Our Leadership

Teresa Casados brings over 20 years of executive leadership experience and she is one of the most trusted, tenured civil servants in State Government. In her role as Chief Operating Officer for the Office of the Governor, she executed plans, built teams, and took action to realize the goal and vision of the Executive. Her accomplishments include operationalizing the comprehensive state response to COVID-19, which is nationally recognized as one of the most successful in the nation. Ms. Casados mobilized disaster relief for wildfires, pioneered the “Cabinet in Your Community” to increase state agency relationships with constituents, and brought to life the Early Childhood Education and Care Department, the first of its kind. Her tenure in state government began when she was recruited from the private sector to serve in Governor Bill Richardson’s administration and so began her career devoted to removing barriers within bureaucracy ensuring that government best serves its people. She served as Director of Operations and Human Resources and as Deputy Chief of Staff in that administration. Additionally, Ms. Casados served as the Deputy of Workforce Solutions addressing challenges related to unemployment. She worked with Santa Fe County to build and manage programs for seniors. The direct impact of that work and those programs further reinforced her commitment to public service. Born and raised in Santa Fe, Ms. Casados is passionate about the people of New Mexico and inspires the teams she leads.