SENATE MEMORIAL 50

53rd legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - second session, 2018

INTRODUCED BY

Stuart Ingle

A MEMORIAL

CELEBRATING THE LIFE OF GLORIA G. TRUJILLO AND HONORING HER LIFETIME OF PUBLIC SERVICE TO THE NEW MEXICO LEGISLATURE AND THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO.

     WHEREAS, Gloria G. Trujillo, a native of Belen and a long-time resident of Santa Fe, was a highly respected and beloved former senior staff member of the legislative council service who passed away on December 9, 2017, a few months before her eighty-eighth birthday; and

     WHEREAS, Gloria exemplified the legislative council service's position that staff were "behind-the-scenes" public servants who never sought public recognition of their many contributions to the state and the legislature; and

WHEREAS, Gloria began her work for the old state tax commission in 1951, learning much about the state's tax structure from the legendary Franklin Jones and Willard Lewis; and

     WHEREAS, Gloria also worked for the Santa Fe district attorney and spent several years working for the bureau of revenue, moonlighting as a legislative analyst during sessions and working at home to raise her son Patrick for several years, before coming to work full-time for Clay Buchanan at the legislative council service in 1966; and

     WHEREAS, throughout her long and illustrious career, Gloria served during the leadership of seven speakers of the house of representatives, six presidents pro tempore of the senate and nine governors and also served many hundreds of legislators; and

     WHEREAS, from her earliest years with the legislative council service, Gloria demonstrated a flexibility and capacity to do her job with skill and wisdom, filling many positions and assignments during her tenure, including secretary, proofreader, research assistant, fiscal assistant to the legislative fiscal analyst, bill drafter and, from 1979 to her retirement in 1990, serving as senior tax policy expert and senior fiscal drafter; and

     WHEREAS, for her many contributions to tax and fiscal laws and to the legislative process, Gloria justly earned the esteem and admiration of members of the legislature, her colleagues and anyone in the know about tax policy; and

     WHEREAS, Gloria trained each new drafter, researcher and staff attorney to understand the importance of precision and accuracy, driven by her deep conviction that it was the legislature's responsibility to ensure that each statute was meticulously drafted and received careful consideration and thoughtful deliberation; and

     WHEREAS, without regard for her personal comfort and the long hours required, Gloria discharged her tasks with an equitable balance of intellect, good humor, warm heart and a commitment to the highest standards of quality, trust and responsibility; and

     WHEREAS, Gloria's unfailing urge to help and her friendliness to all did not end with her retirement, but she turned her hand to assisting senior citizens with their taxes, helping countless seniors through many trying tax seasons; and

     WHEREAS, she is remembered by the staff who knew her for her "tax fixes", making sure to catch the missing comma, the misplaced colon and that an "and" should not be an "or" among all the "pre-excel" spreadsheet tax tables she created with her little old-fashioned adding machine; and

      WHEREAS, she is still remembered as the small but tough "tax lady" who loved to laugh and smoke, and who also giggled politely at her husband Adolph's jokes when he came to visit during the late nights of session, while she set the pace for all of the younger staff, working late into the night until the job was done;

     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO that it celebrate the life of Gloria G. Trujillo and honor her dedication to public service and her many contributions during her life in New Mexico; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this memorial be transmitted to her son, Patrick Trujillo, and other loving members of her family.

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