Governor appoints new IT department secretary

Sep. 6—Friday brought another leadership change in Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham's administration. The governor appointed Manny Barreras as secretary for the Department of Information Technology.

This comes the day after Lujan Grisham appointed Rob Black as the new Economic Development Department secretary.

Barreras has more than 26 years of professional experience in sales and business development, including, most recently, nearly two decades at telecommunications equipment company Motorola Solutions Inc., according to the Governor's Office. He acted as a senior territory account manager for New Mexico and El Paso, Texas at Motorola.

Moving into his new role with the state, which starts Monday, Barreras' annual salary will be $200,000, a Governor's Office spokesperson said. He replaces acting secretary Raja Sambandam, who has been leading the agency since June 2023.

"I look forward to working with Gov. Lujan Grisham and the dedicated team at DoIT to enhance New Mexico's technology infrastructure, ensuring our state is at the forefront of innovation and providing the highest level of service to our residents," Barreras said in a statement.

Lujan Grisham called Barreras an exceptional leader.

"His extensive experience and deep understanding of the challenges facing state and local agencies make him the ideal person to lead the Department of Information Technology," she said in a news release. "I am confident that under his leadership, New Mexico will continue to advance our technology infrastructure to better serve our communities."

Barrelas holds a Bachelor of Business Administration in marketing from New Mexico State University.

His appointment is subject to Senate confirmation.