Commissioner Lisa Cacari Stone

Commissioner Lisa Cacari Stone, PhD

Santa Fe County Commissioner, District 2

Vice Chair, Board of County Commissioners (2025)

Commissioner Lisa Cacari Stone is a nationally recognized public health scholar, equity strategist, and champion for community-driven policy with more than 30 years of service across mental health practice, state governance, and public health research.

She currently serves as an Emeritus Professor in the UNM College of Population Health and is the founding director of the Equity in Policy Institute. Her work has secured over $30 million in federal and philanthropic funding and supported hundreds of emerging leaders from communities historically underrepresented in public health and policy.

A former licensed marriage and family therapist, state behavioral health administrator, and scholar and social scientist, Commissioner Cacari Stone has led major national initiatives including the Transdisciplinary Research, Equity & Engagement Center (National Institute of Minority Health & Health Disparities) and the WEAVE NM CEAL project (National Institutes of Health).  Drawing on Community-based Participatory Research she has led diverse academic-community teams in advancing health equity with Indigenous, Hispanic/Latine, Black, Asian, LGBTQ+, rural, and immigrant communities. Her research and expertise have been featured in leading journals and national media such as Health Affairs, AJPH, USA Today, and NPR.

In her first year in office (2025), Commissioner Cacari Stone:

  • Was elected Vice Chair of the Board of County Commissioners

  • Was appointed Vice President of the Northern Rio Grande Heritage Area

  • Earned a Graduate Certificate in Executive Leadership in Implementing Public Policy from the Harvard Kennedy School

  • Received the Lifetime of Public Service Award from the National Hispanic Science Network

She has been the lead sponsor on major county policies grounded in community engagement and evidence-based solutions, including:

  • A Resolution Upholding the Dignity, Safety, Health and Well-being of All Santa Fe County Residents which was paired with “Know Your Rights” training in collaboration with the Sheriff’s Office, County Adult Detention Center, Community Services Department, City of Santa Fe, Mexican Consulate and State Attorney General's office.

  • An Ordinance Establishing Policies for Recognizing Historical and Cultural Events at Meetings of the Board of County Commissioners is the first of its kind to formally recognize and celebrate the rich tapestry of traditions and cultures across the county and is the outcome of a community centered "dialogues" for intercultural understanding and healing between the County and Fiesta Council leadership.

Commissioner Cacari Stone also served as a Health Policy Fellow to the late U.S. Senator Edward “Ted” Kennedy and as Assistant Director and Senior Fellow of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Center for Health Policy. She has received national honors, including the Latina Trailblazer Award, the National Latino Behavioral Health Research Award, and appointment to the National Advisory Council of the NIH Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities.

A proud Purépecha/Mestiza New Mexican, she and her wife were among the “NM Sandoval 64,” helping pave the way for marriage equality in the state. Her leadership remains grounded in lived experience and the belief that government must listen to the people and invest boldly in their right to belonging, health, and opportunity — across every community in Santa Fe County.