Tony Lopez just recently retired from the New Mexico Army National Guard after 25 years of service. Raised in a small Northern New Mexico town called Truchas, Tony graduated from Penasco High School in 1997 and attended college at New Mexico Military Institute in Roswell, NM enrolling in the ROTC program. Tony was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant into the US Army in 1999 and started his military career. Qualified as a Military Police officer, Tony held many titles and positions in his career to include highly coveted command positions. He has been to many unique places around the world to include Iraq, Romania and Guam. Tony reached the rank of Lieutenant Colonel several years prior to retirement. He is ready to wind down, spend more time with and be more available to his wife and 4 children including 1 that attends St. Marys. 

Tony has always enjoyed inspiring and influencing children. He has coached youth baseball and wrestling teams, has taught basic wildland survival to youth in elementary schools and has volunteered for youth programs within the community. Tony is excited to become part of the Cougar family and not only looks forward to being part of the staff team, but also is hoping to make a positive impact on the students at St. Marys.

Tony and his family reside in the South Valley of Albuquerque. In his free time, Tony enjoys hiking and camping in unique and isolated areas, hunting big game, watching and analyzing sports especially football and he is a die-hard fantasy football player. He also loves to attend live music events especially for rock bands.

“Control what you can, confront what you can’t and always remember how lucky you are to have yourself.” - a band called The Maine