Mayor Tim Keller Appoints Michael Puelle as Chief of Staff

March 17, 2020

Today, Mayor Tim Keller announced the appointment of Michael Puelle to the key position of Chief of Staff for the City of Albuquerque. In this role, Puelle will manage and direct the day-to-day operations of the Office of Mayor, supervising a number of areas including public affairs, constituent services, communication, intergovernmental relations, strategic initiatives, community engagement, and administrative functions.

Puelle has vast experience working as public policy consultant and administrative leader, most recently joining the City after a decade as the Chief Executive Officer and Director of Public Policy and Government Relations for Associated General Contractors (AGC) New Mexico, an organization that works to enhance the standards of the commercial construction profession. AGC New Mexico opened the ACE Leadership High School in 2010 and has continued to help youth develop valuable skills in architecture, construction, and engineering. His duties included overseeing the state-wide strategic agenda, staff, budget, and programming, as well as directing and coordinating advocacy efforts and community engagement activities.

Prior to that, Puelle worked as the co-founder and principal of The Setter Group, LLC, which specialized in strategic communications and public policy services for a wide variety of clients, including Pueblos and Tribes, education, healthcare, and economic development institutions. Early in his career, Puelle served in the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services as a special assistant, program analyst, and budget analyst.

Puelle graduated Magna Cum Laude from University of Connecticut and went on to earn a Masters of Public Administration from the University of Maryland. Puelle moved to Albuquerque in 2001.