Hank has been working as the Commissioner for District 5 since 2020

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Hank has been the County Commissioner for District 5 since September 2020, when he was appointed by Governor Lujan Grisham to finish the term of the previous Commissioner, Ed Moreno. At that point Hank had won the 2020 primary and was the only candidate in the 2020 general election. Hank started his elected term in January 2020. See the home page for some highlights of Hank’s first term.

new mexico coalition to end homelessness

In the year 2000, when Hank was still Executive Director of St. Elizabeth Shelter, he and other advocates formed the New Mexico Coalition to End Homelessness. In 2001 Hank became the Coalition’s first full time Executive Director. The Coalition has 80 member agencies serving homeless people in all parts of New Mexico. Under Hank’s leadership the Coalition helped its members develop the capacity to house more than 2,000 people who were homeless because of disabilities. In 2017 the Coalition led the effort that won Santa Fe the distinction of effectively ending veteran homelessness in Santa Fe from the U.S. Interagency Task Force on Homelessness. Since then, veterans who become homeless in Santa Fe can generally be housed within 90 days of seeking assistance. The Coalition grew from a staff of one in 2001 to a staff of 30 in 2022, with various programs to help expand and improve the help provided to those experiencing homelessness. In 2018 the Coalition was honored to be one of only 11 groups in the U.S. to receive funding to end youth homelessness under the Youth Homelessness Demonstration Program. In 2020 the Coalition released an analysis of the resources still needed to house everyone in New Mexico, demonstrating that homelessness is a solvable problem if sufficient resources are dedicated to proven solutions.

At the New Mexico Coalition to End Homelessness, Hank worked with elected officials at the local, state and federal levels of government to advocate for solutions to homelessness.

santa fe search and rescue

Hank joined Santa Fe Search and Rescue in 1995 because it offered an opportunity to combine his love of hiking with his love of helping people. Between 1995 and 2020 Hank went on many missions to find those who were lost or rescue those who were injured in the wilderness. He served as the group’s president once and as vice president twice. He is now an emeritus member of the group meaning he no longer participates actively.

Water Resources Specialist

Hank worked as a water resources specialist at the Cornell Center for Environmental Research from 1980 to 1985, when he and his wife, Bonney, lived in Ithaca, NY. His primary role was to work with communities in New York that were dealing with groundwater contamination or potential contamination affecting their drinking water supplies.

Community

Hank and his wife, Bonney, moved to Santa Fe in 1986 and raised their two sons, Chris and Nicky, here. During their school years, Hank coached soccer and helped with Cub Scouts while Bonney was stage manager for Eldorado Children’s Theater. Hank and Bonney continue to help cook dinner for the guests of St. Elizabeth Shelter once a month as part of an interfaith cooking group.

Education

Hank holds a Master of Engineering degree from Cornell University in Environmental Systems Engineering. His master’s project was an analysis of the New York City water supply system. He also has a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil and Environmental Engineering from Cornell.