Melanie A. Kenderdine has resigned as secretary of the New Mexico Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department (EMNRD), effective immediately, according to an announcement from Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham.
“Melanie brought national energy expertise to New Mexico, and I’m grateful for her contributions at EMNRD. I wish her well,” Lujan Grisham said.
Deputy cabinet secretary Erin Taylor will assume the role of Acting Cabinet Secretary of EMNRD.
Kenderdine began her tenure with the administration in May 2024. Her background includes co-founding and serving as executive vice president of the Energy Futures Initiative, a nonprofit based in Washington, D.C., focused on clean energy transition. She also held senior positions at the U.S. Department of Energy during both the Obama and Clinton administrations.
Taylor has experience in energy planning, environmental regulation, and stakeholder engagement. She previously led initiatives within EMNRD’s Energy Conservation and Management Division and Mining and Minerals Division before being appointed deputy cabinet secretary in April.
Before returning to EMNRD, Taylor worked at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of State and Community Energy Programs, where she managed technical assistance projects for governments across all states and territories. She also served as state liaison for the federal Interagency Working Group on Coal and Power Plant Communities and Economic Revitalization.
Taylor holds academic credentials including a bachelor’s degree in economics from Pennsylvania State University, a postgraduate diploma in sustainable rural development from the University of Aberdeen, and a master’s degree in environmental policy and management from the University of Denver.
