INTER-OFFICE MEMORANDUM December 29, 2025
TO: Brook Bassan, President, City Council
FROM: Timothy M. Keller, Mayor
SUBJECT:
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Re-appointment of Chief Administrative Officer Dr. Samantha Sengel to the position of Chief Administrative Officer
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Pursuant to Section 4(d) of Article 5 of the City Charter, I am submitting for Council’s advice and consent the reappointment of Dr. Samantha Sengel for the position of Chief Administrative Officer.
In 2023, Dr. Sengel was appointed Chief Administrative Officer for the City of Albuquerque, bringing with her two decades of experience in management and executive leadership from one of the state’s largest higher education institutions. Her leadership experience and longstanding relationships with City, County, and State leaders have proven invaluable to the success of the City.
During her tenure as Chief Administrative Officer, Dr. Sengel has advanced several significant initiatives. These include the court’s dismissal of the Court Approved Settlement Agreement (CASA), which officially ended Department of Justice oversight of the Albuquerque Police Department on May 12, 2025; completion of the first segment of the Albuquerque Rail Trail; and progress on major public-facility improvements associated with Balloon Fiesta Park.
In partnership with the City Council, Dr. Sengel has led efforts to build out the Gateway Network, which now includes five locations: the Gateway Center, Gateway West, Gateway Family, Gateway Recovery, and the Gateway Young Adult site, which is on track to open in February 2026. Through these initiatives, the City expanded its continuum of care network and increased overnight and navigation capacity within the Gateway system. This includes the opening of 92 beds at the Men’s Housing and Treatment Navigation Center and the expansion of the Women’s Center to 100 beds. In addition, Medical Sobering services were established to serve up to 50 individuals nightly, along with 50 Medical Respite beds to support individuals discharged from hospitals with up to 45 days of medical recovery. Partner capacity at the Gateway Center was also expanded.
Beyond her service to the City of Albuquerque and Central New Mexico Community College, Dr. Sengel is an active leader in central New Mexico’s economic development and innovation ecosystem. She served as a state commissioner on the New Mexico Commission for Military Base Planning and as a board member of both the Kirtland Partnership Committee and the CNM Foundation, Inc.
Dr. Sengel has received numerous accolades, including being named the Albuquerque Journal’s 2019 New Mexico Woman in Business-Education Honoree, an Albuquerque Business First 2018 New Mexico Woman of Influence, and a 2020 Jennifer Riordan Woman of Influence for Community Impact.
Dr. Sengel’s educational background reflects her broad expertise. She earned her doctorate with distinction in Educational Leadership from the University of New Mexico and also holds a Master of Business Administration and a Bachelor of Business Administration in International Management.
I respectfully ask for your support in reappointing this highly qualified and accomplished professional to the position of Chief Administrative Officer.