Catching up with ex-TV news anchor: One-on-One with Kimberly Vallez Quintana

Apr. 29—The face and the name are instantly recognizable. Kim Vallez Quintana, a native of New Mexico, spent a quarter-century as a TV news anchor and reporter. Quintana now uses her experience in a New Mexico way, serving one of its distinguished national laboratories, Sandia National Laboratories, as a communications specialist.

It's been an exciting career for the Belen native, who graduated from Belen High School and attended New Mexico State University, and Vallez Quintana has some insights and knowledge from her years under the bright lights, as well as some advice for youthful New Mexicans looking to enter the news business.

After graduation, Vallez Quintana went on to work as a reporter in Lubbock, Texas, for three months, then quickly landed a job in a bigger market, which was El Paso, Texas. This was where the journalism news bug bit. Two years later, she returned home to the Albuquerque market.

She started her long career at KRQE in 1999 as a weekend reporter. Within a year, she was promoted to morning anchor and over her career moved on to weekend evening anchor, noon anchor and, finally, 4 p.m. anchor.

Throughout her career, Vallez Quintana found joy in taking time to report in the field and tell the stories of the community.

She is most proud of her investigative journalism in the area of child abuse and the Emmy she won in 2009 for her stories on Baby Brianna, a child who was killed by her family through abuse. The story brought attention to the problems with child abuse in our state and the lax laws New Mexico had on the books. The story eventually prompted reform of those laws and tougher penalties for child abuse.

In 2023, she decided it was time for a career change and became a communications specialist at Sandia, where she tells the stories of the work that happens at the Labs and the extraordinary people who work there. She also serves as an emergency public information officer for Sandia. She is charged with keeping the workforce and public up to date during emergency situations.

She is married with three children and lives in the East Mountains.

Her favorite pastime is playing volleyball and attending her kids' many sporting events.

Do people still recognize you from your TV days?

"Yes, all the time. Usually in a store somewhere, or at one of my kids sporting events. These days though, I walk around with little makeup on and my hair in a ponytail (a big change from the big hair and thick makeup I wore on TV). Truthfully, I'm surprised they can even identify me. They are always very kind and tell me they miss me. They also almost always tell me they didn't realize I was so tall. (I'm about 5'10").

It makes me a little sad that I left the business, I was a part of their lives and in their homes for 25-plus years, but it was time."

What are your thoughts on New Mexico and its future?

"New Mexico is what I like to call a big, small town. I am always running into people who I know or have a connection to someone I know, or are related to someone I know, sometimes even me. Someone will come up and say, 'Hey, I'm your cousin.' Turns out they are right, after I follow the connection.

I appreciate the close-knit community and the history of New Mexico, which is why I chose to raise my family here."

And New Mexico's future?

"I have some apprehension for the direction it's going. Crime and homelessness concern me, which is why my family has chosen to live in the East Mountains — not free from it, but removed enough. My kids have always attended public school, but I feel like we have a long way to go to give our kids the education and tools they need to be successful in life."

And the state's economy?

"As for business and development, I think we have done a much better job in recent years of helping our state grow but have a way to go. Sandia National Labs, where I work now, is one of New Mexico's gems. I learned that quickly in the year that I've been working here. There are extraordinary things that go on here and extraordinary people who work here. I feel like more people around the country should know what we do and the things we create, which, by the way, is now my job as a communications specialist at Sandia."

What would you say to young people who want to get into broadcast journalism?

"For TV news, I would start by saying it is not what it used to be. The industry has changed so much in recent years, which is one reason I decided to leave. There are not a lot of solid, dedicated journalists left. These are people who each and every day vow to make a difference in the world, to bring to light issues and challenges, identify wrongs, find those interesting and compelling stories to tell, and use their power to bring them to light. It's a very high-stress job that doesn't always pay enough and requires a lot of time and dedication if you are to be good at it. It's not for the faint of heart. That is why you see a lot of turnover in the industry. But that challenge is why I got into the business. I always tell people I was born to be a journalist. So, needless to say, I tell young people if they aren't willing to work hard and give it their all, this isn't the job for them."

What are your hobbies and how do you spend your free time?

"I love to play volleyball. I started coaching middle school volleyball and track this past year for my son's school, Roosevelt Middle School. It's reminded me how much I missed those sports. My new schedule allows me to do this. My old one did not."

Were you in sports in high school or college?

"I was in volleyball (middle blocker) and track (high jumper). I played sand volleyball in college but not for the university. We have three kids. A daughter in college at UNM; a second daughter, a junior at Eldorado High School; and a son in eighth grade. All are athletes. We joke that, as a family, we've taken part in almost every sport. Volleyball, basketball, cheerleading, football, track, wrestling and powerlifting."

What is most memorable about the TV journalism years?

"I think my drive in not taking no for an answer really led my way. When I was determined to make a change or get answers, I didn't stop until I got them. As a journalist, you quickly learn our words have such an impact on the community. Our words can be so powerful and impactful. I felt like it was a privilege that people let me tell their stories and a privilege that they let me into their homes every night. I never wanted to let them down.

The most memorable part of my career was getting to meet different people every day. Sometimes it was ordinary people with a remarkable story. Sometimes it was famous people like presidents, singers, actors, athletes and activists.

The most rewarding part of my career was when I won an Emmy award for my stories on Baby Brianna. She was a baby who was killed by her family through abuse. It was the hardest story I've ever had to tell. The stories I did brought attention to the problems with child abuse in our state and the lax laws New Mexico had on the books. The stories and my work with state lawmakers eventually prompted reform of those laws and prompted tougher penalties for child abuse. At the time it felt wrong to be getting an award for this horrible situation, but in the end, it made me know that I really did make a difference through my work. That was rewarding."

What's it like working at Sandia?

"I joke that working at Sandia is like working in a different world. Sandia is kind of its own planet (that is meant as a compliment). I have never met so many smart, inventive and extraordinary people. The technology and things they dream up and make reality is really mind-boggling. It's a lot less stressful most days than my old job. I tell people I don't feel like I'm going to have a stroke every single day. So that's good. It's brought some balance to my work and home life for sure. It's a very supportive environment where your work is celebrated, and people are genuinely thankful for what you do. ... I feel like everyone here is working toward the same mission and really cares about what they do. Sandians have an important job that impacts the world."

And the most important part of your job?

"Sharing with the world the stories of the extraordinary work that goes on inside Sandia. Because we do deal in classified information, it is challenging sometimes maneuvering what we can talk about and what we can't. There are a lot of checks and balances in place (way more than in TV News) that I am adapting to.

I keep using the word "extraordinary" but that is the only word that really describes what goes on here. I am always in awe of the work that is done here and the people who do it. If you've ever asked yourself "How in the world did someone think of that or come up with that?" — which is something I tend to always do — the answer might lie within Sandia."

Any words of wisdom to leave us with?

"The one thing I would say is work hard and make sure you love what you are doing in life. If there comes a time when you don't, it's time to move on. Life is too short."