Conrad’s Bio
Conrad M. Rocha is a member of the State Bar of New Mexico and, therefore, a licensed attorney in the State of New Mexico. He received his Bachelor’s of Arts Degree in Political Science and Economics (Magna Cum Laude) and his Juris Doctor Degree from the University of New Mexico (UNM). Prior to entering UNM he served 10 years in the U.S. Navy and is a Vietnam Veteran.
Prior to becoming the Interim Synod Executive/Stated Clerk of the Synod of the Southwest, Conrad served as the full-time Executive Director (a position which he will continue to hold, although on a more limited basis) of Law Access New Mexico, a not-for-profit corporation that provides free civil legal services to New Mexico’s poor. Prior to joining Law Access, Conrad served as Vice-President for Institutional Advancement and Chief Financial Officer of Menaul School, one of the seven “racial-ethnic” schools recognized by the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). He joined the staff of Menaul School, after having served almost 11 ½ years as the Administrator of First Presbyterian Church of Albuquerque, then the largest PCUSA congregation in New Mexico. He joined the staff of First Presbyterian Church after a six year term in the world of public accounting, employed by the then largest accounting firm in the world as a tax attorney and accountant.
A 5th generation Presbyterian, Conrad became a confirmed member of the Presbyterian Church on May 31, 1964 and is currently a member of La Mesa Presbyterian Church in Albuquerque, New Mexico. He has served on the Board of Trustees of: the Presbytery of Santa Fe (presbytery council), chairing its Council Committee on Finance and Property; the Synod of the Southwest, serving as its Moderator; and, the PCUSA (general assembly mission council), serving as vice-chair of its stewardship committee and at-large member of its executive committee. In addition to serving on these governing bodies’ boards, he has also served as: a member of the joint Sierra Blanca/Santa Fe Presbytery Implementation Team and as a member of the Expanded National Partnership Committee. Currently, Conrad serves as a member of the General Assembly’s Restricted Funds Resolution Committee; a member of the General Assembly Mission Council’s Mission Responsibility Through Investment Committee (to which he was recently elected Vice-Chair); and, a member of the General Assembly’s Special Committee on the Administrative Review of the Synod of Boriquen.
Some of Conrad’s other past church experience includes: 6 years of service as a member of the board of directors of the Board of Pensions, chair of its assistance & retirement housing and legal committees, member of its 1999 president search committee and member of its executive committee; chair of the Synod’s budget & finance committee (8 years); moderator of the Presbytery of Santa Fe, chair of its council (3 years), vice-chair of its council (3 years), chair of its board of trustees (5 years) and chair of its budget & finance committee (5 years); and, service as a volunteer at the 208thand 211th thru 219th PCUSA General Assemblies in various capacities including committee assistant, platform business assistant and platform co-manager and since the 216th as the platform manager.
In his spare time Conrad likes to make pottery utilizing the coil method.