The woman who led the Albuquerque Community Safety Department since its inception in 2021 is transitioning to a new role in city government.
Mariela Ruiz-Angel is now the Associate Chief Administrative Officer, the city announced Monday. The position was previously held by Bob White, who retired at the end of last year.
Ava Montoya, a city spokesperson, told City Desk ABQ that the position of ACS director will be posted. She said Jodie Esquibel, the deputy director of field response, is the acting director in the meantime.
Esquibel joined ACS in December 2023. According to a quarterly report from the department, she was previously a paramedic with Rio Rancho and has two decades of experience in that field. She is also a professional athlete who has competed in boxing, MMA and kickboxing.
Ruiz-Angel was appointed as director of Albuquerque Community Safety in April 2021, and the department began taking calls in September of the same year. ACS — a public safety department outside of Albuquerque Fire Rescue and the Albuquerque Police Department — is dispatched to calls regarding homelessness and issues involving mental health and behavioral health.
“In her role leading the third branch of public safety, Ruiz-Angel has worked to ensure the department’s mission of advocating and promoting a citywide culture that values the voices of all residents,” according to a news release announcing Ruiz-Angel’s new job. “Under her leadership, ACS has taken more than 60,000 calls for service. ACS has diverted 5% of 911 calls from police, allowing police to concentrate on crime and allowing ACS to work with those dealing with mental and behavioral health issues.”
As ACAO Ruiz-Angel will oversee the Office of Emergency Management, Albuquerque Community Safety, the Office of Equity and Inclusion, and Health, Housing, and Homelessness.
The city also announced on Monday that Nathan Martinez has been hired as the director of the General Services Department (GSD).
Martinez previously “managed a diverse portfolio of facilities at Sandia National Laboratories as Operations and Engineering Lead, where he partnered with architects, space planners and engineers to maximize facility sustainability,” according to a news release. He also has a history of working for the city and Bernalillo County in supervisory and managerial roles.
“We are very fortunate to have both Mariela and Nathan continuing their work for the City in these new roles,” said Mayor Tim Keller, in the news release. “They will play an important part in making sure both our workforce and our community are supported and provided with the critical services our families need.”