Los Lunas Library Director Cynthia Shetter Named Outstanding Woman of Valencia County

Cynthia J. Shetter, director of the Los Lunas Public Library, was named one of Valencia County's Outstanding Women by the News-Bulletin on March 12, 2026, a recognition that captures a career built from the ground up, starting with unpaid story hour shifts and growing into one of the most consequential library leadership tenures in the county's recent history.

Shetter has spent 26 years with the Los Lunas Public Library, 17 of them as director, according to archival records. A separate accounting from her 2025 Leadership New Mexico Core Program recognition describes a "29-year journey in service to New Mexico communities," a figure that may encompass broader public service beyond the library's walls. She moved to Valencia County in 1984, raised on a ranch in southern New Mexico by parents Wayne and Hazel Johnson. "Throughout my life, I have been shaped by many role models and mentors, beginning with my parents, Wayne and Hazel Johnson," she said in the News-Bulletin profile. "Raised on a ranch in southern New Mexico, they instilled determination, confidence and a strong work ethic. I also credit former library director Carmen Jaramillo-Campos for encouraging me to apply for my current position."

Her proudest accomplishment, in her own words, came in 2008. "The opening of our branch library, the Los Lunas Museum of Heritage & Arts, sparked my passion for preserving the history of the village of Los Lunas and the surrounding communities." The museum, housed as a branch of the Los Lunas Public Library at 660 Main St. NW, maintains two staff members dedicated to its railroad and historical archives, artifacts, and programming. Shetter has also led efforts to expand digitization and web-based access to the county's archival collections, portions of which remain unprocessed.

Her leadership extends well beyond Los Lunas. Appointed to the New Mexico State Library Commission by both Governor Susana Martinez and Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham, Shetter currently serves as vice chairwoman of that body. She is in her third term as president of the New Mexico Municipal League of Librarians, a term that began in August 2024, and has served on the New Mexico Library Association Legislation Committee, where she has advocated for state and federal library funding. She recently joined the boards of Amigos Library Services and the Osteoporosis Foundation of New Mexico, adding to existing board seats with the Historical Society of New Mexico and the Valencia County Historical Society. Her memberships span the American Library Association, the Public Library Association, the Western History Association, and the Rotary Club of Los Lunas.

In 2023, Shetter coauthored and self-published "Daniel D. Fernandez: The Man Behind the Honor," extending her archival work into book form.

She holds a bachelor's degree in general studies from New Mexico State University and a Master's of Library and Information Science from the University of North Texas, with an associate's degree in library science from Dona Ana Community College.

Her family includes daughters Samantha (David) Mankins and Shelly (Fernando) Batres, and five grandchildren: Kyle and Shawn Mankins, and Fernando, Miranda, and Maggie Batres.

Asked what advice she would give women looking to advance their careers, Shetter kept it short: "Be truthful in all communications and be true to yourself.