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Community Relations Office director named
Joe Salgado, deputy Laboratory director for business administration and outreach, announced Monday that Christina Armijo has been selected as the new director of the Lab's Community Relations Office (CRO).
Armijo joined the Laboratory in 1990 and has worked as a manager in several versions of the Lab's community outreach organizations. She currently heads the University of California's Northern New Mexico office.
"We had a number of very well qualified applicants for this position, and the process of evaluation and selection was painstakingly thorough. I express my appreciation both to the people who cared enough to apply for the position and to the people who served on the screening committees and advised me during the selection process," Salgado said.
CRO has lead responsibility for overseeing and strengthening the Laboratory's relations and interactions with Northern New Mexico communities and pueblos.
"The CRO director and her staff assure timely two-way communication between the Laboratory and Northern New Mexico interests," Salgado said. "CRO essentially advocates within the Laboratory for continued attention and response to regional issues. Christina will be a key player in the Laboratory's planning and communications efforts and, ultimately, our overall success in meeting community and tribal expectations in the areas of sustained economic development, environmental protection, and the health and safety of the public."
"This is a critical time for the Lab to demonstrate it can be a more effective partner with the citizens of Northern New Mexico," Armijo said. "I am excited to have the opportunity to contribute significantly to that effort and fully believe that with the committed staff at CRO and the strong support of BAO and others across the Lab we have the necessary perspective, talent and will to make this a tremendous success."
When Armijo began work at the Laboratory in 1990 she helped establish the Working Group to Address Los Alamos Community Health Concerns, a Lab-community effort to investigate and resolve concerns about a possible increase in brain tumors in the Los Alamos community.
Before joining the Lab she spent 14 years with the Department of Energy in various positions and developed the first communication program for the Waste Isolation Pilot Project early in its history. While working at DOE's Albuquerque Operations Office she earned her bachelor's degree in business administration from the University of Albuquerque. From 1987 to 1990 she was an assistant press secretary at DOE Headquarters working for Defense Programs and later for Environmental Restoration and Waste Management.
In 1996 Armijo was selected to establish the University of California's new Northern New Mexico office. As the leader of UC's regional office, Armijo counts among her successes bringing UC into a more collaborative relationship with the communities of the region and helping find ways to apply UC expertise in areas such as economic diversification, education and quality of life. Working with UC Davis, for example, Armijo brokered development of a geographical information system-based modeling program that can be used in land use planning. The model has been presented to Española officials and also is intended for possible use by Rio Arriba County planners.
A fifth-generation New Mexican, Armijo traces her roots back to ancestors who homesteaded near Las Palomas in southern New Mexico. She was born and raised in Albuquerque's South Valley and has been a Santa Fe resident since 1990.
Outside of work Armijo stays busy in a variety of community and charitable activities, including AIDS awareness and care programs, and economic and professional development efforts. She currently serves on the Tri-Area Association for Economic Development Board, works with the Brothers of the Good Shepherd on homeless support and is a member of the Mexican-American Engineering Society.
The Community Relations Office is part of a newly formed division -- Laboratory Communications and External Relations -- within the BAO directorate, but Salgado emphasized he will continue to work closely and directly with the CRO director. A national search is underway for a director for the new division, which also includes the Public Affairs and Government Relations offices.
"I also want to take this opportunity to acknowledge the tremendous job Johnnie Martinez has done as acting CRO director during this interim period," Salgado said. "I and the other senior leaders of the Lab have relied on his good insight and judgement, and I'm pleased that he will assist CRO with the transition to the new leadership."
Martinez will return to his job as deputy group leader of Imaging Services (CIC-9) when the transition is completed.
--John R. Gustafson
Arroyo Chamiso and BCBS New Mexico reach agreement
Laboratory employees enrolled with BlueCross BlueShield of New Mexico whose children use Arroyo Chamiso Pediatric Center in Santa Fe received a letter dated Jan. 13 from Arroyo Chamiso regarding the renegotiation of the Arroyo Chamiso contract with BCBS. The letter stated that no agreement had been reached between the parties, and Arroyo Chamiso users would have to find new primary care physicians, outside of Arroyo Chamiso. As of Friday, there is an agreement.
According to representatives of Blue Cross, BCBS and Arroyo Chamiso signed a contract last Friday afternoon. This means that employees who use Arroyo Chamiso will be able to continue to do so, and be covered by BCBS.
Employees with further questions should contact BCBS at 1-800-711-3795 or Arroyo Chamiso at 982-9844.
--David Lyons
Laboratory Fellows Prize 2000 recipient
to give colloquium Thursday
Victor Klimov, recipient of the Laboratory Fellows Prize 2000
for outstanding research in science, will give a Director's Colloquium
at 11 a.m. Thursday in the Physics Building Auditorium at Technical
Area 3.
Klimov of Chemical Reactions, Kinetics and Dynamics (CST-6) will speak about "Femtosecond interactions in a world of Nanometer Dimensions." The talk will be broadcast on LABNET and is open to Laboratory employees and subcontract personnel.
For more information, see the Jan. 21 Newsbulletin.
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