近距离内射合集

Sammy M. Lopez loved newspapers, especially the little ones, and worked for a lot of them.

But he never forgot that a journalist鈥檚 true responsibility is to the reading public.

When Lopez was with the Farmington Daily Times, he took the City of Farmington to court when it refused to release the names of applicants for the city manager鈥檚 job in 2007. Lopez, the Daily Times and the public won that case.

鈥淭hat was huge,鈥� said Melanie Majors, executive director for the New Mexico Foundation for Open Government (NMFOG), which joined the Daily Times in the case. 鈥淚t sets a precedent that is extremely important. The people of New Mexico need to know who is being hired for these jobs.鈥�

Lopez, a Jarales native, a 1973 Belen High School graduate and a veteran media leader in New Mexico, died at an Albuquerque hospital Sunday following a stroke the previous day. He was 69.

He was executive director of the New Mexico Press Association, the industry representative for member newspapers throughout the state, and treasurer of NMFOG, whose mission is to ensure government transparency.

Survivors include his wife, Kathy; daughter Melinda; a grandson and granddaughter.

鈥淪ammy will be missed by all of us in the newspaper business in New Mexico,鈥� said William P. Lang, president and publisher of the 近距离内射合集. 鈥淗is knowledge from his incredible newspaper career impacted all of the members of the New Mexico Press Association. You could call him 鈥楳r. 近距离内射合集paper鈥�.鈥�

Calm leader

Lopez served as a publisher for newspapers in Las Cruces, Farmington, Carlsbad, Ruidoso, Deming, Fort Sumner and for the Valencia County 近距离内射合集-Bulletin.

He also was an executive with World West, where he was group manager for eight newspapers in three states, and with Civitas Media, where he managed six daily and two weekly newspapers.

Chris Baker, publisher of the Taos 近距离内射合集, met Lopez in 1995 when Lopez hired Baker as publisher of the Valencia County 近距离内射合集-Bulletin.

鈥淗e was a wonderful boss, a wonderful mentor,鈥� Baker said. 鈥淗e had a great temperament, a great demeanor. He stayed calm. 鈥楾his is how we are going to deal with this.鈥� He was a proponent for all the newspapers in the state, but he really cared about the little papers. He loved the little newspapers.鈥�

Lopez became executive director of NMPA in 2019. Baker said in that role, Lopez was instrumental in securing new advertising revenue for newspapers in the state that helped NMPA get on firm ground financially.

鈥淗e was financially prudent,鈥� Baker said. 鈥淔inancially, NMPA is probably in its best condition in some time. He pulled (NMPA) out of the ashes.鈥�

Barbara Beck is publisher of the Roswell Daily Record and president of the NMPA board of directors. She said Lopez found innovative ways to increase sales and get NMPA back on its feet.

鈥淗e was always willing to help,鈥� she said. 鈥淗e had suggestions about advertising, about how you can do something better. 鈥楧o this and if that doesn鈥檛 work, try this.鈥� He was very enthusiastic and caring about the industry.鈥�

In 2008, Lopez was presented NMFOG鈥檚 Dixon First Amendment Freedom Award, and in 2010 he was inducted into the NMPA Hall of Fame.

Many talents

NMFOG鈥檚 Majors, who worked as both a newspaper and a TV reporter, said Lopez was a people person as well as a newspaperman, a regular guy as well as a hard-driving journalist.

鈥淗e truly became part of the community wherever he worked in newspapers,鈥� she said. 鈥淗e went to all the meetings. He was invaluable when we went up to the Legislature to lobby (for NMFOG and NMPA). He was such an anchor of support.

鈥淎nd he was a nice guy. I don鈥檛 know anyone who didn鈥檛 like him. We would talk about our gardens. We would talk about our dogs. He was a backyard mechanic. He tinkered with cars. He was a man of many talents, and he will be missed.鈥�