Honorable Celia Foy Castillo (Ret.)
Newly Appointed Chair
New Mexico State Ethics Commission
SEC News:
ALBUQUERQUE — The New Mexico State Ethics Commission has announced the retirement of the Honorable William F. Lang (Ret.) as Chair of the Commission and the appointment of the Honorable Celia Foy Castillo (Ret.) as the Commission’s new Chair.
Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham appointed Judge Foy Castillo to serve as Chair effective July 1, 2026, following the completion of Judge Lang’s term on June 30. Judge Foy Castillo may serve a four-year term as Chair, ending on June 30, 2030.
Judge Lang served as Chair for seven years, from the Commission’s inception on July 1, 2019. During his tenure, Judge Lang worked to establish the Commission as New Mexico’s independent ethics authority. Over the course of Judge Lang’s term, the Commission enforced New Mexico’s ethics, procurement, and campaign finance laws across the state; issued hundreds of advisory opinions and advisory letters; conducted scores of trainings. From a constitutional and statutory blueprint, Judge Lang oversaw the construction of a small but effective constitutional agency.
“Judge Lang’s leadership was instrumental in founding the State Ethics Commission,” Executive Director Jeremy Farris said. “His commitment to fairness, independence, and public service has left a lasting mark on the Commission and the people of New Mexico. His fellow Commissioners and the Commission’s staff are deeply grateful for his long tenure of service.”
Like Judge Lang, Judge Foy Castillo also brings decades of judicial and public service experience to the Commission. She has served as a State Ethics Commissioner since July 1, 2021. As Chair, she will oversee the Commission’s legal mandates to administer, implement, and enforce New Mexico’s governmental ethics, procurement, campaign finance, lobbying, and financial disclosure laws.
“I am honored by Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham’s appointment and grateful for the opportunity to serve the people of New Mexico as Chair of the State Ethics Commission,” Judge Foy Castillo said. “I look forward to building on the strong foundation established by Judge Lang and the Commission. Public confidence in government depends upon integrity, transparency, and accountability, and I am committed to ensuring the Commission continues to uphold those values in all its work.”
About the State Ethics Commission
The State Ethics Commission is an independent, constitutional state agency with the authority to enforce civil violations of New Mexico’s governmental ethics and disclosure statutes. The Commission is comprised of three Democratic Commissioners, three Republican Commissioners, and one independent Commissioner who is registered as “decline to state.” The seven commissioners are appointed through a bipartisan process established by the State Ethics Commission Act. Four commissioners are appointed by the legislative leadership of both major political parties. Those commissioners jointly appoint two additional commissioners. The Governor appoints the Commission’s Chair, who must be a retired judge. No more than three commissioners may belong to the same political party, and commissioners must satisfy statutory qualifications designed to preserve the Commission’s independence. For more information about the State Ethics Commission, please visit sec.nm.gov.
