Stephen Lopez serves as the manager of the Office of Emergency Management (OEM) for Doña Ana County in New Mexico and is the former Chief of Police for the New Mexico State University system. Lopez has been in campus law enforcement for over 28 years. He has also been adjunct faculty for 14 years teaching courses in criminal investigations and public health, and holds numerous law enforcement instructor certifications.
He has bachelor degrees in criminal justice and psychology, and a masters in strategic planning for critical infrastructures. He has taught at regional and national conferences, including the Campus Safety Conferences. He also conducts workshops in areas including integrating training in use of force, active shooter response, and select fire weapons for patrol. He is a regular facilitator and evaluator in tabletop, functional, and full scale exercises.