Jeffrey Lopez Appointed as New Mexico Broadband Director
Former senior policy advisor to Sen. Ben Ray Luján steps into state role at critical time
June 24, 2025 – New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham, D-N.M., has appointed Jeffrey Lopez to serve as Director of the New Mexico Office of Broadband Access and Expansion.
Lopez previously worked as a senior policy advisor and state staff to Sen. Ben Ray Luján, D-N.M., and as a senior policy advisor and legislative assistant for former Sen. Tom Udall, D-N.M., according to his LinkedIn profile.
Grisham expressed high praise for Lopez.
FROM SPEEDING BEAD SUMMIT
Panel 1: How Are States Thinking About Reasonable Costs Now?
Panel 2: Finding the State Versus Federal Balance in BEAD
Panel 3: Reacting to the New BEAD NOFO Guidance
Panel 4: Building, Maintaining and Adopting Digital Workforce Skills
“Jeffrey possesses the perfect combination of federal policy knowledge, broadband program prowess, and familiarity with New Mexico communities that our state needs to maximize the historic broadband investments underway,” Grisham said. “His leadership will help ensure every New Mexican has access to reliable, high-speed internet, from our rural communities to our tribal nations.”
According to the governor’s press release, issued Monday, Lopez “worked directly on legislation that created the federal Broadband Equity Access and Deployment Act.”
His appointment comes at a critical time for the state, which dismissed its last broadband director, Drew Lovelace, after he failed to push through a $70 million proposal to expand high-speed internet access to New Mexican residents via Starlink.
Grisham also appointed Aquiles “Alex” Trujillo to serve as deputy director. Trujillo’s and Lopez’s appointments are both effective immediately.
