NEW MEXICO'S FIRST LADY BARBARA RICHARDSON

"Alcohol is NOT a rite of passage. It can lead to a lifetime of consequences including learning disabilities, health problems, trouble with the law, emotional problems, and violent behavior. Governor Richardson and I are committed to protecting our most valuable resource — our children — and helping them build a foundation for a happy, healthy life." —Barbara Richardson

Introducing Barbara Richardson, First Lady of New Mexico

 First Lady Barbara Richardson is committed to furthering the well-being of families. Since joining Leadership in 2003, Mrs. Richardson has supported underage drinking prevention statewide.

In 2007, Mrs. Richardson hosted Acting Surgeon General Kenneth Moritsugu’s visit to New Mexico to promote his Call to Action To Prevent and Reduce Underage Drinking. Earlier in the year, she joined young people from 12 counties across the State to launch New Mexico's 2007 Sticker Shock campaign. Leadership awarded her a State Stipend to assist with this program. She also wrote an op-ed in support of the program and posed for pictures with the youth (see Mrs. Richardson's photo gallery).

She has also promoted annual Town Hall meetings and SAMHSA's Reach Out Now National Teach-Ins by writing op-ed articles and letters to the editor. In addition, Governor Bill Richardson lent his support by issuing proclamations declaring Teach-In week.

In 2005, the First Lady and Leadership participated in the Fifth Annual DWI Bewareness Day in Santa Fe, at the New Mexico State Capitol Rotunda. Mrs. Richardson participated with the Leadership exhibit and provided introductory remarks.

The First Lady also promotes community awareness on the issues of domestic violence and sexual assault. She was instrumental in forming the Governor's Domestic Violence Advisory Board, serving as its Chairman, and in the establishment of the Office of Domestic Violence Coordinator.

In other work, through her leadership as Honorary Chair for the New Mexico Immunization Coalition, Mrs. Richardson helped move New Mexico from a ranking of 49th in 2002 to 15th in 2005 in the number of children immunized. New Mexico earned a national award from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as the State with the most improved immunization record.

Mrs. Richardson has devoted herself to literacy as well. She was responsible for a donation by Disney Corporation and Baby Einstein Corporation of 20,000 Baby Einstein educational videos to low-income New Mexican families, as well as new books from Scholastic Books for a southside Santa Fe elementary school and for the University of New Mexico Children's Hospital Pediatric Clinic. The First Lady is an active supporter of the New Mexico Coalition for Literacy and served as Honorary Chairman of Heifer International's Read to Feed Program in New Mexico. She has also served as Chair for Read Across America in New Mexico and as statewide chair of Big Brothers/Big Sisters First Lady's Bowl for Kids Sake.

Mrs. Richardson graduated magna cum laude from Wheaton College in Massachusetts with a Bachelor of Arts degree.