Santa Fe’s emergency shelter, formally known as the Interfaith Community Shelter at Pete’s Place, has been in the headlines the past few months after city councilors voted to end a month-to-month contract with the nonprofit, which had provided an array of services to area homeless people for decades.

In that same decision, councilors approved a new contract with San Francisco-based group Urban Alchemy to take over operations at the shelter’s facility on Cerrillos Road effective the end of July.

As the transition continues, Mike Anderer, chief administrative officer for Urban Alchemy, joins “Conversations Different” to discuss some of the new management changes, including renaming the shelter to Agape House, his team’s efforts to clean up a bed bug infestation and how new policies will impact residents.

Anderer acknowledged the city’s separation from the Interfaith Community Shelter was opposed by many, but emphasized Urban Alchemy is committed to listening and working with community members to maintain and improve services.

For more information about Urban Alchemy, visit their website at urban-alchemy.us

To contact Mike Anderer about volunteering, email him at mikea@urban-alchemy.us

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Santa Fe Public Schools’ months-long search for a superintendent ended in May with the school board choosing Christine Griffin, a previous educational leader in Arizona, to hold the district’s top job. She assumed the role in June and has officially been making the rounds for more than a month now, connecting with parents, students and state and local leaders ahead of the start of a new school year.

Griffin joins “Conversations Different” to discuss how things are going during her first month, the upcoming school year and what her leadership priorities will be. Griffin also addresses a key community concern pertaining to federal funding cuts to schools and how the national issue will impact Santa Fe.

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Congresswoman Teresa Leger Fernández, U.S. representative for New Mexico’s 3rd district, joins “Conversations Different” to discuss what went down during the passage of congressional Republicans’ Big Beautiful Bill and how it will impact New Mexicans now that the bill is law.

Leger Fernández expressed deep concern over the bill’s cuts to Medicaid and SNAP benefits, citing New Mexico’s reliance on federal dollars for those programs to be effective. As a result, she said people could die by not getting the care and resources they need from the programs and rural hospitals could close.

Leger Fernández also recounts her exchange with a Republican colleague during a committee hearing over a provision in the bill which would’ve repealed a tax on tanning services. That provision was taken out of the final bill after her comments made during the meeting went viral on social media.

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