L. Teresa Padilla
State Personnel Office News:
SANTA FE – State Personnel Office (SPO) Director L. Teresa Padilla announced her retirement after more than 20 years with the state and nearly 40 years in public service.
Padilla joined SPO as the Deputy Director in September 2021. She was named Director of SPO in September 2022.
“Director Padilla ushered the state through a monumental and safe transition back to in-person work following the COVID-19 pandemic,” Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham said. “While leading the State Personnel Office, she created a strong infrastructure that will serve state employees for decades. I want to wish Teresa a well-deserved retirement and thank her for her service to the State of New Mexico.”
“I am eternally grateful to Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham for the opportunity to be the State Personnel Director,” Director Padilla said. “The work has been rewarding and the ultimate achievement in my career. I have been fortunate to have worked alongside some of the most talented people I have ever met, who are committed to bettering everyday New Mexicans’ lives. One of the greatest benefits of working for the State of New Mexico is the amazing defined pension retirement plan. After 40 years of public service, I am happy to retire at the end of August and look forward to spending more time with my family and friends.”
During her tenure, Padilla created more collaborative partnerships with State agencies to meet their unique recruitment and retention challenges, including creating competitive job classifications and salary structures, and improving processes.
Before joining SPO, Padilla worked at the New Mexico Department of Health (NMDOH). She started at NMDOH in 2001 as a payroll administrator and became the Human Resources Director in 2011. Her time in public service began in 1985 when she worked at the Santa Fe County Detention Center for 16 years and was Director of Human Resources for two 24/7 Detention Centers in Santa Fe and Los Lunas.
SPO General Counsel Dylan Lange will serve as Interim Director of SPO. Lange has more than 10 years of experience in state government, defending, advocating, and managing complex civil litigation cases for state agencies, boards and commissions. He has concrete experience advising on and drafting state agency rules, statutes, and workplace policies and heads a team that provides strategic consultation on Human Resource issues for the state.
Padilla’s last day in the office is Thursday, Aug. 31.