Getting to Know your Neighbor

Tommy Sanchez has been the district director of the Valencia Regional Emergency Communications Center for three years. He's been with VRECC for January 2018. He lives in Los Lunas with his wife, Valene Mitchell. He has two sons, Eyan Sanchez, 27, and Nikko Sanchez.

Q If you became invisible for the day, what would you do?

A “Take a day off: Ignore my phone, play video games and relax.”

Q What’s the weirdest thing you believed as a kid?

A “I grew up in Jarales, and with being around the ditches and the river, I believed La Llorona was a real thing.”

Q What does your ideal weekend look like?

A “Camping and hiking in the mountains with my wife capped off by a good rock or metal concert.”

Q If you could only have three things on your bucket list, what would they be?

A “Hang out with Iron Maiden. Participate in a jam session with some famous musicians. Attend an overseas music festival.”

Q Do you have a secret talent? What is it?

A “If I told you, then it wouldn’t be a secret.”

Q Have you ever seen a ghost? Where?

A “No, we would convince ourselves we saw a ghost on Tondre Road, but never actually saw one.”

Q If your dog, cat or other pet could talk, what’s the first thing it would say?

A “Our cats, Ghost and Hela, would definitely ask for treats. They may or may not do it in the voice of the twins from ‘The Shining.’”

Q If you could have a lifetime supply of anything (except money), what would it be and why?

A “Drumsticks and/or drum heads to keep things and sounding good and I tend to break sticks.”

Q You’re granted three wishes. What are they? (And you can’t ask for more wishes.)

A “Lifetime VIP access to every Iron Maiden concert — backstage passes, private jam sessions, and maybe even a chance to jam with the band on stage.

“A private, off-grid mountain retreat with the ultimate camping setup: log cabin, fire pit, endless steak and shrimp and gear that auto-replenishes.

“Wolverine’s healing factor and senses — just enough to hike farther and recover faster.”

Q Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

A “Retired.”

Q If money didn’t matter, what job would you have?

A “Professional musician.”

Q Is there anything about you that people are surprised to learn?

A “Usually that I wanted to be a professional musician.”

Q If you could pick a day to relive again and again, which one would it be?

A “My second wedding.”

PHOTOS: Asked & Answered: Tommy Sanchez

Q Would you rather spend a day without your phone or without speaking? Why?

A “Without my phone. My phone is pretty intense. It has to be answered on a 24-hour basis. With Nextgen 9-1-1, any phone service that goes down can cause a notification that will impact the center.”

Q What is your biggest pet peeve? Why?

A “Not being able to plan things. I’ve never been great at doing things on the fly. Although, after accepting the VRECC director position, I’ve had to learn to live with the reality of not being able to plan everything.”

Q What is that moment in your life you will always remember?

A “Seeing Iron Maiden for the first time. I’m grateful for my mom taking my 14-year-old self.

Q If you woke up as your 16-year-old self tomorrow, what would you do?

A “I would probably be freaking out until I came up with some sort of plan, but once the calm set in, I would definitely spend my time driving my Challenger and playing drums all day.”

Q What’s the strangest purchase you’ve made (or almost made)?

A “This question froze my brain. Move along, move along …”

Q Where was your most unforgettable vacation?

A “My trip to Hawaii.”

Q If you could travel anywhere in the world right now, where would you go?

A “I would catch Iron Maiden on their ‘Run For Your Lives’ tour overseas.”