Albuquerque, New Mexico has a vision for closing the racial wealth gap. In order to achieve this goal, it is partnering with a FUSE Executive Fellow to support the launch of two new offices and expand a guaranteed income initiative from a pilot into a full program. As a result of this work, Albuquerque residents from all backgrounds will have more economic opportunities and build wealth for their families.

Fellowship Dates: April 28, 2025 – April 24, 2026

Salary: Executive Fellows are FUSE employees and receive an annual base salary of $80,000. Fellows can also access various health, dental, and vision insurance benefits. Compensation for this year of public service is not intended to represent market-rate compensation for the experienced professionals in our program.

ABOUT THE FUSE EXECUTIVE FELLOWSHIP

FUSE is a national nonprofit working to expand social and economic opportunities, particularly for communities that have been limited by a history of systemic and institutionalized racism. FUSE partners with local governments and communities to more effectively address pressing challenges by placing experienced professionals within city and county agencies. These FUSE Executive Fellows lead strategic projects designed to advance racial equity and accelerate systems change. Since 2012, FUSE has led over 250 projects in 40 governments across 20 states, impacting the lives of 25 million people.

When designing each fellowship project, FUSE works closely with government partners and local stakeholders to define a scope of work that will achieve substantive progress toward regional priorities. FUSE then conducts an individualized search for each project to ensure that the selected candidate has at least 15 years of professional experience, the required competencies for the role, and deep connections to the communities being served. They are data-driven and results-oriented and able to effectively manage complex projects by developing actionable roadmaps and monitoring progress to completion.

Executive Fellows are hired as FUSE employees and embedded in government agencies for at least one year of full-time work. Throughout their fellowships, they receive training, coaching, and professional support from FUSE to help achieve their project goals. FUSE Executive Fellows bring diverse perspectives and new approaches to their projects. They build strong relationships with diverse arrays of stakeholders, foster alignment within.

PROJECT CONTEXT

New Mexico is one of the most diverse states in the country. Albuquerque reflects the state’s diversity, with particularly large Indigenous and Latino populations. While Black and Asian communities have been historically overlooked in discussions of race in the Southwest, they represent significant parts of Albuquerque’s history and their numbers are growing.

The Office of Equity and Inclusion (OEI) aims to reduce barriers to equity and promote inclusive approaches to the City’s work. OEI manages Offices of Native American Affairs, Immigrant and Refugee Affairs, and Black Community Engagement, and advances LGBTQ and disability inclusion and gender pay equity. To improve their work and close the racial wealth gap, OEI aims to launch a guaranteed income program and two more offices: an Office of Financial Empowerment and an Office of Asian Affairs.

The guaranteed income initiative stems from a pilot that granted $500 per month to local families. The study showed that results were especially positive for children, low-income families, and immigrants. The Mayor and City Council expressed interest in directing revenue from the Albuquerque Marijuana Equity and Reinvestment Fund into a larger scale program. The Fund’s mandate to invest in communities negatively affected by the criminalization of marijuana (mostly communities of color) means that this guaranteed income program could help close the racial wealth gap. The proposed Office of Financial Empowerment would be well-suited to implement the initiative, in addition to other programs to close the wealth gap.

The Office of Asian Affairs will work to end anti-AAPI discrimination, engage Asian and Asian American community members, and ensure that City programs and policies are inclusive. It is especially appropriate that the Office of Asian Affairs is starting on a similar timeline as the Office of Financial Empowerment, given the City’s history of anti-Black and anti-Asian zoning and New Mexico’s participation in the internment of Japanese immigrants and Japanese Americans during World War II. Both histories prevented Asian Albuquerqueans from building generational wealth.

The City of Albuquerque will partner with FUSE to launch these initiatives. The Executive Fellow will support the implementation of the guaranteed income initiative for the first three groups participating in the program and host convenings for the Office of Financial Empowerment and Office of Asian Affairs. As a result of this work, Albuquerque will continue closing the racial wealth gap and make the City a better place to live for all of its residents.

PROJECT SUMMARY

Starting in May 2025, the FUSE Executive Fellow will develop deep relationships with a broad range of stakeholders, including City partners (e.g., OEI and subsidiary offices), local non-profits (e.g., United Way of Central New Mexico), and members of the public (with an emphasis on Asian Albuquerqueans and families who are likely to receive guaranteed income payments). The Executive Fellow will seek to understand the resources, opportunities, and aspirations these partners have for racial equity in Albuquerque. In addition, the Executive Fellow will review best practices for guaranteed income programs and closing the racial wealth gap in communities similar to Albuquerque. Finally, the Executive Fellow will work with their Executive Sponsor and Project Supervisor to develop and approve specific project goals and deliverables. While these goals and deliverables will likely include the ones listed below, they may differ based on situational changes and the Executive Fellow’s specific skills and experience.

Next, the Executive Fellow will support the guaranteed income program. This will include working internally to facilitate the procurement process necessary to transfer funds to the United Way of Central New Mexico–the program’s non-profit partner. In addition, the Executive Fellow will conduct community engagement to ensure eligible community members learn about the opportunity, sign up properly, and access additional opportunities such as financial counseling and home purchase assistance. If successful, three cohorts of beneficiaries will have begun receiving guaranteed income payments during the Fellowship.

In addition, the Executive Fellow will plan and implement convenings for both the Office of Financial Empowerment and the Office of Asian Affairs. This will include developing an agenda, identifying and engaging potential attendees, and facilitating the run-of-show. Both convenings should review accomplishments to date, bring in new stakeholders, strengthen existing partnerships, and lay out a policy and program agenda for moving forward.

In order to ensure sustainability, the guaranteed income program management and the convenings should cultivate buy-in for the new offices and program, both internally within the City government and externally in the community. They should also design any processes to be manageable under current staffing patterns and facilitate transfer of any necessary information and ongoing processes in a timely manner prior to the end of the Fellowship.

PROJECT DELIVERABLES

By April 2026, the Executive Fellow will have overseen the following:

  • Conduct a Stakeholder Listening Tour – Develop relationships with stakeholders in City government, local non-profit leaders, and members of the public to understand the resources, constraints, perceived opportunities, potential threats, and aspirations affecting racial equity and the wealth gap in Albuquerque. Conduct extensive best practices research related to closing the racial wealth gap in similar communities.
  • Oversee administrative logistics for Mayor’s Justice40 Executive Order – Set meeting schedule, conduct research on identified topics with actionable recommendations for the group to advance to the Executive Order and, as appropriate, organize and facilitate public workshop to promote the initiative.
  • Support the Guaranteed Income Program – Cultivate relationships, facilitate procurement processes, conduct community outreach, and manage additional aspects of the guaranteed income program as needed.
  • Facilitate the Office of Financial Empowerment Convening – Collaborate with City and local leaders to develop and facilitate an event to highlight early financial empowerment successes and lay out an agenda for the future.
  • Facilitate the Office of Asian Affairs Convening – Collaborate with City and local leaders to develop and facilitate an event to highlight early successes with the Asian and Asian American community and lay out an agenda for the future.

KEY STAKEHOLDERS

  • Executive Sponsor – Sonya Lara, Director, Office of Equity & Inclusion
  • Project Supervisor – Dr. Nina Cooper, Community Empowerment Officer, Office of Equity & Inclusion

QUALIFICATIONS

  • Synthesizes complex information into clear and concise recommendations and action-oriented implementation plans.
  • Develops and effectively implements both strategic and operational project management plans.
  • Generates innovative, data-driven, and result-oriented solutions to complex challenges.
  • Respond quickly to changing ideas, responsibilities, expectations, trends, strategies, and other processes.
  • Communicates effectively verbally and in writing and excels in active listening and conversing.
  • Fosters collaboration across multiple constituencies to support more effective decision-making.
  • Establishes and maintains strong relationships with diverse stakeholders, both inside and outside of government, particularly community-based relationships.
  • Embraces differing viewpoints and implements strategies to find common ground.
  • Demonstrates confidence and professional diplomacy while effectively interacting with individuals at all levels of various organizations.

FUSE is an equal-opportunity employer with core values of diversity, equity, and inclusion. We encourage candidates from all backgrounds to apply for this position.