Richard L. Lucero, a New Mexico

New Mexico

New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...

 businessman, was the longest serving mayor of Española, New Mexico

Española, New Mexico

Española also known as Espanola , is a city primarily in Rio Arriba County, New Mexico, in the United States. A portion of the central and eastern section of the city is in Santa Fe County. Española was founded in 1880 as a railroad village, incorporated as a city in 1925. The city is situated in...

, serving on and off for 22 years.

Lucero is the owner of Country Farm Supply, a store on Española's main street, that his family have owned since the 1970s. In 2004, he founded Española Military Academy, based on a similar school in Oakland, California

Oakland, California

Oakland is a major West Coast port city on San Francisco Bay in the U.S. state of California. It is the eighth-largest city in the state with a 2010 population of 390,724...

, with the vision of improving academic achievement through the use military discipline. In 2008, the Academy underwent a funding crisis as State officials sought to withdraw funding based on students' performance and radical teaching methods.

The Richard L. Lucero Center, Española's Public Library and Recreational Swim and Athletic Center, was named in his honor during his administration.