Carlos W. Fierro is an executive and strategic advisor with more than twenty years of leadership spanning Municipal, County, State, Tribal, Federal, and international government affairs — uniting governments, tribal nations, businesses, and international partners around shared goals. He is fluent in Spanish and English.
He began in public service as Legislative Director and Senior Counsel to Congressman Tom Udall — later a U.S. Senator and U.S. Ambassador to New Zealand — then as Senior Counsel and Subcommittee Staff Director to U.S. Senator John McCain on the Senate Commerce Committee, overseeing transportation safety, consumer protection, and foreign commerce, serving as lead investigator in the Enron investigation, and authoring the Federal Do Not Call Registry.
As Director of Lobbying & Governmental Affairs for the Nordhaus Law Firm, he represented Tribal governments before Federal and State government, personally resolving a decades-long lawsuit between Rio Arriba County and the Jicarilla Apache Nation and brokering a historic peace agreement between Acoma Pueblo and the Kingdom of Spain — landmark achievements early in his career. He later developed the strategy that brought then–Crown Prince Felipe of Spain, now King Felipe VI, to Santa Fe for its 400th-anniversary commemorations.
Since 2015, as Principal of Fierro Consulting, he has guided a Medicaid HCBS provider through a State compliance overhaul, advised boards on fiduciary duties and governance, resolved over $600,000 in billing disputes for a home healthcare company, and guided a commercial real estate developer through permitting and tenant relocation. He also owns and operates Anasazi Construction, a licensed construction firm in California — bringing an equally comfortable footing in capitols, boardrooms, and construction sites to the organizations he advises today.
Every engagement is grounded in a single principle — the one the Ambassador of Spain singled out in Carlos: that progress is built on genuine respect for every party at the table.
Trusted counsel among local, tribal, state, federal, and international partners — turning friction into working intergovernmental agreements.
Guiding licensed providers through State performance improvement and corrective action plans, board crises, and emergency response — protecting licensure and reputation.
Planning for growth — jobs, infrastructure, and investment — including cross-border economic and cultural initiatives with the Government of Spain.
Advising boards and executive leadership on fiduciary duties, restructuring, HR policy, and administrative policy development.
Contract review, permitting, budgeting, and project management for developers and licensed construction and remodeling projects.
Media and press strategy, community outreach, and appropriations advocacy that connect organizations to the audiences they need to reach.
Advisory across New Mexico's growing critical-minerals and advanced-energy sector — mineral development, mine-waste recovery, processing and refining, transmission infrastructure, and tribal energy partnerships — connecting companies and investors with the state, federal, and tribal agencies that control funding and permitting.
Carlos possesses profound insight and vision, complemented with an incredible gift of articulation and facilitation. His artful skills create the mutual respect necessary to achieve mutual benefit — strengthening intergovernmental relationships where the public becomes the ultimate beneficiary.
Directed the legislative operation of a member of Congress — later a U.S. Senator — supervising staff, setting policy priorities, and managing a portfolio of federal, state, tribal, and local issues.
Handled oversight of transportation safety (NHTSA), consumer protection (CPSC), telecommunications, and interstate and international commerce — and contributed to the Enron investigations and the Muhammad Ali Boxing Reform Act.
As Director of Lobbying & Governmental Affairs, personally initiated and led the strategy that resolved a decades-long lawsuit between the county and the Nation — among the most complex intergovernmental issues in the state.
Separately brokered a historic peace and cooperation agreement between Acoma Pueblo and the Kingdom of Spain, resolving a 400-year-old dispute, and later led the strategy that brought then–Crown Prince Felipe of Spain, now King Felipe VI, to Santa Fe for its 400th-anniversary commemorations.
Recognized for the Jicarilla Apache–Rio Arriba and Acoma–Spain work, with selection to the New Mexico Business Journal's “40 Under 40 Power Brokers” and the U.S.–Spain Council's Top 15 Young Hispanic Leaders.
Advised New Mexico's Pueblo governments on economic development and federal advocacy, and led trade and cultural initiatives for the cities of Santa Fe and Albuquerque with the Government of Spain.
Guiding clients through State regulatory compliance, board governance, real estate development, and organizational crises — while operating a licensed construction and remodeling business in California.
Whether it's an organization navigating a complex partnership, a government relationship that needs a steady hand, or a community pursuing a shared goal — the conversation starts here.
