The City of Las Cruces announces the selection of J.C. Borrego as the new Assistant City Manager.
“I am happy to have J.C. join the City Manager’s Office Team. He has only been with the City for a short time, but in that time he has made a real impact for employees and supported major City initiatives such as implementing a City-wide Class and Compensation review. We were lucky to have many qualified internal candidates, but J.C.’s diverse leadership experience across multiple operations in the State set him apart. I look forward to working with him more closely and serving our community, Adelante con Cariño!” said City Manager Ikani Taumoepeau.
For two years, Borrego has served as the City’s Assistant Director of Human Resources where he has led the Classification and Compensation program, Benefits program and the HR Analyst Team. Borrego has been an intricate part of the City’s recent negotiations with both the Blue Collar and Fire Unions.
Borrego joined the City from Sandia National Laboratories where he specialized in employee and labor relations and reasonable accommodations and led the design and implementation of COVID-19 initiatives.
“There is no higher calling professionally than to be a public servant and I am honored by the opportunity to serve this great City in the Assistant City Manager capacity,” said Borrego. “I will humbly serve this City’s employees and community members with dignity, respect, kindness and most importantly, Cariño!”
He has spent most of his professional career as a public servant. Prior to Sandia, he served as Deputy Cabinet Secretary and Human Resources Director for the New Mexico Environment Department (NMED). As Deputy Cabinet Secretary, Borrego planned, led, managed, and directed NMED’s multi-disciplinary, regulatory, administrative, and financial divisions. He was responsible for NMED’s annual strategic plan, legislative initiatives, and operational direction. Notably, he was a key leader in changing the State of New Mexico’s Surface and Ground Water regulations in 2019.
As NMED’s HR Director, Borrego planned, led, and directed all HR programs and functional areas, to include staffing, classification and compensation, payroll, benefits, employee and labor relations, professional development and training, performance management, personnel policy development and implementation, alternative dispute resolution, and loss prevention and control.
Borrego is a proud graduate of New Mexico State University. He is a native New Mexican, loves spending time with his family, and says his favorite thing is to watch his sons Jeremiah and Josiah play sports!
Borrego will begin serving as Assistant City Manager on June 16, 2024.