Building the future by fixing what’s in front of us.
I help communities, organizations, and governments align strategy, infrastructure, and civic engagement to deliver results that last.
20+ Years
of nonprofit & civic leadership
Coalition Leader
public, private, and civic sectors
Systems Builder
making governance work for people
Born & Raised
stewarding a legacy of organizing
About Me
1989
Born and raised in Albuquerque, Adrian N. Carver is a community development practitioner with two decades of experience turning civic participation into real outcomes. His work spans public policy, organizational management, and community engagement — all grounded in the belief that progress lasts when people are part of it.
Adrian has led neighborhood, nonprofit, and statewide coalitions that have reshaped policy and expanded protections for New Mexicans. As president of the Nob Hill Neighborhood Association, he helped secure the transfer of neighborhood protections into the city’s Integrated Development Ordinance. As executive director of Equality New Mexico, he led bipartisan efforts that strengthened New Mexico’s human rights laws.
Today, Adrian serves as Executive Director of the Revitalize San Pedro Partnership, a Main Street America accredited program leading corridor-scale revitalization in Albuquerque’s International District and Uptown. He also serves as a Commissioner on Albuquerque’s Environmental Planning Commission, the American Planning Association’s Legislative and Policy Committee, the Greater Albuquerque Active Transportation Committee and is a board member for the New Mexico Coalition of Main Street Communities. Adrian is an infrastructure Engagement Partner with Sustainbility Partners.
A graduate of the University of New Mexico with degrees in Spanish and a Master of Community & Regional Planning, Adrian brings a planner’s discipline and a strategist’s eye to the work of building systems that endure.
My Record
Two decades of executive leadership, systems strategy, and community-centered problem-solving.
I work at the intersection of policy, planning, and public life—helping communities navigate complexity, align shared interests, and deliver results that last. Across statewide advocacy, urban planning, organizational leadership, and coalition-building, I’ve led major wins that improve daily life, strengthen democratic processes, and shape the built environment.
My record reflects the roles I’ve played and the projects I’ve helped bring across the finish line.
EXECUTIVE LEADER & ORGANIZATION BUILDER
Strengthening institutions so they can strengthen communities.
Roles & Achievements:
Executive Director of Equality New Mexico and Revitalize San Pedro Partnership, leading complex, multi-year policy and community development agendas
Built fundraising systems, CRM architecture, and donor networks that enabled legislative victories, program expansion, and organizational sustainability
Led statewide coalitions through high-stakes policy negotiations, strategic communications campaigns, and public mobilization efforts
Managed staff, fellows, contractors, board governance, and multi-partner initiatives across government, nonprofit, private, and neighborhood sectors
Established and scaled hyper-local media infrastructure—including an independent community newspaper and public television commentary—to strengthen civic literacy
Impact: organizations that are more strategic, financially stable, mission-aligned, and able to influence systems at scale.
POLICY STRATEGIST & SYSTEMS ADVOCATE
Turning complex problems into systemic solutions.
Major policy contributions include:
Leading or co-leading LGBTQ+ civil rights legislation, including nondiscrimination protections, inclusive identity documents, and gender-affirming care access
Advancing statewide public health legislation including school-based health center funding and reproductive healthcare protections
Championing justice reform: Juvenile Detention Alternatives, Ban-the-Box, racial and ethnic disparity reduction
Delivering gun violence prevention reforms such as Red Flag Protection Orders and community firearm safety initiatives
Supporting the design and implementation of oversight and accountability structures during the APD–DOJ consent decree
Advising on State Fair District redevelopment: framing questions of governance, financing tools, land use, and community benefit
Impact: clearer policy frameworks, more equitable systems, and improved safety and wellbeing for New Mexicans.
URBAN PLANNER & COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PRACTITIONER
Where infrastructure, policy, and community identity meet.
Representative projects:
Lead planner for the San Pedro MainStreet Strategic Development Plan, shaping long-term transformation strategies across placemaking, business development, and public-space design
Designed and supported multi-phase streetscape, wayfinding, and safety improvements, including pedestrian-first intersections, transit enhancements, and neighborhood mobility planning
Advanced zoning and development reform on Albuquerque’s Environmental Planning Commission, improving clarity, equity, and process efficiency
Supported community-centered State Fair redevelopment—connecting scenarios, financing tools, and land use options with resident and business priorities
Worked on environmental justice and climate resilience efforts, including watershed protection, transit-to-open-space programming, and responses to the Kirtland Air Force Base jet fuel spill
Impact: safer and more welcoming corridors, stronger local economies, and built environments grounded in community voice.
CIVIC ENGAGEMENT ARCHITECT & COMMUNITY ORGANIZER
Expanding who gets to shape the future.
Experience highlights:More than 20 years of youth development, neighborhood leadership, and community power-building
Designed public processes that reduce procedural friction, increase transparency, and improve trust in government
Applied trauma-informed, equity-centered engagement methodologies to policy, planning, and institutional reform
Facilitated high-stakes meetings, business networks, task forces, and multi-sector coalitions
Developed bilingual civic tools, surveys, and engagement systems connecting residents, businesses, and institutions
Created community media outlets to expand access to credible information and elevate local perspectives
Impact: stronger local decision-making ecosystems and communities more able to advocate for themselves.
WHAT CONNECTS IT ALL
I build systems—organizational, political, civic, and spatial—that help people solve the problems in front of them while preparing for the challenges ahead. My career reflects a single through-line:
When we align strategy, infrastructure, and civic engagement, we build communities that endure.