Los Alamos County

Denise Derkacs, Chair

Denise was elected to the County Council in the November 2020 general election. Prior to her election, she served on the Community Development Advisory Board from its formation in 2018 to 2020.

Denise is retired from a 20-year career at Los Alamos National Laboratory, where she served as Chief of Staff to senior-level management and was involved in all aspects of programmatic and operational initiatives. She previously worked as a technical writer and as a journalist at newspapers in Texas, Iowa, and Hawaii. She holds a B.A. in Journalism from Rutgers University and an M.A. in Organizational Communication from the University of New Mexico.

Born and raised in New Jersey, Denise and her husband have lived in 10 states and settled in New Mexico in 1982. Together they raised their three sons here in Los Alamos County.

As a member of the Council, Denise hopes to advance County efforts in three key areas: housing development to address the need for low- and middle-income housing, commercial sustainability to enable small businesses to thrive, and community services to support growth and preserve quality of life. 

Theresa Cull, Vice-Chair

Melanee Hand, Councilor

Melanee Hand was elected to County Council in the November 2022 general election.

Having lived and worked in Los Alamos County during the past 38 years, Melanee brings to the Council a broad understanding of community issues related to construction, facility planning, land use development and environmental compliance. She retired from the Los Alamos National Laboratory and is currently working part-time for a local business that her husband owns.

Additionally, Melanee volunteered on community non-profit and county advisory boards, including the Parks and Recreation Board, Environmental Sustainability Board, Fuller Lodge Historical Advisory Committee, Open Space and Parks Advisory Subcommittee, and Landscape Review Committee. She holds a master's degree in Organizational Management from the University of Phoenix, and a bachelor's degree in Environmental Design from the University of New Mexico.

Suzie Havemann, Councilor

Suzie was elected to the County Council in the November 2022 general election.

Suzie grew up in White Rock; after graduating from UC Davis and working in the tech sector in the Bay Area, she returned to Los Alamos in 1993. She and her husband became quickly involved in Los Alamos activities while raising two sons; they spent a lot of time on the road with all their youth and high school sports travel!

Through her diverse background working for IBM, LANL, the County, Chamber of Commerce, and as a long-time Realtor, Suzie brings a unique perspective to leverage opportunities and help solve our challenges. Her civic engagement has included the Environmental Sustainability Board, the Resiliency Energy and Sustainability Task Force, LAPS, various youth organizations, and regional boards.

Suzie’s focus areas include housing, our environment, business support, customer service, and good governance. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, cycling, snow sports, camping, and travel.

Keith Lepsch, Councilor

Los Alamos County Council appointed Keith Lepsch on April 5, 2022, to complete the unexpired term of Councilor Sean Williams.

A registered nurse for almost 23 years, Keith has been a 911 services paramedic in Washington DC and Denver and a hospital educator, Director of all Surgical Services, and Director of outpatient infusion clinic at the Los Alamos Medical Center. As of 2018, Keith took on a new position as a flight nurse/preceptor/dual role for Classic Air Medical (the red and white EMS helicopter service in town).

Keith moved to Los Alamos in 2012. He and his wife have a son enrolled at the Los Alamos Public Schools. They love living in Los Alamos, riding bicycles and enjoying community amenities such as the East Park pool, the Aquatic Center, concerts at the pond, the ice rink and the libraries.

On the council, Keith will listen, build consensus, and demonstrate kindness to ensure that Los Alamos continues to be a fantastic place to raise a family and be an amazing community for everyone.  

David Reagor, Councilor

David Reagor was elected to the Council in the November 2020 election. He previously spent 32 years as a postdoctoral fellow and staff member at Los Alamos National Laboratory. During that time he participated in the Parks and Recreation Board and was also on the Canyon Vista Pool board. During his career at the laboratory David primarily worked with industrial partners on applied projects that led to patents and commercial licenses.

David entered politics to improve the environment for small businesses and to develop the economic potential of the community. The quality of life in our small town is often dependent on the success of local health care providers and small vendors such as restaurants. The primary responsibility of the county is to ensure that these businesses can thrive and continue to provide their services to the public.

Send e-mail: David Reagor

Randall Ryti, Councilor

Randall was re-elected to the County Council in the November 2022 general election. Randall has lived in Los Alamos since 1992. He came to start a small business, Neptune and Company, with four other scientists. In addition to helping lead a successful small business and raising a family in Los Alamos, Randall has volunteered for community organizations such as the Pajarito Environmental Education Center Board and the Los Alamos County District Science Fair committee. He was a Los Alamos County Transportation Board member from 2012-2016 (Chair from 2014-2016).

Randall earned a bachelor's degree in biology from University of California Los Angeles and a Ph.D. in biology from University of California San Diego. Before retiring from Neptune and Company in 2018, he worked on basic and applied environmental problems, including ecological and human health risk assessments for the Los Alamos National Laboratory, the Hanford Site, and other clients.

He enjoyed campaigning for re-election, particularly meeting voters while knocking on doors, and is committed to continue getting and using community input to help make decisions while on the Council.