County Names First Director of Community Safety & Well-Being Department

Adams County Manager Raymond Gonzales has named Matt Rivera as the county’s first director of the Community Safety & Well-Being Department. The new department will consolidate existing service areas including Community Corrections and Community Justice while introducing a new Parking Enforcement Division and Park Ranger program. This new department was created within the parameters of the 2019 budget and does not include any additional full-time employees.

“This department is critical to addressing a lot of the community-based concerns in our unincorporated neighborhoods,” said Gonzales. “I’m proud of the internal work done by our leadership team to consolidate disconnected – yet similar – divisions within the county in one department while not having to add any new full-time employees.”

In selecting Rivera, the county is elevating an internal manager into this new role. Rivera has served in the county’s People & Culture Services since 2017 as a manager focusing on organizational effectiveness.

“Matt has extensive experience in public administration, including previous leadership positions in criminal justice, elections and human resources for several jurisdictions in his home state of New Mexico,” said Gonzales.

Rivera earned a bachelor’s degree in Economics/Management and a master’s degree in Human Resources Management from the University of New Mexico. He begins working in this new role on April 29.