2025 Literacy Convening
We are excited to announce the 2025 Literacy Convening at Buffalo Thunder Resort on June 12-13, 2025. The New Mexico Public Education Department (NMPED) invites you to the 2025 Literacy and Humanities Bureau Summer Literacy Convening. This convening will host local presenters, leading national experts, and educators and administrators from across the state. This convening will include keynote sessions, panel discussions, workshops, and activities aimed at reigniting teachers' passion for literacy and humanities instruction. This event will serve as a platform for all attendees to reconnect with the core purpose of their profession and to renew their commitment to fostering literacy development in their students.
SPECIAL GUESTS
Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham
Michelle Lujan Grisham is the thirty-second governor of the state of New Mexico, the first Democratic Latina to be elected governor in U.S. history.
As governor, Lujan Grisham has implemented a series of evidence-based policies aimed at transforming New Mexico’s public education system, expanding the state’s economy to include more high-quality employment opportunities and preserving New Mexico’s air, land and water. In 2019, she oversaw one of the most productive legislative sessions in state history, signing a broad package of bipartisan bills into law, notably a historic investment in public education and a landmark transition to clean energy.
A longtime state Cabinet secretary at both the New Mexico Department of Aging and Long-term Services and Department of Health, Lujan Grisham has been a leading advocate for senior citizens, veterans and the disabled as well as investments in health care infrastructure and innovative programming that has improved access and quality of care for New Mexicans across the state.
She was elected to the U.S. Congress in 2011, serving three terms in Washington on behalf of New Mexico’s 1st Congressional District. As a member of Congress, she worked aggressively to support local tribes, equal pay for women, public schools, public lands and veterans’ health care; she also advocated strongly for saving and creating clean New Mexico jobs. As chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, she became a vocal, national leader in the battle against reactionary federal anti-immigrant policies.
Driven by a deep compassion for seniors and those living with disabilities, and with experience as a caregiver herself, Lujan Grisham introduced and led the push for Care Corps, an innovative caregiving initiative that places volunteers in communities to provide non-medical services to seniors and individuals with disabilities. With this support, people can continue to live independently in their homes and communities.
Lujan Grisham was born in Los Alamos and graduated from St. Michael’s High School in Santa Fe before earning undergraduate and law degrees from the University of New Mexico. A 12th-generation New Mexican, she is the mother of two adult children and grandmother of three.
Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver
Maggie Toulouse OIiver has called New Mexico home since the age of 3 and is New Mexico’s 26th Secretary of State. She has served the people of New Mexico in this role since first being elected in 2016.
She was first appointed to public office in 2007 when she became County Clerk in New Mexico’s largest county, Bernalillo County. Elected to her first full term in 2008, Secretary Toulouse Oliver served 2 1/2 terms as County Clerk until she was elected as Secretary of State in 2016. Overseeing elections in the state’s largest county gave Secretary Toulouse Oliver detailed, on-the-ground expertise in election administration that has helped to guide her current work overseeing elections statewide.
Secretary Toulouse Oliver has been involved in politics and public policy for over two decades and has made public service the focus of her career. Her work has focused on increasing voter access, running efficient, secure, and fair elections, and bringing more transparency and increased ethical standards to government.
Secretary Toulouse Oliver worked her way through college and graduate school. While earning her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Political Science from the University of New Mexico, Secretary Toulouse Oliver worked for U.S. Senator Jeff Bingaman in his DC Office and on his re-election campaign in 2000. She also gained activism and organizing experience working with Native American tribes in New Mexico, fighting for reproductive justice, and protecting the Environment as the NM State Director for the League of Conservation Voters.
Since becoming Secretary of State she has implemented increased transparency rules for financial disclosure and campaign finance reporting, modernized the online campaign finance system, helped craft and pass good government legislation like same-day voter registration, automated voter registration, and the state’s newly-formed Ethics Commission.
In addition to her elected position, Secretary Toulouse Oliver is the immediate Past President of the National Association of Secretaries of State (NASS), and has previously served NASS as President, President-Elect, Treasurer, and chair of the elections committee. She serves as a board member of New Mexico’s Public Employees Retirement Association (PERA), the New Mexico Martin Luther King, Jr. Commission, and the state Commission on Records and Archives. She is currently a member of the University of Southern California Annenberg Center’s Voter Communication task force, and an advisory board member for the Election Official Legal Defense Network co-founded by national election law experts Benjamin Ginsburg and Bob Bauer. She is also a Ph.D. Student in Political Science at the University of New Mexico and is a W.K. Kellogg Foundation Community Leadership Network Fellowship alumna. Most importantly, she is the proud mother of two sons, Christian and Max.
Secretary of Public Education Mariana D. Padilla
Mariana D. Padilla was named Cabinet Secretary designee for the New Mexico Public Education Department in September 2024, and was confirmed by the Senate in March 2025.
Padilla has served as the Director of the New Mexico Children’s Cabinet since the start of the administration, leading the Governor’s child and family well-being agenda. She also serves as the Governor’s senior education policy advisor, overseeing early childhood, K-12, and higher education. In this role, Padilla has shaped program, policy, and budget priorities and worked across state agencies to implement key initiatives and system-wide improvements. Her accomplishments include establishing the New Mexico Early Childhood Education and Care Department, launching a statewide literacy initiative, and driving the Governor’s Cradle to Career education agenda, which supports students from birth through college and career readiness.
An Albuquerque native, Padilla attended Albuquerque Public Schools with her three siblings. After graduating from the University of New Mexico, Padilla followed in her parents’ footsteps and taught elementary education. She has since dedicated her career to education and public service, serving the communities and families of our state.
As a parent of grade school students, Padilla understands the urgency of delivering for our kids.
Senator Mimi Stewart - (D) - President Pro Tempore
Mimi Stewart is member of the New Mexico State Senate, representing District 17 since 2015. Stewart worked as a special education teacher in the Albuquerque Public Schools where she taught for several years before entering politics .
Stewart was elected President Pro Tempore of the New Mexico Senate in January 2021, a leadership position she holds as of 2025 . She has been recognized for her legislative effectiveness, having passed over 170 bills into law since 1996 .
A staunch advocate for education, in 2025, she introduced the Advancing the Science of Reading Act, aiming to promote structured literacy in teacher preparation programs further strengthening SB 398 requiring training in the Science of Reading for all teachers.
KEYNOTE SPEAKER
Jorge Valenzuela is a respected performance and education coach, author, and speaker at Lifelong Learning Defined. His mission is to empower educators to lead confidently and teach with greater effectiveness. Specializing in instructional innovation and action research, Jorge provides expert training in team building, core instruction, project-based learning (PBL), STEM pathways, entrepreneurship, and life skills integration. Partnering with Corwin, he helps schools systematically enhance instructional practices and adopt innovative teaching strategies, including PBL. He is a published researcher and author who also hosts the Lifelong Learning Defined podcast, sharing insights and strategies to inspire and support educators.
Performances
Throughout our event we will have several special performances that include:
Lightning Boy Foundation, Inc. Hoop Dancers
Please check out their video here: https://www.lightningboyfoundation.com/history-of-hoop-danceNew Mexico High School Mariachi Groups
Schools participating are still to come!
