Board of Directors, Region 1

Damian Lara

Assessor
Bernalillo County, New Mexico

Damian Lara brings a wealth of experience and perspective as Bernalillo County Assessor. His experience as a young person working the fields in eastern New Mexico and exposure to stark differences in the quality of life among neighboring communities inspired him to pursue higher education and a career in government. Mr. Lara earned a bachelor’s degree in political science and philosophy from Brown University and a law degree from the University of New Mexico School of Law.

His public service career began as congressional staffer with the U.S. House of Representatives and includes service as deputy assessor for Bernalillo County and leadership roles with the Assessors’ Affiliate of New Mexico Counties; and deputy director for economic development, City of Albuquerque. Legal experience includes representation of property tax and real estate, staff attorney for the NM Legislature drafting bills in the property tax code, and private practice.

Damian has also implemented a Generative AI tool to assist and educate property owner as part of a comprehensive “Know Your Value” public education and outreach campaign. He hopes to embark on an outreach campaign bring awareness of the IAAO Library, resources and assistance for all Assessing Offices, especially rural and smaller jurisdictions. He has presented at several IAAO conferences, including the IAAO Legal Seminar and GIS/Val Tech.