USA Today Names New Mexico State Land Office Among Top Workplaces In The Nation For 2024
The New Mexico State Land Office team including Commissioner Stephanie Garcia Richard, front row 3rd from left, celebrate as USA Today announces that their agency has been ranked 22nd nationally in its category of 150-499 employees and the #1 government agency in the top 100 organizations of its size. Courtesy/NMSLO
New Mexico State Land Office News:
SANTA FE — USA Today has announced that the New Mexico State Land Office has won a Top Workplaces USA award, ranking 22nd nationally among organizations with employees between 150-499.
More than 2,220 organizations participated in anonymous employee surveys as part of the national challenge. The State Land Office was the only organization from New Mexico to rank in the top 25, regardless of size or sector. The State Land Office was the top ranked government agency in its category.
The State Land Office previously won a Woman-Led Organizations Award as part of the October 2023 Top Workplaces Culture Excellence national awards, given to outstanding organizations whose most senior leader is a woman. The agency qualified for each award after it was named the #1 Midsize Employer by the Albuquerque Journal in June 2023 as part of Energage’s annual Top Workplaces Awards. Energage is a human resources and technology research company that partnered with both USA Today on the national award and the Albuquerque Journal on the regional award.
“Every one of the 180 individuals who work at the State Land Office contributes to us being named a Top Workplace,” Commissioner of Public Lands Stephanie Garcia Richard said. “Our agency has delivered on its mission to raise money for our schools, earning record revenue year after year. This is only possible because of each and every one of our employees. We have placed an emphasis on creating a better work-life balance for our team and the results have been amazing. Our employees are committed to their jobs and do them very, very well. This truly is the best place to work, and it is amazing to be recognized as one of the best employers nationally.”
Energage’s Top Workplaces Awards are based solely on employee feedback to an anonymous survey that measures 15 culture drivers that are critical to the success of any organization, including alignment, execution and connection. 97.6% of State Land Office employees took the Energage survey. The agency ranked in the top 1% in the State Government category for work-life flexibility, meaningful work, employee appreciation, inclusion and confidence in leadership.
Over the past several years, Commissioner Garcia Richard has instituted agency-wide policies that invest in employees and promote fairness, including placing women in leadership positions and correcting pay equity disparities. The State Land Office’s mission is to earn money for schools and other public institutions by responsibly leasing state lands for energy production, commercial development, and agriculture, among other uses. The State Land Office continued to earn record-breaking revenue every year since 2019, exceeding $2.75 billion last year alone, as these cultural changes were implemented.
View the list of USA Today’s Top Workplaces USA Award winners here.
About the New Mexico State Land Office:
Commissioner of Public Lands Stephanie Garcia Richard has overseen the New Mexico State Land Office since 2019. In that time the agency has raised more than $8 billion for New Mexico public schools, hospitals, and universities. Over 13 million acres of state trust land are leased for a variety of uses, including ranching and farming, renewable energy, business development, mineral development, and outdoor recreation. The State Land Office has a dual mandate to use state trust land to financially support vital public institutions, while simultaneously working to protect the land for future generations.
