Governor Richardson created this office to oversee New Mexico's implementation of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, signed into law this year by President Obama. I am excited the Governor has called upon me to lead this effort, and for assembling an outstanding team of talented public servants to work with me.

The Office is charged with ensuring that stimulus funds spur economic activity, create and retain jobs, and promote long-term economic prosperity. We are working closely with Governor Richardson's staff and his Competitive Grant Assistance Team to conduct outreach meetings throughout the state to highlight the non-discretionary funds that are coming to communities and to provide information on competitive grant opportunities.

New Mexico was one of only a few states with shovel-ready transportation projects when the stimulus package was first announced, allowing us to move forward quickly on the projects that were selected to receive funding.

The office is also focusing on compliance with federal requirements through efforts such as agency guidance directives, a compliance matrix and dedicated audit and compliance staff.

It's important to note that the majority of recovery act funding is non-discretionary and is being allocated through existing programs and services. Unfortunately we are not able to just submit laundry lists of projects or simply wait for the federal government to drop off a truckload of money. One of our top priorities is to inform the public about the formula funding that New Mexico has been allocated, and to educate state, local, and community leaders about the opportunities the act provides for additional funding through competitive grants.

This website contains the latest information on the federal funding flowing to and through state agencies, any competitive grant applications the agencies have submitted, and applicable supporting documents. It also contains important links to federal government websites charged with allocating recovery funding.

I look forward to joining with you as we move forward to achieve Governor Richardson's directive to ensure our state receives all possible recovery funds and puts that money to good use creating jobs and opportunities, building and improving our infrastructure, and boosting our economy.