Deputy Commissioner of Operations

Sunalei Stewart has over 20 years of experience in federal, state, and local government. Before rejoining the Land Office, Sunalei served as the Chief of Staff and Deputy Chief Administrative Officer for the City of Albuquerque under Mayor Tim Keller. He was the Chief of Staff at the State Auditor’s Office under then-Auditor Keller and served as the Deputy Land Commissioner for the State Land Office in the Powell Administration. In addition, Sunalei has held various positions, including Legislative Director and Senior Counsel, in the office of former U.S. Senator Jeff Bingaman. He worked for the U.S. Department of State, Office of the Legal Adviser, prior to joining the Senator’s staff. He has a B.A. in political science and philosophy from the University of Arizona, and a J.D. and M.A. (international affairs) from American University. He is admitted to practice law in New Mexico, California (inactive) and Oregon (inactive) and is a Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE).