Melanie Goodman currently works as a Field Representative for U.S. Senator Ben Ray Luján in Las Cruces and is a key liaison between the Senator, legislative staff and the public, local and state government and industry in Southwest New Mexico. She brings 16+ years of combined field experience having worked prior to that for Senators Jeff Bingaman (6 years) and Senator Tom Udall (8 years). As Chairman of the Senate’s Technology, Media and Broadband Subcommittee, Senator Luján tasked Melanie to serve as his state lead on broadband issues with an aim of connecting 100% of New Mexicans to fast, reliable and affordable broadband internet. She participates in local, regional and statewide broadband and digital equity initiatives and was a founding member the New Mexico Broadband Collective and Doña Ana Broadband. Melanie has extensive outreach experience, broad knowledge of community needs and deep relationships among a wide array of key constituent groups throughout southwest New Mexico and across state. She loves working with border, rural and frontier communities and passionate about public service, equity and building New Mexico’s future. She has a Master’s in Public Health from New Mexico State University and a Bachelor of Arts, Comparative Literature and Minor in Latin American Studies from Colorado College.