Former HR consultant and aspiring filmmaker throws her hat into the mayor’s race   

By Hannah Grover

Alpana Adair has been trying to make a difference in Albuquerque since moving to the area about three years ago. She said she has reached out to city leaders about her concerns regarding crime and homelessness and has not been impressed by the responses she’s received.

“I wasn’t getting the kind of reception I wanted,” Adair said.

She has now thrown her hat into the ring to serve as the city’s next mayor, going up against incumbent Mayor Tim Keller as well as half a dozen other hopefuls.

“I don’t see anybody stepping up to the plate to make a real impact,” she said.

That is one reason why Adair said if she is elected, she would replace city officials. While she said she might not fire them, she said she would want to make sure each department has an “A-team.”

On her website, Adair states “If I can fix struggling businesses, I can fix City Hall.”

Adair built her career working for major companies including as a human resources consultant for a hotel chain and as director of human resources for a major insurance company. That line of work took her to cities throughout the country. She’s lived and worked in Chicago and Los Angeles.

Now Adair lists her employment as CEO of Bindie Productions, an Albuquerque-based film and wedding production company.

She said she was born in India, but her family moved to Washington D.C. when she was five years old and she grew up in the United States.

Adair said her background as someone who hasn’t been in Albuquerque for decades gives her an advantage.

“You absolutely need someone here with a fresh set of eyes,” she said.

Adair said she knows the issues facing the city because “when you’re new to someplace, you do the research.”

“When you’re in a place a really long time, you don’t know what you don’t know,” she said.

Adair said Albuquerque needs a leader with energy, passion and private sector experience.

Adair has three areas she hopes to focus on if elected mayor—crime, job creation and quality of life.
It’s not just the city department heads and Keller that Adair has complaints about. She said she hasn’t been impressed with some of the city councilors, including some she would have to work with if elected. In particular, she mentioned Nicole Rogers.

“Her direction and her ideology are complete opposite of mine,” she said.

Adair explained that she is “focused on merit” while Rogers is “focused on equity.”

When asked how she would work with people like Rogers who have different viewpoints, she said she would have to show them “how a different route might work better.”

In terms of crime, she said the justice system releases offenders too early and there isn’t enough deterrence — such as severe consequences — to keep people from committing crimes in the first place.

Adair wants to start by teaching children as early as elementary school that “it’s noble to be a cop” and by investing in after school programs that give children something to do. She recalled fond memories of attending the YMCA programs.

She said parents also need to be educated and held accountable for their children’ s actions.

When it comes to job creation, Adair said she is very passionate about entrepreneurs and cited her own experience in trying to start her own business. Adair’s plans for job creation include reducing regulations, attracting new investments and supporting small business owners and those trying to start businesses.

She has a big vision for Albuquerque in terms of filmmaking.

“I want to be the short-film capital of the world,” she said.

Her vision for Albuquerque also involves examining “how we can get back to our colonial Spaniard roots.”

She also has concerns about certain sectors of Albuquerque’s economy, including cannabis. 

“I think we’ve let the licenses run rampant,” she said. “We shouldn’t have a dispensary on every corner.”

When it comes to quality of life, she said there should be more streetlights and better upkeep of parks. 

She said she would like to see the fairgrounds in Albuquerque turned into a performance arts center that will host shows like the Cirque du Soleil. 

She said as a well-traveled person who now owns a home in Albuquerque and is invested in the community, she has a lot of experience she can offer.

“I’m taking best practices from other locations,” she said.