The Office of African American Affairs (OAAA) was established by the New Mexico Legislature in 1999 to serve as an advocate, advisor, and resource for African American communities throughout the state. The agency was charged with promoting educational opportunity, economic advancement, health equity, civic participation, and cultural awareness while ensuring that African American voices are represented in state government and public policy discussions.
Under the leadership of founding Executive Director Sylvester 'Butch' Brown, OAAA launched its first statewide outreach efforts, including community forums and Black Town Hall meetings designed to connect residents with state government and identify community priorities. During the early years of the agency, Executive Director Alice Faye Kent Hoppes expanded OAAA's visibility, partnerships, and statewide impact, helping establish a foundation for future growth and community engagement.
Over the years, OAAA has worked alongside educators, businesses, faith leaders, healthcare providers, nonprofit organizations, elected officials, and community advocates to address issues affecting African American New Mexicans. Successive leaders have helped guide the agency through new initiatives, changing community needs, and evolving opportunities for engagement and advocacy.
Today, OAAA continues to build upon more than two decades of service to New Mexico. From educational achievement and workforce development to health initiatives, cultural preservation, and community engagement, the agency remains committed to strengthening communities, expanding opportunity, and helping ensure that African American New Mexicans have a voice in shaping the future of our state.
Executive Directors
Since its creation, the Office of African American Affairs has benefited from the leadership of dedicated public servants who have helped shape the agency's mission and expand its impact throughout New Mexico. Working alongside community leaders, educators, advocates, business owners, faith communities, and public officials, these individuals helped guide OAAA through periods of growth, transition, and evolving community needs
Sylvester "Butch" Brown: 1999 – 2002
Leader Profile: Sylvester "Butch" Brown served as the very first Director of the New Mexico Office of African American Affairs following its formal legislative creation via House Bill 909 in 1999. During the agency's infancy, the Governor’s Chief of Staff structurally assigned Brown to the role as a full-time coordinator on loan from within the state executive apparatus to establish its foundational footprint. Brown's administration was critical in transitioning the newly independent office from a legislative mandate into a functional state agency, laying down the initial framework for community outreach, health awareness, and educational advising tailored to New Mexico's Black population.
Alice Faye Kent Hoppes: 2002 – 2004 (Died in Office)
Alice Faye Kent Hoppes was a monumental force in New Mexico’s civil rights history, serving as a long-time president of the state's NAACP chapter before her gubernatorial appointment to lead the OAAA by Governor Bill Richardson in 2002. A lifelong advocate born in Tucumcari, she directly spearheaded the community activism that pressured the legislature to draft the agency's founding bill. During her passionate tenure, she aggressively fought for fair housing, advocated for Black educators in municipal school systems, and led the creation of the African American Pavilion at Expo New Mexico. Her legacy of advocacy remains structural to the office, and the landmark Alice K. Hoppes African American Performing Arts Center in Albuquerque stands as a testament to her permanent impact.
Doris Fields: 2004 (Interim Leadership)
Doris Fields stepped into critical agency operational leadership during a profound transitional period for the office. Highly regarded for her public health expertise across the state, Fields was strategically brought in "on loan" from the New Mexico Department of Health to anchor the OAAA's programs and preserve its baseline services. Known deeply as a community advocate, traditional cultural educator, and public health champion, her specialized administrative guidance allowed the young agency to steady its footing, sustain its policy initiatives, and successfully prepare its organizational structure for subsequent permanent directorships.
Dr. Harold Bailey: 2004 – 2012
Dr. Harold Bailey assumed the directorship under an appointment by Governor Bill Richardson following the passing of Alice Faye Kent Hoppes, going on to become one of the longest-serving and defining executives in the agency's history. Bringing an extensive academic background rooted heavily in the University of New Mexico’s Afro-American Studies program, Dr. Bailey institutionalized data-driven community reporting within the state cabinet layout. His multi-decade history in New Mexico civil rights work allowed him to significantly expand the agency's baseline advocacy across four distinct core pillars: healthcare equity, targeted economic development, systemic educational mentorship, and state-wide advocacy infrastructure.
Yvette Kaufman-Bell: February 2012 – 2018
Yvette Kaufman-Bell was appointed Executive Director by Governor Susana Martinez in February 2012, marking a historic chapter as the youngest leader chosen to guide the NMOAAA. Kaufman-Bell’s energetic tenure was defined by massive grassroots mobilization and highly visible community engagement campaigns, executing 3 County Black Expos and 15 distinct County Town Halls across New Mexico to directly log citizen needs. Her administration focused squarely on amplifying the visual branding of the office, modernizing outreach platforms, and expanding intersectional community networks, even representing New Mexico's state-level advocacy strategies within foreign delegations abroad.
William Scott Carreathers: 2019 – June 2020
William Scott Carreathers took the helm of the OAAA at the start of Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham's administration in 2019, transitioning into state executive service after a widely praised career leading the African American Student Services program at the University of New Mexico. Carreathers focused his directorship on building strategic pipelines connecting academic institutions directly to state government resources. His tenure concluded with his sudden resignation in June 2020 amid the shifting political climate surrounding national civil rights demonstrations, closing out a condensed but intensely focused period dedicated to institutional diversity restructuring.
Amy Whitfield: June 2020 – 2023
Amy Whitfield was appointed by Governor Lujan Grisham in mid-2020, bringing nearly two decades of localized, non-profit social service expertise and structural advocacy to the agency. Having previously headed the New Mexico Black Leadership Council and directed operations for the YWCA New Mexico, Whitfield holds a Master's in Social Work (MSW) and specialized in organizational program development. Her tenure safely steered the OAAA through the heavy policy shifts of the post-pandemic landscape, optimizing the agency's state accountability structures before she moved higher into the executive mansion to serve as the Governor’s Senior Advisor on Housing and Homelessness.
Charles Reado: 2023 – October 2025 (Acting Director / Deputy)
Charles Reado stepped into the critical role of Acting Executive Director following Amy Whitfield’s transition into her advisory post within the Governor's inner office. Reado successfully preserved steady agency management across state cabinet proceedings, ensuring that state-level healthcare reporting and municipal equity programs ran continuously without institutional gaps. Following his steadying interim leadership tenure, Reado gracefully transitioned into the permanent position of Deputy Director for the OAAA, where he continues to oversee internal operational initiatives and program deployments.
Gene Grant: October 2025 – Present
Gene Grant was appointed by Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham to lead the Office of African American Affairs as its newest Executive Director in October 2025. A highly recognizable public face in New Mexico media, Grant brought decades of deep journalistic, communication, and community analysis experience to the state cabinet, famously serving for years as the long-time host of New Mexico PBS’s flagship public affairs show, New Mexico In Focus. His current administration leverages his unique communication expertise to expand the visibility of the agency, drive contemporary legislative policy reforms, and reinforce modern community engagement strategies state-wide