{{Short description|American politician}} {{Use mdy dates|date=February 2015}} {{Infobox officeholder | name = James B. Lewis | term_start = 2007 | term_end = 2015 | predecessor = Douglas M. Brown | successor = Tim Eichenberg | governor = Susana Martinez | term_start2 = 1985 | term_end2 = 1991 | predecessor2 = Earl E. Hartley | successor2 = David W. King | governor2 = Toney Anaya<br>Garrey Carruthers | birth_name = James Beliven Lewis | office = 24th and 29th Treasurer of New Mexico | party = Democratic | birth_place = Roswell, New Mexico, U.S. | birth_date = {{birth date and age|November 30, 1947}} | education = Bishop College (BS)<br>National American University (BS)<br>University of New Mexico (MPA) <!--Military service--> | branch = {{Flag|United States Army}} | battles = Vietnam War }}

'''James Beliven Lewis''' (born November 30, 1947) is an American politician from the state of New Mexico. A member of the Democratic Party, he served as the state treasurer of New Mexico from 1985–1990 and from 2006–2014.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nmsto.gov/history_and_authority |title=History of New Mexico State Treasurers |publisher=New Mexico State Treasurer's Office |access-date=October 14, 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150919025542/http://www.nmsto.gov/history_and_authority |archive-date=September 19, 2015}}</ref> {{As of|2024}}, he is the only African American to serve in the role.<ref name="books.google.com">{{cite book |last1=Hornsby Jr. |first1=Alton |title=Black America: A State-by-State Historical Encyclopedia |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=TkGMnE6g1qMC&q=James%20B.%20Lewis%20African%20American&pg=PA561 |isbn=978-0-313-34112-0 |date=August 31, 2011 |page=561|publisher=Abc-Clio }}</ref>

==Early life and education== Lewis was born in Roswell, New Mexico, the son of Dorris Ward and William Reagor.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.thehistorymakers.org/biography/honorable-james-b-lewis |title=The Honorable James B. Lewis |last=Richardson |first=Julieanna L. |author-link=Julieanna Richardson |work=The HistoryMakers |date=2015-08-25}}</ref> After graduating from Gallup High School, he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in education from Bishop College and a Bachelor of Science in business administration from the National American University in Albuquerque.<ref name="sun">{{cite news |author=<!--none stated--> |date=2010-10-20 |title=Candidate Bios: State Treasurer candidates James B. Lewis (D) and Jim D. Schoonover (R) |url=http://archive.lcsun-news.com/ci_16385788 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101020010101/http://archive.lcsun-news.com/ci_16385788 |newspaper=Las Cruces Sun-News |access-date=23 November 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-date=October 20, 2010}}</ref> Lewis served in the United States Army for two years as a military policeman during the Vietnam Era.<ref name="books.google.com"/> He later received his Master of Public Administration from the University of New Mexico.

== Career == When he returned to the state, Lewis worked for the New Mexico State Personnel Office and the Public Service Career Office, specializing in minority recruitment. He then became director of the African American Studies Division under the Multi-cultural Enrichment Program.

He worked as a personnel counselor and administrator at the University of Albuquerque.<ref name="socialarchive">{{cite web |url=https://snaccooperative.org/ark:/99166/w6z90kvv |title=Lewis, James B. (James Beliven), 1947- |work=SNAC (Social Networks and Archival Context)}}</ref> He later worked for the Bernalillo County district attorney's office as a criminal investigator. Lewis was elected Bernalillo County treasurer in 1982, becoming the first African American to win a countywide election in New Mexico. He won re-election in 1984.

In December 1985, Governor Toney Anaya appointed Lewis as state treasurer after Earl Hartley pleaded guilty to misusing funds of the Western State Treasurers Association.<ref>{{cite news |last=Maass |first=Dave |date=2009-06-16 |title=Fiasco Frontier: New Mexico has had decades of political scandals—colorful ones |newspaper=Santa Fe Reporter |url=https://www.sfreporter.com/news/2009/06/16/fiasco-frontier/ |access-date=2024-08-31}}</ref> He completed that term and ran for a full term in 1986, becoming the first African American elected to a statewide office in New Mexico.

Governor Bruce King appointed him chief of staff in November 1990.<ref name="socialarchive" /> After Bruce King's defeat in the election of 1994, Lewis served four months as acting director of the Oil, Gas, and Minerals Division of the New Mexico Land Office.<ref name="socialarchive" /> In April 1995, he was appointed chief clerk of the New Mexico Corporation Commission. In 1996, Lewis was appointed city administrator of Rio Rancho and later that year was appointed as head of the Office of Economic Development and Diversity at the United States Department of Energy by president Bill Clinton. He later served under United States Secretary of Energy Bill Richardson.

In 2001, Lewis ran for the mayor of Albuquerque, losing to Martin Chávez.<ref name="socialarchive" /> Following the election, he was appointed Albuquerque's COO. Lewis also served as chief administrative officer for the city of Albuquerque, the highest-ranking position for an African American in the city's history. He retired in 2005.

In 2006, Lewis ran again for position of state treasurer and won, serving until he was term-limited in 2014.<ref>{{cite news |last=Clayton |first=Stephanie |date=2014-12-20 |title=Hundreds Gather for NM State Treasurer's Retirement Celebration |work=KOB |url=http://www.kob.com/article/stories/s3656390.shtml#.VgLk_Mu6dhG |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150925064127/http://www.kob.com/article/stories/s3656390.shtml |archive-date=2015-09-25 |url-status=dead}}</ref> In October 2007, State Treasurer James B. Lewis was elected president of the Western State Treasurers Association. In 2010, Lewis was president of the National Association of State Treasurers.<ref>{{cite web |title=Past Presidents |url=https://nast.org/presidents/ |access-date=2024-08-31 |work=National Association of State Treasurers}}</ref> In 2011 he received NAST's Jesse M. Unruh Award for current state treasurers.<ref>{{cite web |title=Awards |url=https://nast.org/awards-page/ |website=National Association of State Treasurers |access-date=2024-08-31}}</ref> In 2014, Lewis was elected president of the National Association of Auditors, Comptrollers and State Treasurers.<ref>{{cite web |title=Treasurer James B. Lewis Named NASACT Head |url=http://www.nast.org/index.php?section=success-stories&docid=18 |access-date=September 23, 2015 |work=National Association of State Treasurers (NAST)}}</ref>

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== * {{CongLinks|votesmart=43570}}

{{s-start}} {{s-off}} {{s-bef|before=Douglas M. Brown}} {{s-ttl|title=Treasurer of New Mexico|years=1986–1990}} {{s-aft|after=David W. King}} {{s-end}} {{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lewis, James B.}} Category:Living people Category:New Mexico Democrats Category:African-American people in New Mexico politics Category:State treasurers of New Mexico Category:1947 births Category:Bishop College alumni Category:Omega Psi Phi Category:Politicians from Roswell, New Mexico Category:University of New Mexico alumni Category:21st-century African-American politicians Category:20th-century African-American politicians