| About Billy |
| A third generation New Mexican, Billy Garrett values the history and beauty of the Mesilla Valley, respects the diversity of the people who live here, and has the real world experience that’s needed on the County Commission.
Billy grew up in Las Cruces and graduated from Las Cruces High School. He attended New Mexico State and Arizona State Universities before beginning a 26-year career with the National Park Service as an architect and manager. Billy has worked at Grand Canyon, on Civil War battlefields and in the nation’s capital. As the Chief of Architecture for the Denver Service Center, he oversaw design and construction of projects in national parks throughout the country. Billy was also one of the primary authors of agency guidelines for management of cultural resources. From 1998 to 2009 he served as a senior manager at Gateway National Recreation Area, a 26,000-acre national park in the New York metropolitan area. As chief of park operations, he directed the work of 300 employees and was responsible for annual budgets of more than $30 million. “No matter where my career took me, I always knew that southern New Mexico was home,” he said. “Working in national parks deepened my appreciation for our area, while giving me the skills and perspective to address complex issues in effective ways.” Billy is deeply committed to making Dona Aña County the best possible place to live. “As your County Commissioner I will approach every decision as an opportunity to support our communities and those who live here. My understanding of this area and experience with large-scale budgets, planning, and infrastructure development will help improve our future. People deserve effective, responsive government at the county level.” Among Billy’s top priorities are efficient delivery of county services, public involvement in decision-making, and program accountability. He is committed to inter-governmental coordination and comprehensive planning to support local communities faced with limited resources and rapid growth. Billy is the son of Edgar and Nancy Garrett, long-time educators in Las Cruces. His wife, Cynthia Garrett, also worked for the Park Service, where she was in charge of the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. He is on the Board of Directors of Mesilla Valley Preservation and played a major role in organizing the Mesilla West Mesa Task Force—a land-use planning group of area residents. |
   
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