Mayor Tim Keller has appointed Terry Brunner, the director of Albuquerque’s Metropolitan Redevelopment Agency (MRA), as his latest chief of staff — the second since last September.
Brunner has been the MRA director since 2022 and will replace Veronica Martinez. Staci Drangmeister, a spokesperson for the mayor, said Brunner will stay on as director temporarily.
“I’m really excited about the new position,” Brunner said. “I think it’s going to be a challenge. There’s just so much going on in a city of this size.”
Brunner said he thinks the MRA is in a “really good place” with more staff and while it will take some balancing, he is confident he can tackle both positions.
“I’m able now to lighten up my role, in a sense, and devote a little bit more time to this chief of staff role,” he said. “I’ve done it in past positions in government where I’ve had to kind of play two roles, so I’m comfortable in that position.”
According to a news release from the Mayor’s Office, in his new role, Brunner will “oversee the daily operations of the Mayor’s Office, managing various areas such as public affairs, constituent services, communications, intergovernmental relations, strategic initiatives, community engagement and administrative functions.”