SANTA FE — Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham announced her appointee to lead the Public Education Department as well as key supplemental department leaders on Thursday. 

“I’m incredibly excited to introduce this dynamic lineup of experts and leaders who will be on the front lines of this state’s transformation in public education,” Gov. Lujan Grisham said. “Our secretary-designee and our deputy secretaries were all educated in New Mexico schools and each has worked extensively in our state education system. With more than 100 years of combined educational experience in the state, this team will oversee a dramatic culture change in our Public Education Department, and we will begin to empower our educators, elevate our schools and deliver for our students and parents.”

The governor announced the following appointees:

– Karen Trujillo: Public Education Department Secretary
– Kara Bobroff: Deputy Secretary 
– Tim Hand: Deputy Secretary
– Katarina “Kata” Sandoval: Deputy Secretary
– Gwen Perea Warniment: Deputy Secretary 
– Pedro Noguera: Special Advisor to the Secretary
– Daniel Manzano: Chief of Staff 

Karen Trujillo, Ph.D., has 25 years of experience in education, including nearly a decade in the classroom and 20 years working in professional development. She currently serves as the Interim Associate Dean for Research at the NMSU College of Education, as well as the Research Director for the college’s Alliance for the Advancement of Teaching and Learning. Trujillo has worked in four different districts and charters as well as with educators in over thirty districts across New Mexico. She has taught at the NMSU College of Education as an adjunct professor in addition to overseeing grant research pertaining to educational innovation. She has multiple publications on teaching and education demographics. Trujillo holds a bachelor’s and master’s from New Mexico State University, as well as a doctorate in Curriculum and Instruction from the university.

Kara Bobroff has been working in education for nearly 30 years, from special education teaching to serving as a principal and a director. She currently serves as the Executive Director of the Native American Community Academy Inspired School Network in Albuquerque, which she founded, and has spent 15 years with a focus on Native American education and serving Native communities. She helped to create a network school scorecard to provide a more holistic view of school and student success in order to guide future educational growth and previously served on President Barack Obama’s Advisory Council for Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships. Bobroff holds a bachelor’s in special education, a master’s in special education, and an educational specialist degree from the University of New Mexico. 

Tim Hand, Ph.D., has worked in education for 15 years, both as a teacher and in administration, and, after serving as the deputy director of the New Mexico Legislative Education Study Committee, has most recently been working with Lt. Gov. Morales under his interim leadership of the Public Education Department. He has previously served as the Chief of Staff for Las Cruces Public Schools and as a math and science teacher for first-generation and low-income students. Hand holds a bachelor’s and master’s from New Mexico State University, as well as a doctorate in Educational Leadership from the university. 

Katarina Sandoval has worked in education for more than two decades, including more than 10 years as a classroom teacher. She is currently the Senior Director of Academics and School Performance for the Native American Community Academy, implementing K-12 program development. Sandoval rose through the ranks to serve in administration, primarily with the state’s largest school district, Albuquerque Public Schools, including serving as Chief Academic Officer and Associate Superintendent. She brings experience in bilingual education and currently serves on the board of Dual Language Education of New Mexico. Sandoval holds a bachelor’s from Stanford University and a master’s in education from Harvard University. 

Gwen Perea Warniment, Ph.D., has been working in education for nearly two decades, including bilingual education and teaching at schools across New Mexico in Albuquerque, Santa Fe and Los Alamos. She is currently the K-12 Program Director for the Los Alamos National Laboratory Foundation, where she oversees STEM education initiatives and development, in addition to advocacy and partnerships. Warniment’s work has a particular focus on culturally sustainable STEAM education, innovative assessment, and multiliteracy. She holds a bachelor’s from the University of New Mexico, a master’s in Curriculum and Instruction and Literacy from New Mexico Highlands University and a doctorate in Curriculum and Instruction from New Mexico State University. 

Pedro Noguera is the Distinguished Professor of Education at the Graduate School of Education and Information Studies at UCLA, where he also serves as the Faculty Director for the Center for the Transformation of Schools. He is a sociologist whose scholarship and research focuses on the ways in which schools are influenced by social and economic conditions as well as by demographic trends in local, regional and global contexts. He was previously a classroom teacher in public schools in Providence, R.I., and Oakland, Calif., and continues to work with schools nationally and internationally as a researcher and advisor. He serves on the boards of numerous national and local organizations and appears as a regular commentator on educational issues on national news outlets. He previously served in education leadership positions at New York University and the Harvard Graduate School of Education and as a professor at the University of California, Berkeley. He holds both a bachelor’s and a master’s from Brown University and a doctorate in Sociology from the University of California, Berkeley. 

Daniel Manzano has nearly two decades of experience in operations for state government and public advocacy. Most recently he worked with the New Mexico State Senate and previously worked for Lt. Governor Diane Denish. He has worked in operations for the policy director for the New Mexico Coalition Against Domestic Violence, as well as in the chief of staff role for the Bernalillo County Assessor’s office.