JUSTIN GREENE News:
SANTA FE — Justin Greene officially announced Friday his plans to run in the Democratic Primary for Santa Fe County Commission District 1.
District 1 includes the tribal sovereign nations of San Ildefonso, Nambe, Pojoaque, Santa Clara and Tesuque, as well as northern Santa Fe County from Chimayo south into the city of Santa Fe.
Greene is the founder of Santa Fe’s only locally-owned, sustainable food delivery service, Dashing Delivery. Over the last 19 years, Greene has worked with more than 50 locally-owned restaurants to help them connect with the community and increase their revenue ensuring more small businesses stay open and employees are retained. His business uses best practices such as an employee model, electric and hybrid vehicles, and partnered relationships with all restaurants.
Over the last decade, Greene has worked to increase economic development opportunities for all Santa Feans by advising and serving on the Legislative Jobs Council, Pueblo of Tesuque Development Company, and Santa Fe Chamber of Commerce Economic Development Committee. Greene was instrumental in the development of the Santa Fe Convention Center, the community-based redevelopment of the Santa Fe Railyard, and the conversion of Camel Rock into a new film studio.
Along with Greene’s ongoing commercial and residential development projects, he is developing a solar-powered restaurant incubator to give Santa Feans the opportunity to start and grow their own businesses.
During his time on the City of Santa Fe Planning Commission, Greene was critical of the City’s lack of long-range planning and affordable housing. Although his work inevitably did lead to some positive changes, Greene recognizes the City and County need real, financially viable affordable housing options.
His plan for ‘strategic housing’ is targeted at solving the critical housing needs of the community by providing small-scale and integrated housing for the civic and public safety workforce.
Justin Greene released the following statement:
“The residents of District 1 are as diverse as the issues our individual communities experience. This has caused previous leaders to play both sides of the fence, rarely equating to economic or social justice in the north. I’ve heard the stories of our youth falling behind because of a lack of reliable and affordable internet while serving on the RediNet Board of Directors.
“As your Commissioner, I will fight for a broadband solution and ensure economic development projects in film, technology innovation, and tech transfer are built-in northern Santa Fe County. I know, there is no excuse for our leaders not having solutions for our housing crisis.
“At a minimum, our police, teachers, nurses, and social workers deserve an affordable living solution and I believe the County can help meet that need by developing small by impactful partnerships that provide affordable housing for these essential workers within our community, reducing the need to long commutes and helping retain these critical personnel. As crime continues to rise and economic unrest grows, it is critical our Sherriff’s department is supported in their efforts and the County increases its efforts to determine what unpaid mandates we’ve put on our officers instead of our mental health services.
“ We’ve neglected our responsibilities at the county to help protect the known cultural properties of our northern tribes, leading to their permanent destruction. We must do better and we must elect better.”
Greene and his wife, Sandra Higaskino-Greene, have lived in Santa Fe for more than 20 years. Greene received his master’s in business administration from the University of New Mexico and his bachelor’s in architecture from Syracuse University. Greene is the co-founder of Warehouse 21, the Santa Fe Teen Arts Center, and an active volunteer for the New Mexico Children’s Foundation, Buckaroo Ball committee that provides funding to local charities serving Santa Fe County youth. Recently, the Greenes led the effort to secure private funding to pay for the design and creation of Ft. Marcy Dog Park, their dog Leo’s new favorite spot.
For more information, visit www.justingreene.com.