INTER-OFFICE MEMORANDUM January 26, 2026
TO: Klarissa J. Peña, President, City Council
FROM: Timothy M. Keller, Mayor
SUBJECT:
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Appointment of Deputy Chief Administrative Officer Matthew Whelan to the position of Chief Operations 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 appointment of Matthew Whelan for the position of Chief Operations Officer.
Matthew Whelan has served as the Deputy Chief Administrative Officer for two years and has overseen multiple departments including Animal Welfare, Senior Affairs, Youth and Family Services, Parks and Recreation, Environmental Health, Solid Waste, Department of Finance and Administrative Services and Transit. Matthew has been the acting Chief Financial Officer for the City of Albuquerque since July 1, 2025 while still performing his duties as the Deputy Chief Administrative Officer.
Matthew is an accomplished leader with extensive project management skills. He has roots in Las Cruces, NM where he started his professional career as a teenager working for his grandfather’s sanitation company, Silva Sanitation. He began by assembling roll-out collection containers, cleaning containers, and riding on the collection trucks. After the business was sold, he worked for Mesilla Valley Disposal doing accounting work while he attended college. Matthew has over 15 years of experience in finance and accounting, including auditing for City, County and Tribal Governments. Prior to the City of Albuquerque, he worked for six years with REDW, LLC one of the largest certified public accounting and business consulting firms in the Southwestern United States, with its main office located in Albuquerque. He is experienced in preparation and compilation of financial statements for government as well as non-governmental entities.
Previously, Matthew has served as the Director of Solid Waste Management and as the Deputy Director of the Parks and Recreation Department. His career with the City of Albuquerque started as a Principal Accountant for the Department of Finance Administrative Service before advancing to the Parks and Recreation Department where he first became the Fiscal Manager, then the Deputy Director.
Matthew holds degrees in Accounting and Finance Administration from New Mexico State University.
I respectfully ask for your support in appointing this highly qualified and talented professional to the position of Chief Operations Officer.