OFFICE OF THE DIRECTOR

The Office of the Director formulates division resource development, policy, planning, and administrative and fiscal management.

The Director is appointed by the Cabinet Secretary of the Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department to administer laws and regulations pertaining to hard rock and coal mining, mine registration and safeguarding, and annual industry reporting. The Director serves as the state’s representative on mining issues for EMNRD and, occasionally, for the Governor, and represents New Mexico on the Interstate Mining Compact Commission.

The Director, Deputy Director and OFD staff provide administrative and financial management, and liaison with the legislature on budget and legislative issues.

Anna Aguilera
Division Director

Anna Aguilera was appointed Director of the Mining and Minerals Division (MMD) of the New Mexico Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department (EMNRD) in September 2026. She previously served as EMNRD’s Senior Policy Counsel, a position she was appointed to in August 2025.

Prior to joining EMNRD, Aguilera served as Deputy Associate General Counsel for Policy at the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC), the U.S. government’s development finance institution. In that role, she served as DFC’s chief climate counsel and a subject-matter expert on high-impact energy investments in emerging markets.

Earlier in her career, Aguilera served as Assistant General Counsel at the U.S. Trade and Development Agency, where she specialized in the development and financing of energy projects in Sub-Saharan Africa and served as Co-Lead of the agency’s Climate Team.

Aguilera also spent six years in the electric power practices of Norton Rose Fulbright and Van Ness Feldman and began her legal career at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. Before entering the legal profession, she served as a Junior Professional Associate with the World Bank’s Global Environment Facility.

Aguilera holds degrees from Vermont Law School, Harvard University, and Barnard College.

Drew Roybal-Chavez has served as Deputy Division Director of the New Mexico Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department’s Mining and Minerals Division (MMD) since September 2025. He provides executive leadership for the Division’s strategic operations, financial management, policy development, legislative initiatives, and administrative functions while supporting the Division Director in advancing the Division’s mission. He oversees the Division’s Mining Act Reclamation Program (MARP), Abandoned Mine Lands Program (AMLP), Coal Mine Reclamation Program (CMRP), Mine Registration, Reporting and Safeguarding Program (MRRSP), and Financial Services Section (FSS).

With more than 19 years of executive leadership experience in New Mexico state government, Drew has held senior financial and operational leadership positions, including Chief Financial Officer for the Indian Affairs Department, Budget Director for the Taxation and Revenue Department and the Early Childhood Education and Care Department, and Principal Executive Budget Analyst and Health and Human Services Team Lead for the Department of Finance and Administration. He holds a Bachelor of Business Administration in Management from New Mexico Highlands University and is committed to strengthening responsible resource management, organizational excellence, and collaboration with local, state, federal, Tribal, and industry partners.