Ana Pacheco

Ana Pacheco was the historian for the city of Santa Fe from 2015 to 2017. She was the founding publisher and editor of La Herencia, a quarterly magazine on New Mexico history that she published from 1994 through 2009. From 2007 through September 2013, Pacheco wrote the weekly column A Wonderful Life for the Santa Fe New Mexican, documenting the oral histories of the elder community. In 2010 she published the official magazine for Santa Fe’s 400th anniversary.

Pacheco is the daughter of Jesús Pacheco and Natalie Ortiz. Her Ortiz ancestors settled in Santa Fe in 1694. Her mother, Natalie Ortiz, was a descendant of Diego de Vargas who led the resettlement of Santa Fe after the Pueblo Revolt in 1692. Don Gaspar Avenue is named after Natalie’s great grandfather, Don Gaspar Ortiz. The Ortiz Room at the Santa Fe Hilton Hotel and Ortiz Street located in the plaza area is named in honor of her grandfather seven times removed, Nicolás Ortiz. Her Pacheco ancestors arrived in Santa Cruz, N.M. in 1739 and moved to Santa Fe in the late 1800s. The busy thoroughfare Pacheco Street is named after Ana’s great-great grandfather Jose de la Cruz Pacheco.

In 1976 Pacheco moved to New York where she began her publishing career. She was a freelance writer, and also held various positions with entertainment, Hispanic and financial service publications as an advertising and international marketing executive. Pacheco returned to Santa Fe in 1992 and served on the Board of Directors for the National Hispanic Cultural Center for the state of New Mexico for seven years. She hosted a weekly Hispanic radio show for Citadel Communications for three years. Pacheco also served on the Wells Fargo Community Advisory Board and Santa Fe Fiesta Foundation board for several years. Ana Pacheco has written seven books on New Mexico history, her latest book, "Pueblos of New Mexico," will be published in August 2018.

Pacheco became a Paul Harris Fellow of the Rotary Foundation of Rotary International in 2010. The award was in appreciation of tangible and significant assistance given for the furtherance of better understanding and friendly relations among people of the world. In 2009 Pacheco received a Certificate of Appreciation from Santa Fe County for her work with the Hispanic and elderly communities in Santa Fe. She received the 2008 Heritage Preservation Award by the City of Santa Fe for Excellence in Community Traditions for her work with La Herencia. Pacheco is a 2007 recipient of the New Mexico Community Foundation Luminaria award for her leadership and contributions to the state of New Mexico. In 2006 she was awarded two national awards by the National Association of Press Women. She is a 2004 recipient of the Governor's Award for outstanding women of New Mexico. In 2004 she also received an award from PEN New Mexico for her efforts to preserve Hispanic culture, history and language. PEN New Mexico is the state's affiliate of the largest international professional association of writers, editors, and translators.  learn more »