Catching up on Spanish literature is the first thing the Village of Los Lunas Community Planning Director Art Mondragon plans to do when he retires.

"I want to reread some of the classics, too, by Una Muno, Ruben Dario. Classics like El Cid," said Mondragon, who is retiring from the village after 23 years of service. "Literature is a reflection of history."

When Mondragon was hired in January 1987, the Village of Los Lunas community development and public works was housed in the old Napoleon Artiaga Home. In February of that year, Mondragon became the new community development director.

"The state had acquired that property in a road expansion project. There was an orchard in back when I was there. I ate apples off the trees," he remembers.

Mondragon's department produced the village's comprehensive plan and subdivision regulations. They made sure developers were in design compliance, and reached out to pull business into the area and supply jobs to the residents.

"We worked with economic development to go ahead and provide information to potential employers and assist them in bringing their business to Los Lunas," said Mondragon. "I enjoyed working to bring Walmart in, Merillat and Tillery GMC. In the early 90s, the Los Lunas Hospital and Training school closed down, and a lot of jobs were lost. We helped businesses decide to build their plants here and replace the jobs that had been lost."

Mondragon's office has been responsible for carrying out the policies of the Los Lunas council to preserve the quality of life in the village.

"A large obligation has been enforcing the codes for the village," he said.

He has been involved in writing amendments to municipal codes, enforcing ordinances and developing retail strategies. Mondragon developed the Valencia County water and waste water master plans. He was also responsible for transportation oriented development, effective zoning, administrative techniques and planning and urban design.

"I took care of nuisances too, such as weeds and junk cars. Trucks over in the Walmart parking lot would leave terrible garbage," he said.

While born in Alamosa, Colo., Mondragon grew up in Pueblo, Colo. He went to school there.

"I earned my undergraduate degree at Southern Colorado State, a Bachelor of Arts degree in Spanish. I got my teaching certification for high school there, too," he said.

Mondragon continued his education at the University of Northern Colorado, earning his master's in social sciences with an emphasis in urban and regional planning.

In 1973, he began working in the upper Arkansas river area for the council of governments, providing technical assistance to local governments in the areas of planning and economic development.

Mondragon ambitiously sought to progress in his career, continually gaining experience and moving forward. Each job gave Mondragon more responsibility.

In 1978, he went to Kansas to work as a regional planner for the Association of Governments, then moved on to the West Texas Council of Governments in El Paso, where he worked for four years.

One day at work, the secretary asked him to meet her neighbor, Juanita, and he agreed. They hit it off right away, and began to date.

In July 1981, they married. Tommy, their first son, was born in Las Vegas, N. M., after Mondragon took a position as city planner there in 1983. Two years later, daughter Monica was born.

"She has a Bachelor of Arts degree in graphic art and computer animation," he said. "She wants to work in the computer animation field. She works during the day, but she's hoping to find a job in that field eventually.

"Tommy spent three years at New Mexico Tech in Socorro before UNM (University of New Mexico). He received scholarships — one was a Presidential Silver Scholarship," said Mondragon proudly. "He transferred to UNM to finish up his bachelor of science degree."

Tommy has since graduated from UNM with a physics degree, and is student teaching at Los Lunas high school.

It wasn't too long after taking the Village of Los Lunas position in 1987 that Mondragon and Juanita became the parents of twins, Adrian and Steve. They are juniors at Los Lunas high school.

"I'm going to spend more time with them now, help them go on to higher education," he said.

Mondragon raised his family in Los Lunas, and gave 23 years of service to improve the quality of life for the community.

Los Lunas Mayor Robert Vialpando announced Mondragon's retirement at the last village council meeting last week, and expressed deep appreciation for all his years of service. He said Mondragon has provided the foundation of information he has developed that will go on benefitting Los Lunas long after he is gone.

"I would like to recognize the service of Mr. Mondragon," said Vialpando. "He will retire at the end of the month. Since Feb. 9, 1987, he has given 23 years of service. His knowledge and contacts in planning are amazing. A huge knowledge resource is being lost.

"If you ask him about the soil composition for the Los Lunas area, he'll go get the book on his bookshelf and can tell you the type of soil for all of the Los Lunas area," Vialpando said. "If you want to know the flood plain, he can tell you about that. The foundation of information you have developed will continue to serve Los Lunas for years to come."

Mondragon said he will enjoy his retirement spending time with his family and reading 15th century Spanish literature.