Gov. fills vacant Cabinet post by appointing Emily Kaltenbach to lead state's aging department

Sep. 24—SANTA FE — Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham filled a vacancy in her Cabinet on Tuesday by appointing Emily Kaltenbach to lead the state's Aging and Long-Term Services Department.

Kaltenbach, who will officially start her $200,000 per year job on Nov. 4, is the former director of the New Mexico Drug Policy Alliance.

In that role, she advocated for drug decriminalization policies and was a key voice in the state's push to legalize cannabis sales for adult users, which was approved in 2021.

In her new position, Kaltenbach will take over for Jen Paul Schroer, who stepped down this month after leading the department that oversees services for New Mexico's elderly residents since August 2023.

In announcing Kaltenbach's appointment, the Governor's Office cited her past work on public policy and health care reform issues.

Before starting work with the state Drug Policy Alliance in 2011, Kaltenbach worked for the state Aging and Long-Term Services Department for nearly five years, including a stint as the agency's director of policy and planning.

"Her depth of experience in public health, aging services, and policy development will enable her to make an immediate impact as the department continues to improve the care and resources provided to New Mexico's seniors and those with disabilities," Lujan Grisham said in a Tuesday statement.

The governor has seen high rates of turnover in her Cabinet as she approaches the halfway point of her second term in office.

In addition to the Aging and Long-Term Services Department, Lujan Grisham has also appointed new secretaries to lead the Public Education and Economic Development departments in the last month.

All Cabinet-level posts are subject to Senate confirmation, though appointees can begin work immediately.

The Aging and Long-Term Services Department oversees a range of senior services, including transportation, meals and caregiver support, for thousands of elderly New Mexicans.

Overall, the state has an increasingly elderly population, as nearly 23% of New Mexico residents will be 65 or older by 2040, according to projections from the University of New Mexico Geospatial and Population Studies.

That's up from 18% of all state residents in 2020 and 13% of residents in 2010.