9-02-2023 11:32am

Gov. Bill Richardson Dead at 75, Contributions to Alamogordo

Chris Edwards Editor

Just a week after the announcement of nomination for the Nobel Prize for Peace former New Mexico Governor and Ambassador to the United Nations, Bill Richardson, has died. He was 75-years-old.The Richardson Center for Global Engagement says he died in his sleep at his summer home in Chatham, MA.

In Alamogordo, Richardson influence is credited with saving Holloman Middle School, the expansion of Hwy 54 and securing the funding for the relief route or bypass.

Mickey Bergman, Vice President of the Richardson Center, commented in a statement, “Governor Richardson passed away peacefully in his sleep last night. He lived his entire life in the service of others — including both his time in government and his subsequent career helping to free people held hostage or wrongfully detained abroad," Bergman said.

Locally, Richardsons impact on Alamogordo is felt concerning his commitment to keep the Holloman mission alive and growing with a special focus to the engagement with the local school system.

In 2009 and 2010 the Alamogordo Public Schools were in a financial crises and there was consideration at the time in closing Holloman Middle School. Richardson knew that would be a fatal blow to the community connection to Holloman. The closing of Holloman’s schools would have deep repercussions and would have forced the military to reconsider any further expansions of missions at Holloman

Under orders from Governor Richardson, the state stepped in to save Holloman Middle School from closure in 2010.

Governor Bill Richardson and Education Secretary Veronica C. García announced on July 15th 2009, their support to keep two Alamogordo schools open: Holloman Middle School and High Rolls Elementary School.

"Both of these schools are vital to the Alamogordo community and I am committed to making sure their doors are kept open," Governor Richardson said. "It is critically important as Holloman prepares for its newly announced missions that we work to preserve the educational opportunities on the Air Force Base and in the surrounding community."

Governor Richardson has directed Secretary García and the Public Education Department (PED) to work with the district and the schools to review financial audits expected in January 2010. The PED will thoroughly assess the audits and determine if the district has the financial capacity to keep both schools open. If the PED determines the district does not, Governor Richardson will make emergency funding available.

"School closings are always a last resort. I understand the impact to the communities and the need to ensure fiscal responsibility. We'll do everything we can to support the students and the community,"

Highways and Economic Development for Otero County muscled through by Richardson.

In addition to saving the school at Holloman and High Rolls by ensuring the fiscal resources were available to Alamogordo he also championed economic growth via the widening of Highway 54 connecting El Paso to Alamogordo. As US Secretary of Transportation at the time; Richardson understood this Highway would become a critical artery for commerce and connection to El Paso and southern New Mexico especially Alamogordo and the military bases plus Las Cruces was critical to economic growth decades into the future.

Per Richardson federal funding was a must for the expansion of US 54 which enters New Mexico from the outskirts of El Paso, Texas and serves as a military highway to connect Fort Bliss in El Paso to Holloman Air Force Base in Alamogordo, New Mexico. Because U.S. 54 was first built as a two lane highway, increased traffic volumes between El Paso, TX and Alamogordo, NM raised concerns about safety and access.” As such be directed millions of dollars to highway improvements to Hwy 54 and to the relief route

Highway 54 originally bisected the Alamogordo, New Mexico causing severe congestion along the downtown section of White Sands Boulevard where a large number of businesses used to be located. To address pedestrian safety and redirect pass through traffic. With championing of Federal funding the relief route bypass was constructed to the West side of town, which has attracted a number of businesses to its location. Overall, the relief route bypass is credited with bringing many new jobs to the city of Alamogordo, NM. Without the muscle of Richardson to champion that funding through the relief route would never have been built and the development that exists today of hotels, a new truck stop, the family center bowling alley, move or theater and the Mesa Verde developments never would have happened.

Energy efficiency and the environment were a concern of Richardson’s as was the campus of New Mexico State University Alamogordo. Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED), is a program of the US Green Building Council (USGBC). In 2006, New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson passed Executive Order 2006-001 that states that all new state buildings and remodels over 15,000 square feet will be built to LEED Silver certification or above. At the time it was redefining the way we think about the places where we live, work and learn. LEED provides building owners and facilities managers with a framework for identifying and implementing practical and measurable green building design, construction, operations and maintenance solutions. Under his leadership again in securing funding and championing environmentally sustainable building standards two campus buildings in Alamogordo are certified Gold per Leeds Standards; the Advanced Technology Center (Gold) Health Sciences Center, Alamogordo DACC (Gold).

While many critics of Richardson have raised questions of his spending, ethics and political acumen.

The fact remains his impact locally is that of the economic survival of Alamogordo. If the Holloman Middle School had closed the military commitment to Alamogordo would have been placed into jeopardy. Good accessibility to schools is a key to the military commitment; Holloman Middle School is crucial to that commitment. The expansion of Hwy 54 was critical to Alamogordo jobs growth. Without that expansion and the bypass the city would have had further decline. Almost every new job and business development is the result of the bypass funding. Job growth is not in the city core but in development of the bypass and it never would have happened without the Federal Funding Richardson championed.

Richardson was nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize last month in recognition of his work saving Americans, most recently WNBA player Brittney Griner.

Over the last three decades, Richardson traveled the world negotiating and securing the release of American prisoners and hostages in Bangladesh, North Korea, Sudan, Colombia, and Iraq. The nonprofit organization the Richardson Center was created to support the former governor in facilitating dialogue and global peace between countries with strained diplomatic relations.

Richards age 75, a man of contradictions and controversy made a positive impact on Alamogordo and the world.