Meet and Greet for Ray Powell for Commissioner of Public Lands, New Mexico

Saturday, October 11, 2014

I rushed from my Red Hat event to pick up my husband, Doug, and head up the mountain to High Rolls, New Mexico to attend a Meet and Greet for Commissioner of Public Lands Ray Powell. This was held in the delightful mountain home of Dayna and Charles Bisbee. One really needs to know where they are going to find this lovely hideaway. We were happily greeted by their German Shepherd, Buddy.

Ray was there visiting with everyone individually before speaking to the group. He is a very unassuming man with eyes that twinkle and a ready smile. After hearing this man speak, I'm sure everyone in attendance was well aware of the steely determination and passion, behind those eyes and that gentle smile, that Ray has for this great state of New Mexico and the care of its land. He explained so much that we weren't aware of (Doug and I, being newcomers) regarding the trust and integrity needed to maintain the lands properly and to oversee that the funds in the millions of dollars therein produced get to the proper entities.

He also talked about how the Constitution of the State of New Mexico gave a massive amount of power to the position of Commissioner of Public Lands and how the wrong person could undermine the trust given them to do the right thing and basically make themselves rich before anyone else was the wiser. Ray had been Commissioner of Public Lands for eight years when his term ran out. He was happy to go back to the normal life with his wife. However, he stayed alert to what was going on around the state and when it became apparent to him that this position was being badly mishandled four years ago, he got back in the fight.

He can serve four more years before he must step aside again. We need to vote Ray Powell in for another four years. Hopefully, by that time someone will show up on the horizon who is deserving of this position.  We received quite a history lesson about the Statehood and Constitution of the State of New Mexico as Ray talked and we are extremely happy that we took the time to go meet him.

Thank you Dayna and Charles for inviting people into your lovely home to meet Ray Powell.

Ray Powell in deep discussion with Karen Hutchison

U/K gentleman on left. Right is Charles Bisbee

Ray talking with Carla Kerr

The Tularosa Basin can be seen all the way to the other side from the Bisbee veranda

Nadia Sikes talking with Mike Espiritu

Nadia and her husband, Aaron

Random group shot. People still arriving

Center: Ray Powell talking with Chris Jones, Linda Barker and Ellen Wedum

Carla must be making a point about something!

Ray Powell speaking to the group

Karen and Steve Haydu

Ray Powell

Linda Barker asking questions

Our hostess, Dayna with neighbor Peggy Holland

Ray listening as Nadia expounds on something

Chris Jones asking for clarification

Host Charles Bisbee talking with Ellen Wedum

L to R: Ray, Chris, Steve Brockett, Linda

Thanks to Douglas A. Kerr, Photography for taking pictures of this event.