By Cassie McClure and Suzanne Michaels
Published in the Las Cruces Sun-News 9/8/19
Las Cruces Utilities (LCU) welcomes Delilah Walsh, who joined the department as the new – and first ever – Assistant Utilities Director in July 2019. Walsh saw Las Cruces as a new opportunity to grow and learn, for herself and her family. “Las Cruces is well-known, not just in the state but in the nation, as one of the best run cities,” she explained, “I wanted a chance to grow and learn from a high-performing City department.”
Walsh is a New Mexican through and through, “My family has been in New Mexico well before we were a state or even a territory.” For ten years, she served as the Socorro County Manager and was responsible for all operational and financial matters including policy development and implementation, board management, budget management, strategic planning, and direction to all county administrative department heads.
Walsh holds both a Bachelor of Science and Master of Engineering Management degree from New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology. Prior to joining Socorro County, she was vice president at First State Bank and worked in all aspects of banking for more than a decade.
Coming to understand the LCU Department, however, comes with some growing pains. “It’s been like drinking from a fire hose,” Walsh admits. “You can understand the services and the mission, but the depth of knowledge that everyone has is incredible. It comes from every single passionate employee in the department.”
She continued, “Everyone knows that their job is important, and they want to make a difference for this community. They want services to be excellent and for customers to know that we will always be taking care of you. Here, the passion is very much alive.”
Walsh is excited to dig in with her background of investment, financial planning, and policy development to support LCU, and grow into knowing more about the city. For Walsh and her husband Dennis, who joined the City of Las Cruces Public Works Department, Las Cruces was the perfect place to call home with their children Jacob, 22, Joshua, 15, and Sarah, 9.
“My husband and I wanted a place where we could cultivate our careers and have access to great schools for our children, plus another priority was the University,” she said. “A University is a huge advantage for a town. Like New Mexico Tech, New Mexico State University brings diversity and technological opportunities that benefit all residents.”
Walsh also has a passion for employee education and serves as an instructor for NM EDGE, a program through NMSU’s Cooperative Extension Service designed to provide education and training to government employees.
“What’s absolutely beautiful about our state is its richly historic and agricultural heritage blended with cutting-edge scientific advances,” she said. “Between our Native American culture, Hispanic culture, and Anglo culture, it’s amazing how diverse and how well we get along to enjoy everything from the sunsets to the food.”
You can reach Las Cruces Utilities at 528-3500 from 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Las Cruces Utilities provides GAS – WATER – WASTEWATER – SOLID WASTE services to approximately 100,000 Las Cruces residents and businesses.
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PHOTO 1: LCU Assistant Utilities Director, Delilah Walsh, is looking forward to supporting the LCU mission of providing safe gas, reliable water, and the removal of solid waste and wastewater, and looks forward to growing in a City department that’s part of one of the best run cities in America.