The search for the Physical Plant Department’s (PPD) director has come to an end after several months of evaluating over 40 applicants for the position—five of which were finalists in the selection process. Alfred Sena was selected to the fill the PPD director role announced Chris Vallejos, associate vice president of Institutional Support Services (ISS). Sena begins his new position Monday, June 26.

Sena brings with him a wealth of knowledge and experience that will benefit PPD and the entire University community. He has over 23 years of experience in facilities; 19 of which are educational. 

The past 18 years have been spent building and pursuing excellence in the Rio Rancho Public School district (RRPS), the last 15 of those years as the executive director of facilities overseeing custodial, maintenance, planning, design, construction and real estate services.

Prior to his tenure at RRPS, he served the State of New Mexico at the Public Education Department in the Capital Outlay Bureau and the Property Control Division of the General Services Department in Santa Fe.

The director of PPD is responsible for approximately 400 employees—the largest department at UNM—and an annual budget of approximately $63 million. PPD is responsible for the care and upkeep of the physical campus environment comprising of more than 12 million square feet of facilities and 680 acres of land. 

PPD also maintains and operates the University’s district energy system which provides electricity, steam, chilled water and domestic water throughout the majority of UNM’s main campus and the Health Sciences Center on north campus.