State Law Enforcement Academy announces new leadership

SANTA FE – The Department of Public Safety’s New Mexico Law Enforcement Academy is ushering in a new era in 2026, with leadership changes poised to benefit law enforcement and communities throughout the state.

Leading the way for the academy will be newly promoted Deputy Director of Operations Jessica Arballo, who previously served at the academy as the Operations Staff Manager among other acting leadership roles; and newly hired Deputy Director of Training is Jason Foster, who is beginning his 27^th year in law enforcement.

Deputy Director of Operations:  Jessica Arballo

Jessica Ochoa-Arballo joins the New Mexico Law Enforcement Academy as Deputy Director of Operations, bringing nearly 20 years of progressive leadership in public-sector operations, statewide program management, and regulatory compliance across public safety, corrections, and government administration. Early in her career, she built a strong foundation in supervisory leadership in the financial services industry, guiding teams to improve performance, strengthen compliance, and enhance operational efficiency. She then served as Operations Manager at the Santa Fe County Detention Facility, directing day-to-day operations, leading large teams, implementing major systems and programs, and ensuring alignment with applicable standards and protocols.

“I’m pleased to announce that we have filled two critical leadership roles at the New Mexico Law Enforcement Academy,” said New Mexico Department of Public Safety Deputy Cabinet Secretary Sylvia Serna.  “This is a well-earned internal promotion for Jessica Arballo. We are excited also to welcome Jason Foster as our new Deputy Director of Training. These appointments reinforce our commitment to standards, consistency, and the highest level of professionalism for the New Mexico Law Enforcement Academy.”

Arballo brings nearly 20 years of progressive leadership in public-sector operations, statewide program management, and regulatory compliance across public safety, corrections, and government administration.

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Foster retired as a Lieutenant from the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office, where he became the first deputy to receive the Medal of Valor in 2018, along with a Life Saving Award from the same incident.

“Our vision is to strengthen the academy as a statewide leader in law enforcement training through a modernized curriculum, consistent standards and strong accountability across both basic and advanced programs,” said Arballo and Foster. “We are committed to developing highly skilled, ethical, and community-focused law enforcement professionals through comprehensive training and leadership development.

“Our goal is to prepare recruits and tomorrow’s leaders to serve with integrity, accountability and excellence while strengthening public trust and advancing public safety across New Mexico,” Arballo and Foster added. “By maintaining updated training, ensuring compliance, streamlining cadet admissions, upholding high-quality instructor certification standards and delivering exceptional service, resources and guidance to agencies statewide, the academy continues to support the mission of the Department of Public Safety. With the opening of our new reality-based training center later this year, we look forward to modernizing training standards and introducing innovative, dynamic blocks of instruction that further advance that mission.”