Riis Gonzales

Mr. Gonzales currently serves as President and CEO at the Sandia Foundation, located in Albuquerque, New Mexico. In his current role, Mr. Gonzales oversees all aspects and operations of the Foundation, which primarily supports the University of New Mexico, Dickinson College, and the Albuquerque community. The Foundation has contributed over $49 million to Dickinson College and over $49 million to the University of New Mexico, focusing on academic excellence for undergraduate students. Furthermore, the Foundation has allocated more than $11 million to various Albuquerque community non-profits, emphasizing support for youth, families, and financial education.

Prior to joining the Sandia Foundation, Mr. Gonzales served as the executive director for the New Mexico School for the Arts-Art Institute. During his tenure, he successfully secured both a location and multi-million-dollar funding for the permanent Santa Fe campus. Mr. Gonzales initiated his career in higher education at the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology in Socorro, New Mexico, and later held various roles at New Mexico State University, culminating in the position of vice president for development. In this capacity, he managed the successful $225 million campaign for the NMSU Foundation.

Additionally, Mr. Gonzales contributed his expertise to the New Mexico State Senate, serving six legislative sessions as the chief-of-staff and analyst for the Senate Education Committee. Mr. Gonzales volunteers as a youth basketball coach, and has led exceptional young players from Española, Rio Rancho, Albuquerque, and Santa Fe to various state, regional and national Amateur Athletic Union championships.