Debra Garcia y Griego, Cabinet Secretary for Department of Cultural Affairs | americansforthearts.org
The New Mexico History Museum has appointed Maria Sanchez-Tucker as its new deputy director. Sanchez-Tucker brings over two decades of experience in leadership roles across museums, libraries, and public service organizations.
Before joining the museum, Sanchez-Tucker was director of the City of Santa Fe’s Community Services Department. In that role, she managed public libraries, senior services, recreation, and youth programs. The department includes three library branches and several facilities serving a wide range of community needs.
"Maria brings deep experience in museum leadership, public administration and community engagement," said Billy Garrett, executive director of the New Mexico History Museum. "She understands how cultural institutions serve the public, and her background managing complex organizations and major projects will strengthen the museum’s work statewide."
As deputy director, Sanchez-Tucker will focus on supporting operations, strategic planning, collaboration between departments, and guiding exhibitions and collections management.
"I am honored to join the New Mexico History Museum," Sanchez-Tucker said. "The museum plays a critical role in preserving and interpreting the state’s history, and I look forward to supporting its mission and public service."
Sanchez-Tucker previously led the Santa Fe Public Library system as division director. She was responsible for three branches and led initiatives in strategic planning, technology updates, and expanding programming for the public. Earlier in her career, she worked nearly ten years with Pueblo City-County Library District in Colorado as manager of special collections and museum services. There she oversaw archives, genealogy collections, digitization efforts, and exhibitions.
She also served as executive director of the Bessemer Historical Society in Pueblo, Colorado. During her tenure there she raised more than $6 million to preserve a historic industrial site now recognized as a National Historic Landmark.
Sanchez-Tucker holds master’s degrees in library science from the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee and in museum science from Texas Tech University. She also earned a bachelor’s degree in anthropology from the University of New Mexico. Her work has received support from national organizations such as the National Endowment for the Arts and National Endowment for the Humanities.
The New Mexico History Museum is part of one of the country’s largest state museum systems operated by the New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs. This agency manages multiple museums across New Mexico—including history museums—and oversees cultural resources such as heritage sites and arts grants throughout the state. The department employs around 500 staff members with help from about 1,000 volunteers each year who contribute thousands of hours statewide (source). The department's mission is to preserve New Mexico's cultural diversity through oversight of museums like the History Museum as well as other cultural programs (source).
The New Mexico History Museum campus is located on Santa Fe’s historic plaza.
