Ricardo Rel ’88 ’97 relishes his job – overseeing federal and state government relations for New Mexico State University.

In Santa Fe, he directs the university’s legislative agenda, helps educate policy-makers and answers questions from legislators. He also ensures collaboration and communication between the state and the federal government on university matters.

Constantly on the phone with the staff in the nation’s capital, Rel also is a frequent visitor to the Capitol.

“We also have a firm in the capital that works with the university daily, Lewis-Burke Associates,” Rel says, calling the legislative work a two-way street. Information is shared in both directions, with Lewis-Burke often alerting NMSU of grant opportunities or requests for background material or the prospects for passage of key bills.

A Las Cruces native, Rel earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in agricultural economics.

Not only did he grow up on a small farm, but his father, grandfather and uncles also were all farmers. As a youth, he became interested in the business aspect of farming and targeted NMSU’s agriculture college.

As an undergraduate student, Rel says he was a research lab assistant for the agronomy department (now the plant and environmental sciences department) where he did everything from washing dishes to grinding radiated sewage sludge for test programs. That seems a long way from serving just a few years later as a senior analyst for Agriculture, Natural Resources and Environment as well as for Community and Regional Development – both arms of the U.S. Senate Committee on the Budget in Washington, D.C. He made recommendations on budget policies and often saw what he had written published in committee reports.

“I was there when the budget was balanced. It was exciting to be part of that whole process,” Rel says.

After seven years in Washington, Rel returned to New Mexico where he served with the N.M. Department of Agriculture as special assistant to the director/secretary.

Now he wants to serve his alma mater, and says it’s fulfilling to work for NMSU and get the university’s name recognized for the great research it does.

Rel is based on campus and says that’s important because he can see and understand what is going on at the university first-hand and share that with state and federal legislators and agencies.

Despite the fact that government relations are an arduous task overall and the politics can be very challenging, Rel says his job is fun.

“I’m a graduate of NMSU and, with President Martin’s vision of having this university nationally and internationally recognized for its research, I’m excited about working here and helping the members of the faculty and staff achieve their goals.”