WINDOW ROCK – Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez and Vice President Myron Lizer congratulate Lynn Trujillo for being confirmed by the New Mexico State Senate to serve as the Secretary of the New Mexico Indian Affairs Department.

Trujillo was appointed by New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham Jan. 22, which was then subject to confirmation by the Senate Rules Committee and the full Senate.

The New Mexico Senate voted 30-0 to confirm Trujillo Feb. 20, during the first session of the 54th New Mexico State Legislature.

“The Navajo Nation congratulates Secretary Trujillo and we look forward to working with her to advance the priorities of the Navajo Nation, which includes securing a fair distribution of federal Impact Aid funds for Navajo students, capital outlay funds, TIF dollars, and gaming issues,” Nez said.

Trujillo is a member of the Sandia Pueblo, where she previously served as the General Counsel. She was also a coordinator with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s rural development program where she worked with many Native American tribes across the country. She is a graduate of the University of New Mexico School of Law.

“In terms of economic development, the Navajo Nation has great potential for projects such as the glove manufacturing facility in Church Rock in which we were able to partner with the state of New Mexico to move the project forward,” Lizer said. “We have opportunities that we can advance with the help of Secretary Trujillo and Governor Lujan Grisham.”

According to the New Mexico Indian Affairs Department, the department is tasked with implementing groundbreaking state-tribal policies intended to improve the quality of life for the state’s Indian citizens.

IAD’s policy initiatives are designed to strengthen tribal and state relations and address the challenges we face in our communities; challenges such as economic development, infrastructure improvement, the protection of our cultures and languages, health care accessibility, and educational opportunities for our most precious resource, our children.

Staff Reports