The New Mexico Foundation for Open Government’s (FOG) Board of Directors announced Thursday that Christine Barber will be the organization’s new executive director starting Nov. 25.
FOG is a New Mexico nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that serves the open government interests of the public, business community, elected officials, journalists and lawyers.
“Transparency and the public’s right to know are coming under attack from numerous fronts,” Jessica Onsurez, president of the Board of Directors, said in a statement. “We are pleased to welcome Christine onboard at this critical time as FOG takes on these challenges.”
Barber will replace Melanie Majors, who is retiring from the position she’s held since 2018. Majors also served as a board member of FOG and has more than 35 years of communications experience.
“Melanie not only has years of outstanding service to the FOG community, and she has built on
our strong foundation allowing us to move to the future,” Onsurez said.
Barber was an executive director for two non-profit organizations that provide services to marginalized individuals. She was also a reporter at the Gallup Independent, the Santa Fe New Mexican and the Albuquerque Journal.
Barber has won awards from the New Mexico Press Association, the Associated Press Managing Editors and New Mexico Press Women. She is also a published and award-winning author.