderly New Mexico residents will be a key part of her new job duties.

“If you’re going to pass policy, it has to be based on the needs of the community,” she said.