Board and Management

David Archuleta is the Executive Director. Before joining ERB, he served as Deputy Director before being promoted to Executive Director in 2017 at the New Mexico Retiree Health Care Authority (NMRHCA). During his time at NMRHCA, he contributed to the extension of the program’s solvency from 16 years to more than 30, while investments grew from $268 million to more than $1.1 billion today. David’s professional experience includes more than 20 years of service with the General Services Department, Department of Finance and Administration, Legislative Finance Committee, and Department of Transportation. David earned a Master of Business Administration from the College of Santa Fe and Bachelor of Business Administration, with a concentration in finance, from the University of New Mexico.

Lawrence Esquibel is the Deputy Director for the New Mexico Educational Retirement Board (NMERB). Mr. Esquibel served as Chief Information Officer with the NMERB for six and a half years before assuming the role of Deputy Director on May 1, 2021. His experience includes 17 years in the business, technology, and health care sectors combined with over 30 years of managerial experience. Prior to joining NMERB, Mr. Esquibel served as the Director of Information Technology for seven and a half years for the County of Valencia and with United Way of Central New Mexico for six years.

Before starting at ERB, Renada spent the last 12 years as an ASD Director for various state agencies, such as the Children, Youth and Families Department, Public Employees Retirement Association, Early Childhood Education and Care Department and Public Regulation Commission.  She provided management and oversight for human resources, information technology, financial services and budgets.  Renada started her career with State of New Mexico at the Legislative Finance Committee where she worked for eight years as a Performance Auditor and Senior Fiscal Analyst. Her experiences have given her a broad perspective of New Mexico state government from working on policy and budgetary issues for the legislature to financial and operational management of state agencies.

Renada holds a Bachelor of Science degree in telecommunication and public relations from Eastern New Mexico University and a Master of Public Administration degree from New Mexico State University.  She is certified as a Chief Procurement Officer.

Bob Jacksha is the Chief Investment Officer for the New Mexico Educational Retirement Board (NMERB).  He joined NMERB in January of 2007.  His experience includes 35 years in the investment industry and state government including the New Mexico State Investment Council.  Bob holds the Chartered Financial Analyst and Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst designations. He received an MBA from the University of St. Thomas and a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Bemidji State University.

Randall Cherry is the General Counsel to the Educational Retirement Board.  Randall joined ERB in March of 2023. He has worked in state government for over 30 years and has broad experience, including serving for over 10 years as General Counsel to various state agencies in New Mexico and Colorado. Randall holds a law degree from Southern Methodist University and a Bachelor of Science Degree in Accounting from the University of Texas at Dallas.

Renee Garcia is the Communications Director at New Mexico Educational Retirement Board. She oversees the ERB’s internal and external communications and outreach. She is a consummate professional with experience in full cycle marketing for the private sector and a B.A. in Mass Communications and Public Relations from the University of New Mexico.

As a native New Mexican she knows New Mexico and is posed to further share the benefits of ERB membership with educators, administrators, and staff. Her goal is to help educate NMERB Members at every stage of their retirement journey whether individuals are just starting, have been working for a while, or are retired.

Melinda Garcia joined the Educational Retirement Board as the Human Resource Manager in March 2022. Prior to joining ERB, Melinda was the HR Manager for the State Personnel Office where she served as the Shared HR Services Manager for 12 different state agencies. Prior to joining state government, Melinda worked in the private sector, gaining 20 years of extensive experience in Employment Law and Human Resources Management. Melinda is also a certified Alternative Dispute Resolution Mediator with many years of experience practicing and implementing various resolution processes and techniques used to settle disputes in the work environment.

Monica Lujan is the Member Services Director for the New Mexico Educational Retirement Board. She joined NMERB in November of 2015. Monica has eighteen years of experience in retirement plans. She came from the Public Employees Retirement Association (PERA), where she worked in all areas of the Member Services Division, starting at the front desk as a receptionist in 1999 and later managing the death and disabilities unit. Monica knows how important it is to help members understand their benefits to more fully enjoy their retirement security. Monica is also a Petty Officer in the Navy Reserve and proudly served in Afghanistan during Operation Enduring Freedom.