Toney Anaya

Early life and career

Anaya was born on (1941-04-29)April 29, 1941 in Moriarty, New Mexico. He went to undergraduate school at Georgetown University and graduated with a law degree from American University's Washington College of Law in 1967. After returning to New Mexico, Governor Anaya worked as a Santa Fe County attorney, was an assistant district attorney for the First Judicial District, and later established a private law practice in Santa Fe.

Political career

From 1975 to 1978, he served as New Mexico Attorney General. In 1978, he ran for United States Senate, but was defeated by incumbent Republican Pete Domenici. He served as the 26th Governor of New Mexico from 1983 to 1987.

As Governor, he focused on energy alternatives, water development and conservation, the environment, education, economic development, and provided leadership in investing of the state’s multibillion-dollar trust funds. Known as a visionary, he successfully steered the state through a national recession, transforming New Mexico into a more technology-based economy and laid the groundwork for future deployment of rapid rail transit, education and social reform. In 1986, after the election of his successor, Garrey Carruthers, Anaya commuted the death sentences of all five death row inmates in New Mexico. Anaya is a longtime opponent of capital punishment. Anaya had campaigned against the death penalty and in later interviews expressed no regret for the commutations. Anaya made headlines on March 28, 1986 for declaring New Mexico the nation's first "State of Sanctuary" for refugees from Central America.

He served one term, from 1983 through 1987. At that time, the State Constitution did not allow executive officers to succeed themselves for consecutive terms. That changed when a 1986 Constitutional amendment allowed state executive officers to serve two consecutive four-year terms for terms beginning January 1, 1991.

Post-Governorship

Since leaving office, he has served on numerous boards, commissions, and with non-profit organizations primarily focusing on Hispanic issues, education, and politics. He contributed significantly to the Democratic National Committee and the North American Free Trade Agreement.

In 2009, New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson appointed Anaya to head the New Mexico Office of Recovery and Reinvestment. Anaya was responsible for overseeing the spending of the $1.8 billion in federal stimulus money expected to be invested in New Mexico during the next two years. Governor Anaya worked closely with state agencies to facilitate access to funding, assist with compliance, and promote transparency throughout the process.

From August, 2009 to January, 2011, Anaya served as Chief Executive Officer of Natural Blue Resources, a Woburn, Massachusetts-based penny stock company specializing in investments in environmentally-friendly companies including a New Mexico-based initiative to sell purified water. In July, 2014, Anaya entered into a civil settlement with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission relating to charges that he secretly allowed two business partners who were legally disqualified from serving as officers or directors of a publicly traded company to assume management roles at Natural Blue Resources. Under the terms of the settlement, Anaya agreed to a five-year ban from penny stock offerings and a cease-and-desist order without admitting or denying the charges.