Sheila Lewis on extreme risk protection orders and reducing gun violence in New Mexico

Sheila Lewis is an extreme risk protection order trainer and consultant who works with the nonprofit New Mexicans to Prevent Gun Violence. She has trained about 500 people on extreme risk protection orders, also known as red flag laws, that prohibits possession or purchase of a firearm by a person …

Johanna Gilligan on improving sustainability, affordability and livability through land use

Johanna Gilligan, chief external affairs officer at Homewise, talks about issues facing Santa Fe involving land use and previews the local and national experts who will give their presentations in Santa Fe for the Livability Speaker Series, presented by Homewise. Topics include why homelessness is …

Raashan Ahmad on bringing people together to celebrate Juneteenth and support the arts

Raashan Ahmad is a hip-hop artist and DJ in Santa Fe who is the executive director of Vital Spaces and co-founder of Earthseed Black Arts Alliance. He joins “Conversations Different” to discuss his path to Santa Fe and his passion for the community. Ahmad touches on the history of African Americans…

Santa Fe Foodies founder Robert McCormick on cultivating community around a passion for food

Robert McCormick created the Santa Fe Foodies Facebook group in 2018 and it has grown into a lively forum of more than 41,000 members who are passionate about the city's food scene. McCormick has also launched a website, santafefoodiesnm.com, to help residents and locals navigate the area's hundred…

New Española City Councilor Sam LeDoux on his path to politics and the crises Española must address

Sam LeDoux won his first political race in March when he was elected a city councilor of his hometown of Española at age 32. LeDoux joins "Conversations Different" to discuss his path into politics at an early age and the influence John McCain had on him when he worked for the former U.S. senator. …

Bienvenidos Visitor Information welcomes the world to Santa Fe

Located on the portal of First National Bank 1870 on the Santa Fe Plaza, Bienvenidos Visitor Information has been providing information on the culture, history and amenities of the nation’s oldest capital city to tourists and locals since 1961. Joella Mortillaro, executive director of the volunteer…

Carmella Padilla previews the Santa Fe International Literary Festival

The Santa Fe International Literary Festival has been a big draw in its first years of existence, and the 2024 gathering May 17-19 is expected to continue that trend. Author and journalist Carmella Padilla, a co-founder of the festival and a native New Mexican, joins "Conversations Different" to ta…

Joseph Maestas on how the State Auditor's Office tracks fraud, waste and abuse

State Auditor Joseph M. Maestas joins "Conversations Different" to talk about the role and importance of his office. Maestas discusses the authority of the State Auditor’s Office, the workload his staff faces, and the responsibility of being accountable for the safeguarding of taxpayer money. He al…

National Dance Institute of New Mexico celebrates 30th anniversary

Russell Baker, executive director of National Dance Institute New Mexico, and NDI New Mexico alumna Kristen Martinez join "Conversations Different" to discuss the impact of the nonprofit organization that offers in-school and after-school dance programs to instill values and habits in its students.…

Jamie Schulze previews inaugural SWAIA Native Fashion Week in Santa Fe

Jamie Schulze, executive director of the Southwestern Association for Indian Arts, joins “Conversations Different” to preview the inaugural SWAIA Native Fashion Week in Santa Fe and talk about how the event has grown over the years since the first Indigenous fashion show at Santa Fe Indian Market i…