New Mexico Appoints Manny Barreras as Next CIO

New Mexico has named Manny Barreras as the state’s new CIO, the governor’s office announced.

This appointment comes after more than a year where the post was held by an acting CIO. Barreras previously served as Motorola Solutions’ senior territory account manager for New Mexico and El Paso, Texas. While with the company, Barreras was involved in securing a contract to perform a major radio system upgrade for the New Mexico Department of Information Technology — the department he’ll now helm.

Barreras’ career includes more than two decades in technical sales, marketing management and public relations. He has a Bachelor of Business Administration in marketing from New Mexico State University.

“Manny Barreras is an exceptional leader with a proven track record in driving innovative solutions and delivering critical communication systems for public safety,” New Mexico Gov. Lujan Grisham said in a statement. “His extensive experience and deep understanding of the challenges facing state and local agencies make him the ideal person to lead the Department of Information Technology. I am confident that under his leadership, New Mexico will continue to advance our technology infrastructure to better serve our communities.”

Barreras officially became CIO on Sept. 9, taking over from Raja Sambandam.

New Mexico’s CIO role has shifted hands a few times in recent years. In 2021, then-CIO John Salazar resigned for personal reasons. A few months later, then-CISO Sambandam took up the post in an interim capacity. Sambandam returned to his CISO role in June 2022, when the state brought in Peter Mantos to serve as CIO. Mantos left a year later for a new role in the governor’s office, “overseeing IT-related special projects for governor-led initiatives,” per the state. Sambandam again stepped in as acting CIO following Mantos departure, a post he held until this most recent appointment.