The Board of Directors for the Regional Coalition of LANL Communities (RCLC) voted April 27 to advertise for a new executive director to succeed Andrea Romero, whose contract was not renewed at the end of February following a public dispute over expense reimbursements.
Los Alamos County, N.M., is preparing the necessary advertisement, County Manager Harry Burgess said by email Wednesday. The county is handling administrative work on a temporary basis for the coalition of local governments near the Energy Department’s Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) in New Mexico.
There was no word yet on when the advertisement will be issued and the deadline for the proposals to be filed. The draft advertisement describes it as a “Request for Proposals (RFP) for Executive Director Services,” and lists a May 17 deadline. Like Romero, the new executive director would be an independent contractor, not an employee.
The draft RFP language proposes a two-year initial term for an executive director who would run the organization devoted, in part, to seeking maximum federal funding for DOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) and Office of Environmental Management operations at Los Alamos. In addition to promoting environmental cleanup, RCLC also advocates jobs and economic development opportunities for locals around LANL.
Founded in 2011, RCLC represents seven municipalities and two pueblos surrounding the lab.
The contract between Romero’s consulting firm and RCLC was not renewed Feb. 28 after articles in local newspapers raised questions about more than $2,100 in expense reimbursements she had claimed. Romero, who is running in a Democratic Party primary for a state legislature seat, said in April she had repaid certain disputed fees and submitted additional information on others. Burgess said last month he considers the reimbursement issue largely resolved.
