Board of Directors

Position No. 2 – Bernalillo County | Chairman John P. Kelly | Term 2023-2027

713 Camino Espanol NW, Albuquerque, NM | Ph. (505) 362-1270 | jpkelly@mrgcd.us

During his 8 year tenure at the MRGCD, Director Kelly has brought a better balance between the urban and rural interests, the agriculture community and environmental interests; as well as focusing on long term facility rehab and drought resiliency.

Prior to retiring in 2010, Mr. Kelly was Executive Engineer for the Albuquerque Metropolitan Arroyo Flood Control Authority (“AMAFCA”).  Prior to AMAFCA, Mr. Kelly managed the City’s Storm Drainage Maintenance program.  Mr. Kelly is well known for incorporating aesthetics, multiple-use, and storm water quality features into the flood control projects he worked on.  He was recognized as Engineer of the Year by the NM Society of Professional Engineers in 2014.

Mr. Kelly is married to Susan Kelly, a respected water attorney and planner in Albuquerque.  They have two children; Molly and Emma, both heading toward careers in the law and water science fields.

Position No. 4 – Bernalillo County | Vice Chair Colin T. Baugh | Term 2025-2029

3017 Camilo Ln, Albuquerque, NM 87104 | (505) 301-4419 | cbaugh@mrgcd.us

Director Baugh grew up in Albuquerque’s North Valley where he and his wife are raising their family today. A graduate of Valley High School and UNM School of Medicine in Occupational Therapy, Colin is full-time school-based occupational therapist.  Growing up, Colin spent more time on the ditch bank than he did anywhere else. His lifelong experiences in and around the waterway systems of his hometown have created a passion for local agriculture and deep understanding for what makes the Rio Grande Valley unique.

Colin helped form Acequia de Los Alamos de Los Gallegos, one of the first re-established acequia associations in the North Valley in 2008. Ever since, Colin has been a leader in the valley’s ongoing efforts to infuse more effective sustainability practices into local farming, orchard production, and overall water use. He helped create the first Acequia Association in the Los Duranes neighborhood of Albuquerque, and he was elected mayordomo of the Pierce Lateral Acequia Association in 2019.

Position No. 1  At Large | Director Stephanie Russo Baca | Term 2023-2027

1055 Miller Rd, Los Lunas, NM | Ph. (505) 916-8681 | russobaca@mrgcd.us

Director Russo Baca comes from a family with a long and proud tradition of living close to the land. She and her husband own a small plot of land in Los Chavez, raise livestock, and their kids are in 4-H. During the growing season they help family farm hay. Stephanie and her husband also own Caballero Crafters, a small custom leather and beadwork business. In their spare time you might also find them riding their mules and donkeys along the ditches. Stephanie has a degree in Ag and is the Staff Attorney and Program Director of the Joe M Stell Ombudsman Program housed at the UNM School of Law.

Position No. 5 – Valencia County | Director Brian Jiron | Term 2023 – 2027

11 Tribal Rd 5, Bosque Farms, NM | Ph. (505) 553-2387 | bjiron@mrgcd.us

Director Jiron comes from a long line of farmers. He is a Pueblo of Isleta Tribal member and full-time farmer. He worked for the Pueblo of Isleta Natural Resource Department for 10 years, in the Range and Irrigation Department. He has farmed alfalfa, oats, sudan and winter wheat and raised cattle all his life.

Position No. 6 – Socorro County | Director J. Chris Lopez | Term 2025-2029

475 Farm to Market Rd, Socorro, NM 87801 | Ph. (575) 835-8481 | jchris.lopez@mrgcd.us

Director Lopez is a third-generation farmer in Socorro County, where he helps manage more than 700 acres of farmland. After 25 years with New Mexico Tech’s Energetic Materials Research and Testing Center (EMRTC), he retired in 2009 and has since continued serving his community through leadership roles, including vice chairman of the Socorro Soil and Water Conservation District and board member of the Socorro Farm Bureau. Drawing on his deep roots in agriculture, Chris works to balance the needs of farmers, communities, and the environment while protecting the region’s resources for future generations. 

 He and his wife, Monette, are proud parents of three daughters and grandparents to nine grandchildren. His greatest joy is teaching the fourth and fifth generations of his family to continue their farming legacy.

Position No. 7 – Sandoval County | Director Michael T. Sandoval | Term 2025-2029

PO Box 612, Algodones, NM | Ph. (505) 331-2067 | msandoval@mrgcd.us

Director Sandoval is a former governor and Lt Governor of San Felipe Pueblo (2003, 2007, and 2016). He’s a lifetime Tribal Council Member for the Pueblo of San Felipe and the pueblo’s water resources specialist since 2006. He’s worked as a Civil Engineering Technician on water rights and irrigation infrastructure with the Bureau of Indian Affairs from 1978 – 2006. He comes from a family of farmers and has experience as a traditional farmer himself.