Bemis takes helm at state department

John Bemis, litigator, helicopter pilot, Army veteran and government executive, never wanted to succeed New Mexico's living legend. As it turned out, the path he did not care to travel has taken him on the ride of a lifetime. "I was looking for my last great job and I found it," said Bemis, secretary of the state Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department. A combination of timing, Bemis' compelling biography and a healthy dose of luck put him in the office. Republican Gov. Susana Martinez, in one of her first moves early in 2011, chose former astronaut and former U.S. senator Harrison Schmitt to run the energy department. But Schmitt, who was 75 years old and famous for having walked on the moon in 1972, was wary of private investigators who handle background checks for the state Senate. Schmitt declined to go through the Senate confirmation process. That left Martinez with no choice but to find a new cabinet secretary, her shooting star having flamed out. She turned to Bemis, who had been attorney for oil companies and later an assistant commissioner of the State Land Office under another Republican, Patrick Lyons. Bemis, 61, said he never aspired to any cabinet position. But in this case, good fortune grabbed him and lifted him to his version of Eden. Since taking office 13 months ago, Bemis has visited 20 of the 35 state parks that his department oversees. He said he is equally captivated by the state's forests, also managed by his agency. At times, Bemis said, Martinez gently reminds him that energy, especially the oil and gas industry that is so critical to the state's economy, should his primary concern...more