Governor Bill Richardson, Richardson Center for Global Engagement

Air Dates: May 16-18, 2020

– This week's guest on REPORT FROM SANTA FE is former NM Governor Bill Richardson reporting on the Richardson Foundation's Navajo Family Relief Fund, as well as other important pandemic projects like the Empty Pantry Fund.

Governor Richardson details his work with the Richardson Foundation's “Covid-19 Navajo Families Relief Fund,” which is dedicated to supplying food, water, and critical itemslike PPE to the Navajo Nation. Richardson established the Fund in partnership with his Center for Global Engagement, Molina Health Care, Diné community groups, and the NewMexico Children’s Foundation.

In addition to supplying medical kits, masks, gowns, cleaners, food, and water, on May 12, 2020 the Richardson Navajo Families Relief Fund announced a $10,000 donation from theFund for a new ICU doctor in Gallup, NM, for the hospital there which has had an influx of Native American COVID patients in need of care.

Richardson is also working with actors Danny Trejo and Edward James Olmos to help the impoverished and vulnerable residents of the colonias in the southern part of NM,rural communities in close proximity to the U.S. / Mexican border without basic services.

There are other important pandemic projects Richardson is involved with. In conjunction with the Santa Fe New Mexican, the Santa Fe Community Foundation, and others, he helpedcreate an Empty Pantry Fund, which will provide households of unemployed workers with gift cards to local supermarkets, providing essentials to feed and care for their families.

Other topics of discussion include: New Mexico's economy and the catastrophic drop in the price of oil per barrel, a look at the historical relations between governors and the President of the USA, thoughts on leadership, and a look at North Korea and the rumored illness of leader Kim Jong Un.

Bill Richardson was the former 2 term governor of New Mexico (2003-2011), US Secretary of Energy (1998-2001), former US Ambassador to the U.N.(1997-1998), and U.S. Congressmanrepresenting New Mexico's 3rd District from 1983-1997.