Rogelio Rodriguez

Director, Infrastructure Fund

Rogelio initiates and executes projects for the Water Finance Exchange (WFX) in Texas and throughout the United States by engaging with communities and understanding their needs from an infrastructure and financial aspect. Rogelio facilitates federal, state, and philanthropic funding opportunities into a long-term strategy of sustainable financial and operational systems.

Mr. Rodriguez brings a 25-year career in public finance having served hundreds of communities in addressing infrastructure needs and financial planning. He brings a history of credit analysis and financial modeling for utility systems, introducing opportunities for non-public funding and grants.

Heather Himmelberger

Director, Southwest Environmental Finance Center

Heather Himmelberger is the Director of the Southwest Environmental Finance Center, a position she has held for the past 27 years. She has worked with water and wastewater utilities of all sizes, on a variety of issues, including, but not limited to: capacity development, asset management, water loss control, rate setting, regionalization/partnering, access to funding, infrastructure development, and regulatory compliance. She is a registered professional engineer with a BS in Environmental Engineering from Penn State University and an MS in Environmental Engineering from Johns Hopkins University.

Patrick McCarthy

Water Policy Officer - Thornburg Foundation

Patrick McCarthy is the Water Policy Officer at the Thornburg Foundation. Trained as a scientist, he has worked for the last twenty years at the intersection of ecological science, water governance, and community capacity-building. Before joining the Thornburg Foundation, Patrick worked with water managers and community leaders across the U.S. Southwest and in southern Africa on evidence-based solutions for water resources policy, planning, and management. In his work with grantees and partners, Patrick aspires to help create a New Mexico in which healthy watersheds provide clean, abundant, and equitable water to communities and ecosystems. Patrick holds a master’s degree in ecology and a bachelor’s degree in anthropology/zoology and has been awarded fellowships by the Switzer Foundation and the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Christine Griego

Community Programs Director - USDA

Christine Griego joined the USDA Rural Development in February 2015 as their Guaranteed Loan Specialist and served in the position until September 2018. She was promoted into the Community Programs as a Community Program Loan Specialist, then later promoted to the Community Program Director position in June 2022. During the last several years, Christine has enjoyed helping many accomplish the dream of home ownership and communities improve their Community Facilities, Water and Wastewater facility. Christine has previously worked with the Social Security Administration, the State of New Mexico Human Services Department and US New Mexico Federal Credit Union (now known as US Eagle). She received a Master of Business Administration in 2008 and a Bachelor of Business Administration in 2006, both from the University of Phoenix. She is a native of New Mexico and has ties to Albuquerque, Tohatchi and Laguna.

Ramon Lucero, Jr.

Regional Field Manager – RCAC

Ramon Lucero joined RCAC in 2020. He supervises, supports, and coordinates field staff and their activities in Arizona and New Mexico; manages relationships with funders; and conducts outreach to philanthropic partners and state and federal agencies to maintain positive working relationships. His responsibilities include working with the Grants and Contracts Administration (GCA) department and other regional managers to optimize service delivery and program growth and provide quality control and oversight of activities.

Mr. Lucero has more than 20 years of experience managing the funding, planning, design, implementation, and operation and management of water and wastewater system infrastructure improvement projects for municipalities and rural communities in the state of New Mexico.

Rebecca Roose

Consultant

Rebecca Roose (she/her) has over 17 years of experience in water policy and infrastructure and currently provides consulting services to the Thornburg Foundation on water policy initiatives. In 2022, Rebecca served on the Executive Committee of the New Mexico Water Policy and Infrastructure Task Force. As Deputy Cabinet Secretary of Program Administration at the New Mexico Environment Department (2021-2022), Rebecca guided key policy and regulatory priorities, including state and federal public health and environmental initiatives, and served as the Department’s lead on infrastructure investments.
Previously, Rebecca served two years as the Department’s Water Protection Division Director, where she led surface and groundwater quality, drinking water protection, and wastewater infrastructure finance programs for the State. Prior to joining NMED, Rebecca worked for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for over 13 years. At EPA Headquarters, she devoted 11 years to supporting EPA, states, and Tribes with implementation of the Clean Water Act and other federal programs. During her last two years at EPA, she served as Senior Advisor for Tribal Capacity Development in the American Indian Environmental Office. Rebecca earned her law degree and natural resources law certificate from the University of New Mexico and her bachelor’s degree in Geography from Valparaiso University.

Melanie Delgado

Regional Resiliency Team Lead – New Mexico Environment Department

Melanie Delgado has worked for the NM Environment Department for over 23 years. Melanie currently works for the Drinking Water Bureau as the Regional Resiliency Team Lead. In her time at the Bureau, she has worked providing managerial and financial assistance and training to public water systems. She has facilitated discussion and work activities in regions to find ways to collaborate. She has been successful in helping systems find ways to work together, from collaborating to obtain funding to regional planning and she has assisted in the merging of three water systems. She is a graduate from NM State University with a degree in Agronomy.