New Faces Bring Diverse Wealth of Experience to City Roles
The City of Albuquerque welcomes four new team members who are advancing equity in local government and our community. Carlo James Aragón is the first-ever City of Albuquerque Liaison to the Asian, Pacific Islander, and Native Hawaiian (APINH) community; Gabriela Marques is the Manager of the Office of Civil Rights and Consumer Protection; and two FUSE Executive Fellows are joining the City in the Office of Equity and Inclusion and the Health, Housing and Homelessness Department—Jacky So and Virgil Looney. The FUSE program places experienced professionals in local governments to drive strategic initiatives.
“Jacky, Gabi, and Carlo bring a wealth of experience and creativity that aligns impeccably with the hard work of our staff,” said Sonya Lara, Director of OEI. “Their arrival empowers OEI to continue to expand our work and reach communities deserving of our programming and initiatives.”
“The FUSE Executive Fellowship program is a great opportunity for the City to partner with professionals who bring a wealth of experience and heart to our work,” said Director of Health, Housing & Homelessness Gilbert Ramírez. “We are grateful to bring Virgil aboard, and he will be instrumental in advancing our mission to provide more affordable, dignified homes for low-income residents.”
“With Carlo, Gabi, Jacky, and Virgil joining the diverse team at City Hall, we continue leading with our values – inclusion, representation, and community,” said Mayor Tim Keller. “Their deep experience and dedication to equity and innovation reflect the best of Albuquerque’s public service.”
Originally from New Mexico and a former U.S. diplomat, Carlo Aragón will serve as the first-ever APINH Liaison and brings over a decade of international leadership to the role. This new position will ensure a dedicated connection between local government and the APINH community to listen, address their specific needs, and strengthen ties. Previously, Aragón led public engagement efforts in Lebanon and Nepal, working across cultures to expand access to U.S. programs. Fluent in Arabic, Spanish, and Nepali, Carlo draws from his Filipino and Hispano heritage to guide his community work with a deep sense of querencia—a love of place and belonging.
Gabriela Marques brings extensive experience advocating for disadvantaged, small, and minority businesses. As former Director of the NM Minority Development Agency Business Center, she helped over 350 minority businesses secure $83+ million in financing and generate $350+ million in revenue since 2020. Born and raised in Brazil, she holds a bachelor’s degree from UC Berkeley and a master’s degree from UC San Diego. Her proven track record championing economic opportunity makes her uniquely qualified to lead consumer protection and civil rights initiatives.
Jacky So, a FUSE Executive Fellow for OEI, supports Deputies Dillon Shije and Nina Cooper and in advancing the City’s Justice40 goals and plays a key role in establishing the new Office of APINH Affairs. A systems thinker and former Senior Director of Digital Platforms at a health tech startup, she led efforts to expand multilingual healthcare access for over 10 million appointments. Jacky has overseen more than 150 software development projects and managed cross-functional teams during the COVID-19 pandemic. As a first-generation Cambodian-American and Google Udacity Scholar, her work is rooted in a commitment to equity and access for historically underserved communities.
Virgil Looney, FUSE Executive Fellow for HHH, has focused his career on advancing economic equity and has worked with community-based organizations tackling critical issues such as fair financing and ensuring underserved communities gain access to the benefits of renewable energy. Virgil will lead the project “Catalyzing Bold, Inclusive Affordable Housing Expansion.” Most recently, Virgil worked on income-based clean vehicle incentive programs focused on increasing access to lower-income community members. Virgil is an alumni of Carnegie Mellon University Integrated Innovation Institute, Earlham College, Coro Fellowship in Public Policy, and AmeriCorps.
Find more information about the Office of Equity and Inclusion. Find more information about the Department of Health, Housing & Homelessness.