Bernalillo County advisory board re-elects Matt Ray as chair, names Richard Stewart vice chair; introduces new county liaison

Bernalillo County’s Sheriff’s Office Advisory and Review Board re-elected Matt Ray as chair and selected Richard Stewart as vice chair at its January 2026 meeting, the panel announced.

The board followed its ordinance requiring annual officer elections at the first meeting of the calendar year. Mr. Stewart nominated the incumbent, Matt Ray, for another term as chair; the nomination was seconded and confirmed by a roll-call vote. Richard Stewart was nominated and seconded for vice chair and likewise confirmed by roll call.

The board also introduced Jennifer Barthoff as the new Bernalillo County liaison. "My name is Jennifer Barthoff," Barthoff said, describing more than 20 years in the medical field and two years in county human resources before taking an executive assistant position in the county’s public safety office. Barthoff said she is transitioning into the role and is learning responsibilities that support the board’s work.

Board members reviewed committee assignments for the year. The board’s volunteer committees — Policy & Practices; Community Engagement; Administration/Budget/Personnel; and Annual Report — were discussed and several members confirmed they would stay on current committees while some swaps were noted. Chair Matt Ray said he will follow up with members absent from the meeting to finalize rosters.

The board confirmed plans for public outreach and scheduling. Members discussed holding meetings or listening sessions outside downtown — in the North Valley, South Valley and East Mountains — to increase community participation. The board agreed by consensus to return to monthly meetings on the second Friday; the next regular meeting was set for Feb. 13, and a tentative field visit to the Public Safety Training Academy was proposed for March to allow the sheriff to demonstrate technology such as drones and other operations.

Committee updates included administrative questions board members asked the sheriff’s office to address, including a request for a clearer organizational chart and verification of staffing numbers posted on county web pages (a figure discussed during the meeting was 457 employees, including 315 sworn officers). Chair Ray said he would submit those items to the sheriff’s office and that responses are typically provided verbally when the sheriff attends meetings.

The chair also announced that the SORB annual report will be presented to the Bernalillo County Commission on Tuesday, Jan. 27, at 5 p.m.; the chair will present and invited board members to attend and be recognized.

Members discussed communications and recruitment outreach. The board was told the county communication services director plans to assign a communications specialist to support the board after the departure of a previous staff contact; one participant referenced 454 applicants for the latest academy as a sign of strong recruitment interest.

The meeting concluded after motion to adjourn was seconded and approved. The board made several follow-ups part of the chair’s action items, including scheduling off-site meetings and sending formal requests to the sheriff for the organizational chart, hiring status and other clarifications.