SANTA FE – Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham on Wednesday announced the appointment Hannah Riseley-White to lead the Interstate Stream Commission (ISC).

“Planning our water future has never been more important than it is today,” said Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham. “Director Riseley-White brings experience and perspective to the office that will prove crucial to protecting our waters for future cultural, recreational, and economic use.”

Riseley-White started at the Interstate Stream Commission in 2014 in the Pecos Bureau and was later selected to lead that bureau from 2017 to 2020. She served as the Deputy Director of the ISC since 2020. She holds a bachelor’s degree in politics from New York University and a master’s degree in water resources management from the Bren School of Environmental Science & Management at University of California at Santa Barbara.

“I have every confidence that Director Riseley-White’s expertise in water management will serve all New Mexicans as our agency continues to tackle water challenges in the face of a changing climate,” said State Engineer Mike Hamman. “Her extensive knowledge of the state’s water resources as well as the administrative mechanisms and executive and legislative operations so critical to effective management are key to protecting our water resources for future generations.”

The ISC has broad powers to investigate, protect, conserve, and develop New Mexico’s waters including both interstate and intrastate stream systems. The eight unsalaried members of the Commission are appointed by the Governor. The ninth member is the State Engineer who under state law is the secretary of the Commission. The director serves as the Assistant State Engineer.

The Commission’s authority under state law includes negotiating with other states to settle interstate stream disputes. New Mexico part of a group of eight interstate stream basins. To ensure basin compliance, ISC staff analyze, review and implement projects in New Mexico and analyze streamflow, reservoir, and other data on the stream systems. It is also authorized by statute to develop the water supplies of the state and institute legal proceedings in the name of the state for planning, conservation, protection and development of public waters.

Riseley-White replaces Rolf Schmidt-Petersen, who retired on April 28.