Ray Bennett Powell is an American politician and
veterinarian
A veterinarian (vet) or veterinary surgeon is a medical professional who practices veterinary medicine. They manage a wide range of health conditions and injuries in non-human animals. Along with this, veterinarians also play a role in animal r ...
from the state of
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state in the Southwestern United States, Southwestern region of the United States. It is one of the Mountain States of the southern Rocky Mountains, sharing the Four Corners region with Utah, Colorado, and Arizona. It also ...
. He served as
from 1993 until 2003, and again from 2011 until 2015.
Early life and education
Powell was born in
Albuquerque, New Mexico
Albuquerque ( ; ), also known as ABQ, Burque, the Duke City, and in the past 'the Q', is the List of municipalities in New Mexico, most populous city in the U.S. state of New Mexico, and the county seat of Bernalillo County, New Mexico, Bernal ...
. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in anthropology and biology from
University of New Mexico
The University of New Mexico (UNM; ) is a public research university in Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States. Founded in 1889 by the New Mexico Territorial Legislature, it is the state's second oldest university, a flagship university in th ...
, a Master of Science in botany and plant ecology from UNM, and a Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine from
Tufts University
Tufts University is a private research university in Medford and Somerville, Massachusetts, United States, with additional facilities in Boston and Grafton, as well as Talloires, France. Tufts also has several Doctor of Physical Therapy p ...
, with an emphasis in wildlife medicine.
Career
Powell entered politics in 1993 after he was appointed
by Governor
Bruce King. He was elected to a full term in 1994 and reelected in 1998. Due to term limits, Powell could not run again in 2002.
He ran again in 2006 and narrowly lost to
Jim Baca, whom he had succeeded in 1993, in the Democratic primary. Powell ran once again in 2010 and this time was successful. He lost in 2014 to Republican
Aubrey Dunn Jr. by a margin of 704 votes out of nearly 500,000 cast.
Prior to his election as Commissioner in 2010, Powell worked with scientist and humanitarian
Jane Goodall and for the
Jane Goodall Institute. Powell served as the elected state land commissioner from 1993 to 2002 and from 2011 to 2014. He was the president and vice-president of the 22-member Western States Land Commissioners Association from 1996 to 1998. He served as a special assistant to Governor Bruce King with responsibility for environment, natural resources, health, and recreation. Powell served two terms as a member of the
United States Department of Agriculture
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is an executive department of the United States federal government that aims to meet the needs of commercial farming and livestock food production, promotes agricultural trade and producti ...
Committee on Foreign Animal and Poultry Diseases.
In this capacity he gained significant expertise in understanding the impacts of disease and other pathogens on our human and domestic and wild animal populations. Powell served as a member of the New Mexico Board of Veterinary Regulation and Licensing from 2002 to 2010. He was the chairman of the board for much of his tenure. He worked tirelessly to enhance the humane treatment of animals.
Personal life
Powell is married to Jean Civikly-Powell, a professor emerita of Communication at the University of New Mexico. She has served as Ombudsperson for the UNM faculty since 1999.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Powell, Ray
Living people
Date of birth missing (living people)
New Mexico commissioners of public lands
New Mexico Democrats
Politicians from Albuquerque, New Mexico
University of New Mexico alumni
Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine alumni
Year of birth missing (living people)