Biography

Regis Pecos was born, raised, and is a lifelong member and resident of Cochiti Pueblo. A member of the Cochiti Tribal Council for 28 years, he served numerous times as Lt. Governor and Governor. He is a graduate of Princeton University, did his graduate work at UC Berkeley and is an alum of the Harvard Kennedy School's Senior Executive Program. Regis was one of the first Native Americans elected to a New Mexico local school board. He also served on the Board of the Santa Fe Indian School and chaired the Board for 15 years. He co-founded the New Mexico Leadership Institute, a Think Tank for native people and has served in a number of US congressionally appointed positions. He is currently a member of the Board of Governors of the Honoring Nations at Harvard University and serves as a senior advisor and faculty to the Native Nations Institute of the Udall Center for Studies in Public Policy at the University of Arizona. He recently received an appointment to the School of Public Policy as an adjunct professor at the University of New Mexico where he taught last fall. He is also the only Native American member of the New Mexico Judicial Evaluation Commission, an appointment he received by the New Mexico State Supreme Court. He is also a member of the Board of the New Mexico Center for Law and Poverty. Regis, for 16 years, was the longest serving Executive Director of the New Mexico Indian Affairs Office. He has also received two New Mexico distinguished public service awards. He was Chief of Staff to the late Speaker Ben Lujan, serving in that position for 12 years. In January of 2013, Regis became the Director of Legislative Affairs for the Majority Office in the New Mexico House of Representatives and the Chief of Staff to the Majority Floor Leader. He is also is the author of a number of publications about Pueblo language, Pueblo culture, federal Indian law and policies, environmental management, education , economic development, and water rights. NM center on law and poverty | Board of Directors nmpovertylaw.org, 1 June 2013 [cached] Regis Pecos Founder/Director of The Leadership Institute Learn more about the Center: Coffee & Conversation - Fascinating Discussions About Pueblo Art, Culture And History Accompanied By A Bottomless Cup of Coffee www.indianpueblo.org, 28 April 2011 [cached] Regis Pecos (Cochiti Pueblo), Director of the New Mexico Leadership Institute will present the historic time line of federal & state policy in New Mexico on Pueblo lands, Pueblo culture and Pueblo sovereignty.