Jan. 2—Mayor Alan Webber is losing one of his top executives.

Kyra Ochoa, who has served as director of the Community Health and Safety Department since January 2021, is leaving after this week to take a job as one of three deputy secretaries at the New Mexico Human Services Department.

Ochoa called the decision to leave difficult, saying she loves working for the city and with her colleagues.

“I’m really proud of the work we’ve been able to do together,” she said in an interview Tuesday.

“I think, for me, I looked at making a bigger impact for the people of the state of New Mexico,” she said. “I really was just feeling that my energies and efforts, it would be the right time for me to try to do that at the state level.”

In a statement announcing the move, Ochoa she was “very honored and grateful” to Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham for the opportunity to serve as a member of a team leading such critical work in New Mexico.

“I have a passion for health system improvement and believe in a strong safety net for those in need, especially because we are all stronger when every member of our community has the resources needed to thrive,” she said.

“With the creation of the Health Care Authority, we are moving in the right direction to achieving a healthier New Mexico for everyone,” Ochoa added, referring to the creation of a new state agency.

Starting in fiscal year 2025, the new Health Care Authority will maintain all existing Human Services Department functions while adding the Developmental Disabilities Supports Division and the Division of Health Improvement from the Department of Health, as well as the State Health Benefits Division, formerly known as the Employee Benefits Bureau, from the General Services Department.

The new agency will be responsible for health care purchasing and policy, as well as addressing underlying issues that shape health outcomes, such as poverty and food insecurity, according to the Human Services Department.

The department on Tuesday also announced Kathy Slater-Huff, who has been serving as an acting deputy secretary since March, will step into the role on a full-time basis effective immediately.

“Kathy has many years of valuable experience within HSD,” Human Services Secretary Kari Armijo said in a statement. “She walks the walk of a truly dedicated public servant every day.”

Slater-Huff, who has worked at the Human Services Department for 17 years, said in a statement she was “humbled and honored to serve” as deputy secretary.

“In my years with HSD, I’ve had the privilege to work with so many wonderful, thoughtful and caring people who, through collective efforts, have made such meaningful differences in the lives of so many New Mexicans,” she said. “I look forward to continuing expanding our efforts as we transition into the Health Care Authority.”

The department said Slater-Huff’s tenure in the department encompasses “pivotal roles,” including as marketing and outreach manager for the state’s Medicaid program and chief of Medicaid’s Communication and Education Bureau.

Armijo said she was “thrilled” to welcome Ochoa to her team.

“Kyra’s unwavering dedication to strengthening safety net programs and her alignment with our core values at HSD make her an invaluable addition,” she said.

Ochoa joined the Webber administration in October 2018 as community services director. After about 2 1/2 years on the job, she was promoted to lead what was then the new Community Health and Safety Department, which oversees the police and fire departments, as well as emergency management and community services.

“Kyra understood instinctually that Public Health and Safety are two sides of the same coin,” Webber said in a statement.

“Her collaborative work style permeated the department while she was there, and her work on homelessness and [Built] for Zero showed creativity and skillful execution,” he said, referring to an initiative to end homelessness. “She made great strides toward needy individuals finding housing in Santa Fe.”

Councilor Jamie Cassutt said in an interview she was impressed with Ochoa’s work during the coronavirus pandemic and her focus on homelessness.

While she will miss Ochoa, Cassutt said, “I am not surprised she is moving on to exciting things.”

Ochoa previously served as the health care assistance program manager for Santa Fe County for four years, according to her LinkedIn account.

Ochoa and Slater-Huff will each be paid $165,000 annually, the same as the Human Services Department’s third deputy secretary, Alex Castillo Smith.

Marina Piña, a department spokeswoman, said a third deputy secretary position was established in 2021 but hadn’t been filled until now.

“This senior leadership expansion is pivotal as we transition to the New Mexico Health Care Authority,” Piña wrote in an email.

“The HCA aims to serve over half (52%) of New Mexico’s population, including state public employees. The addition of a third Deputy Secretary marks a significant first in HSD’s history, strengthening our capacity to effectively serve New Mexicans under the new state agency,” she added.

Piña wrote the department received Ochoa’s résumé “as she was pursuing a statewide leadership role with the Lujan Grisham administration to advance the health and well-being of the people of New Mexico.”

Ochoa said she felt comfortable leaving the city because she leaves behind a competent team of chiefs and directors.

“They are such strong leaders themselves — they got this,” she said. “They’re doing great work, and I’m confident they can continue that.”

Follow Daniel J. Chacón on Twitter @danieljchacon.