James B. Lewis: Difference between revisions

| name = James B. Lewis

'''James Beliven Lewis''' (born November 30, 1947) is an American politician from the [[U.S. state|state]] of [[New Mexico]]. A member of the [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic Party]], he served as the [[State Treasurer of New Mexico|state treasurer of New Mexico]] from 1985–1990 and from 2006–2014.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nmsto.gov/history_and_authority |title=History of New Mexico State Treasurers |workpublisher=nmsto.gov[[State Treasurer of New Mexico|accessdateNew Mexico State Treasurer's Office]] |access-date=October 14, 2015 |url-status=dead |archiveurlarchive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150919025542/http://www.nmsto.gov/history_and_authority |archivedatearchive-date=September 19, 2015 |df=mdy-all }}</ref> To{{As dateof|2024}}, he is the only [[African American]] to serve asin Statethe Treasurer of New Mexicorole.<ref name="books.google.com">{{cite book |last1=Hornsby Jr. |first1=Alton |title=Black America: A State-by-State Historical Encyclopedia |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=TkGMnE6g1qMC&q=James%20B.%20Lewis%20African%20American&pg=PA561 |isbn=9780313341120978-0-313-34112-0 |date=August 31, 2011 |page=561}}</ref>

Lewis was born in [[Roswell, New Mexico]], the son of Dorris Ward and William Reagor.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.thehistorymakers.org/biography/honorable-james-b-lewis |title=The Honorable James B. Lewis |last=Richardson |first=Julieanna L. |author-link=Julieanna Richardson |work=[[The HistoryMakers]] |date=2015-08-25}}</ref> After graduating from Gallup High School, Hehe earned a Bachelor of Science degree in education from [[Bishop College]] and a Bachelor of Science in business administration from the [[National American University]] in [[Albuquerque, New Mexico|Albuquerque]].<ref name="sun">{{cite webnews |author=<!--none stated--> |date=2010-10-20 |title=Candidate Bios: State Treasurer candidates James B. Lewis (D) and Jim D. Schoonover (R) |url=http://archive.lcsun-news.com/ci_16385788 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101020010101/http://archive.lcsun-news.com/ci_16385788 |publishernewspaper=[[Las Cruces Sun-News]] |accessdateaccess-date=23 November 2015 |url-status=dead |archivedatearchive-date=October 20, 2010}}</ref> Lewis served in the [[United States Army]] for two years as a [[Military Police Corps (United States)|military policeman]] during the [[Vietnam Era]].<ref name="books.google.com"/> He later received his [[Master of Public Administration]] from the [[University of New Mexico]].

When he returned to [[Newthe Mexico]]state, heLewis worked for the [[New Mexico]] State Personnel Office and the Public Service Career Office, specializing in minority recruitment. He then became director of the African American Studies Division under the Multi-cultural Enrichment Program.

He worked as a personnel counselor and administrator at the [[University of Albuquerque]].<ref name="socialarchive.iath.virginia.edu">{{cite web |url=httphttps://socialarchive.iath.virginiasnaccooperative.eduorg/ark:/99166/w6z90kvv |title=Lewis, James B. (James Beliven), 1947- -|work=[[SNAC]] (Social Networks and Archival Context)}}</ref> He later worked for the [[DistrictBernalillo Attorney]]County district attorney's office as a [[criminal investigator]]. Lewis was elected [[Bernalillo County]] [[Treasurertreasurer]] in 1982, becoming the first [[African American]] to win a countywide election in [[New Mexico]]. He won re-election in 1984.

In December 1985, Governor [[Toney Anaya]] appointed Lewis as Statestate Treasurertreasurer after former State Treasurer Earl Hartley pleaded guilty to misusing funds of the Western State Treasurers Association.<ref>{{cite webnews |last=Maass |first=Dave |date=2009-06-16 |title=Fiasco Frontier: New Mexico has had decades of political scandalsscandals—colorful –ones colorful|newspaper=[[Santa Fe Reporter]] ones|url=httphttps://www.sfreporter.com/santafenews/2009/06/16/article-4583-fiasco-frontier.html|accessdate=September/ 23, 2015|workaccess-date=sfreporter.com2024-08-31}}</ref> He completed that term and ran for a full term in 1986, becoming the first [[African American]] elected to a statewide office in New Mexico.

Governor [[Bruce King]] appointed him [[chief of staff]] in November 1990.<ref name="socialarchive.iath.virginia.edu" /> After [[Bruce King]]'s defeat in the election of 1994, Lewis served four months as acting director of the Oil, Gas, and Minerals Division of the StateNew Mexico Land Office.<ref name="virginia.edusocialarchive">{{cite web|url=http://socialarchive.iath.virginia.edu/ark:/99166/w6z90kvv|title=Lewis, James B. (James Belivan Lewis) |work=virginia.edu |accessdate=September 23, 2015}}</ref> In April 1995, he was appointed chief clerk of the StateNew Mexico Corporation Commission. In 1996, Lewis was appointed [[Citycity Administrator]]administrator of [[Rio Rancho]] and later that year was appointed as head of the Office of Economic Development and Diversity at the [[United States Department of Energy]] by president [[Bill Clinton]]. He later served under [[United States Secretary of Energy]] [[Bill Richardson]].

In 2001, Lewis ran for the [[Mayormayor of Albuquerque]], [[New Mexico]], losing to [[Martin ChavezChávez]].<ref name="virginia.edusocialarchive" /> Following the election, he was appointed the [[City of Albuquerque]]'s [[Chief Operating Officer]]COO. Lewis also served as [[Chiefchief Administrativeadministrative Officer]]officer for the [[Citycity of Albuquerque]], the highest -ranking position for an [[African American]] in the history of [[Albuquerque]]city's city governmenthistory. He retired in 2005.

In 2006, Lewis ran again for position of state treasurer and won, serving until he was term-limited in 2014.<ref>{{cite webnews |last=Clayton |first=Stephanie |date=2014-12-20 |title=Hundreds Gather for NM State Treasurer's Retirement Celebration |work=[[KOB (TV)|KOB]] |url=http://www.kob.com/article/stories/s3656390.shtml#.VgLk_Mu6dhG|accessdate=September 23, 2015|workarchive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150925064127/http://www.kob.com/article/stories/s3656390.shtml |archive-date=2015-09-25 |url-status=dead}}</ref> In October 2007, State Treasurer James B. Lewis was elected president of the Western State Treasurers Association. In 20142010, Lewis was elected president of the [[National Association of State Auditors,Treasurers.<ref>{{cite Comptrollersweb and|title=Past Presidents |url=https://nast.org/presidents/ |access-date=2024-08-31 |work=National Association of State Treasurers}}</ref> In 2011 he received NAST's Jesse M. Unruh Award for current state treasurers.<ref>{{cite web |title=Awards |url=https://nast.org/awards-page/ |website=National Association of State Treasurers |access-date=2024-08-31}}</ref> In 2014, Lewis was elected president of the National Association of Auditors, Comptrollers and State Treasurers]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Treasurer James B. Lewis Named NASACT Head |url=http://www.nast.org/index.php?section=success-stories&docid=18 |accessdateaccess-date=September 23, 2015 |work=nast.orgNational Association of State Treasurers (NAST)}}</ref>

[[Category:21st-century African-American peoplepoliticians]]