Emily Wilson
NMDCA News:
SANTA FE — A step up the ladder for NM Department of Cultural Affairs employees who bring their education and talents to a pair of New Mexico Historic Sites. Emily Wilson and Wendi Laws, who already had positions with Historic Sites, have new roles serving New Mexicans.
Emily was promoted to Regional Site Manager for Taylor-Mesilla and Fort Selden Historic Sites in southern New Mexico in December of 2024. She had served as Instructional Coordinator Supervisor at Fort Selden, so she is very familiar with the Sites.
Emily is originally from Cincinnati, Ohio, where she graduated from Ohio University in May of 2022 with a BA in Anthropology-Cultural focus, along with minors in Classical Civilizations, World Religions, and Sociolinguistics. Additionally, she earned certificates in Islamic Studies and Museum Studies. Since graduating, she has interned at Ohio History Connection and the Cincinnati Museum Center. Wilson also worked as a Content Specialist at the online auction house Everything but the House. Before joining the NM Department of Cultural Affairs, she served as the Curator and Director of the Pueblo Heritage Museum in Pueblo, CO.
“I am overjoyed to play a larger role in the southern region of New Mexico Historic Sites,” Emily said. “From preservation efforts to community outreach and reopening the Taylor-Mesilla home to the public, there will be no shortage of excitement. I look forward to each day in my new position.”
Wendi Laws
Since November of 2024, Wendi Laws has directed operations and planning as Regional Site Manager for the Coronado and Jemez Historic Sites. Wendi transferred from the southern Sites, where she was the Regional Site Manager for Taylor-Mesilla and Fort Selden Historic Sites.
Wendi Laws was born in New Mexico and attended Texas Tech University, where she graduated with a BA in English Literature and Education. After many years of teaching, she also obtained a BA in Anthropology from Texas State University and then graduated with an MA in Museum Studies from the University of Oklahoma. Laws launched her career working for park systems in Texas, where she served for more than 10 years as an interpretive ranger. Those parks were also home to historic sites where she researched, presented programs, and designed exhibits to highlight the history of the locations. After serving as site manager for two historic house museums in Austin, she returned to New Mexico to continue her career at historic sites. “I am looking forward to working with staff at Jemez and Coronado Historic Sites and to continuing to forge bonds with our community and developing visionary programs, events, and exhibitions so that we can continue to tell the stories of New Mexico and provide a place for visitors to learn and grow,” Wendi said.
“We are fortunate to have both Emily and Wendi working at our Sites,” said New Mexico Historic Sites Deputy Director Matt Barbour. “They not only have the education and experience to build on what we have already established at the locations, but they also have the determination to help New Mexico residents and out of state visitors understand the full impact of what they mean to the state’s history and culture.”
About New Mexico Historic Sites
New Mexico Historic Sites is a division of the Department of Cultural Affairs, under the leadership of the Board of Regents for the Museum of New Mexico. Programs and exhibits are generously supported by the Museum of New Mexico Foundation and its donors. The New Mexico Historic Sites system was established in 1931 by an Act for the Preservation of the Scientific Resources of New Mexico. The eight Historic Sites include Bosque Redondo Memorial at Fort Sumner, Coronado, Fort Selden, Fort Stanton, Jemez, Lincoln, Los Luceros, and Taylor-Mesilla. Learn more at nmhistoricsites.org.