Doña Ana County appoints three-person acting management team
Deb Weir, Lucio Luttrell and Stephen Lopez will jointly lead county government while commissioners determine their next steps on permanent leadership
Damien Willis, Organ Mountain News
LAS CRUCES - Doña Ana County commissioners have appointed three people to jointly lead county government while the board decides what to do about permanent leadership.
The Board of County Commissioners appointed Deb Weir, Lucio Luttrell and Stephen Lopez as joint acting county managers following a closed session during its July 28 meeting, according to a county news release issued Friday afternoon.
The three will provide executive leadership, support county departments and employees and maintain continuity of county operations during the transition.
“We are honored by the Board’s confidence in us and are committed to working together as a team to provide steady leadership, support our employees and ensure the County continues to operate effectively and efficiently,” the three said in a joint statement.
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Support Organ Mountain NewsHow authority will be divided
The county did not explain how authority will be divided among Weir, Luttrell and Lopez, whether they will hold equal decision-making power or whether one will serve as the primary public contact.
Organ Mountain News asked the county Friday afternoon who will hold final authority over contracts, personnel decisions, emergency actions and other executive responsibilities typically assigned to the county manager.
OMN also asked how long the joint arrangement is expected to last, whether commissioners have established a timetable for permanent leadership and whether the three acting managers will receive additional compensation. The county had not responded as of publication.
Organ Mountain News
Lopez previously served as interim manager
Lopez previously served as interim county manager during the county’s 2024 leadership transition. He joined Doña Ana County in 2021 as emergency manager after a 33-year career at New Mexico State University, where he served eight years as chief of police.
A county news release from June 2024 identified Lopez as interim county manager while Doña Ana County coordinated a mutual-aid response to the Ruidoso-area wildfires.
Permanent leadership remains unresolved
The appointments follow the commission’s announcement last week that it would begin determining the county’s long-term leadership after the county manager position became vacant.
Friday’s release did not identify a deadline for that process, say whether commissioners plan to conduct a search or explain whether the three-person arrangement has a set expiration date.
Damien Willis is founder and editor of Organ Mountain News. If you have a personal story to share or a lead we should follow up on, reach out at OrganMountainNews@gmail.com or connect with him on X at @damienwillis.
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