Governor Lujan Grisham appoints David D. Quintana acting NMDOT secretary

David D. Quintana was named acting secretary of the New Mexico Department of Transportation by Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham in a March 4, 2026 announcement; the governor’s office said Quintana assumes the role immediately. The appointment follows the sudden vacancy created when former NMDOT Secretary Ricky Serna stepped down earlier this month.

Ricky Serna announced his resignation on Feb. 9, 2026 and departed the department on Feb. 20, 2026. The State Treasurer’s Office announced on Feb. 27, 2026 that Serna had been appointed deputy state treasurer; Albuquerque Journal reporting identified State Treasurer Laura Montoya as having hired Serna for that post.

Quintana’s appointment was presented in the governor’s press release using his full name, David D. Quintana, and lists his official prior title as Programs and Infrastructure Division Director and Chief Engineer at NMDOT. Albuquerque Journal coverage added that he was described there as “most recently a senior executive engineer” and noted his rise from an engineer trainee to division director during more than two decades with the department.

Quintana holds a Bachelor of Science degree in civil engineering from New Mexico State University and has served in district engineering roles across northern New Mexico and as Roadway and Drainage Section Manager for the City of Santa Fe. In his prior NMDOT role he managed the department’s statewide design and construction program, oversaw project development and bridge design, and handled environmental review and right-of-way acquisition.

The governor’s release and news outlets report that Quintana managed six district offices, supervised more than 220 employees, and “manages an annual budget exceeding $500 million.” The release also credits him with oversight of the Statewide Transportation Improvement Plan; Albuquerque Journal explained the STIP as “a four-year program designed to execute several federally funded transportation projects in New Mexico.”

Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham’s statement accompanying the appointment said in full: “David Quintana has spent his career delivering transportation projects that connect our communities and move New Mexico forward. He is well prepared to lead the Department of Transportation.” The governor’s office and NMDOT reposted the biography and the statement in their March 4 materials and reiterated that Quintana will assume duties immediately.

The governor’s press release carried a Santa Fe dateline and was issued from the Office of Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham at the New Mexico State Capitol, Room 400, 490 Old Santa Fe Trail, Santa Fe, NM 87501. The governor’s office listed phone (505) 476-2200 and toll-free (833) 520-0020 in the release contact block.