Ad
NM veterans secretary steps down as Cabinet turnover continues
Donnie Quintana is shown in a file photo from January.
LAS VEGAS, N.M. — Retired Army Col. Donnie Quintana will step down next week as head of the state Department of Veterans' Services, just seven months after his initial appointment.
Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham's administration said Brig. Gen. Jamison Herrera, the deputy adjutant general of the New Mexico National Guard, will serve as acting secretary for now.
Quintana will be the 10th secretary to leave Lujan Grisham's Cabinet since November, a spate of turnover that has drawn attention from lawmakers. His last day will be Sept. 1.
In a written statement, the governor said she appreciated Quintana's work and "also his decision to step aside to allow for new leadership to accelerate the work of the agency. I am looking forward to launching a broad search for the next leader of the Department, who must deliver on that mission for the men and women who served our state and country.”
