NEWS
New Mexico Transportation Secretary Ricky Serna to step down after legislative session
Outgoing DOT secretary has held several roles in Lujan Grisham administration
Published
SANTA FE — The leader of New Mexico's Department of Transportation will step down at the end of the ongoing 30-day session, after securing legislative approval of a high-profile bill bolstering funding for the agency.
Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham's office announced the resignation of DOT Secretary Ricky Serna on Monday, but did not cite a reason for his departure. His last day on the job will be Feb. 20.
Serna, who previously held two other Cabinet-level posts in the Lujan Grisham administration, expressed gratitude for his three-plus years leading the DOT. His current salary is roughly $227,000 per year, according to the state Sunshine Portal.
"I thank the governor for the confidence she put in me to serve my fellow New Mexicans," Serna said in a statement. "You have my commitment to a strong transition and my assurance that a capable and engaged team awaits my successor."
An Española native and former higher education administrator, Serna was tapped by the governor in April 2021 to lead the state's Workforce Solutions Department after a barrage of pandemic-related unemployment claims.
Serna also simultaneously led the State Personnel Office until being appointed to take the reins of the DOT in July 2022.
As DOT secretary, Serna urged lawmakers to increase funding for statewide road construction and maintenance amid rising construction costs and a shift to more fuel-efficient vehicles.
He also announced in December plans to construct higher curved railings at the Taos Gorge Bridge in northern New Mexico after a spike in suicides at the historic span.
While lawmakers approved a bill during this year's 30-day session authorizing up to $1.5 million in bonds and increasing vehicle registration fees to pay for road projects, some legislators expressed frustration that previous road funding allocations were not put to use in a timely manner.
In addition, Serna did not appear at Lujan Grisham's news conference last week during which she signed the bill — and several other fast-tracked measures — into law.
Serna also faced recent scrutiny over the Department of Transportation having to sell back mobile office units that did not meet permitting requirements at a loss of $857,000, according to a Santa Fe New Mexican report.
The governor did not immediately announce who would replace Serna at the helm of the Department of Transportation, though a Lujan Grisham spokeswoman said an announcement would be made in the coming weeks.
Meanwhile, other cabinet officials in the governor's administration could also be headed for the exits in the coming weeks, as it's not uncommon for such appointees to leave for new jobs in a governor's final year in office.
Dan Boyd covers state government and politics for the Journal in Santa Fe. Follow him on X at @DanBoydNM or reach him via email at dboyd@abqjournal.com
