This is the first of what will be many announcements about the new administration.

Interested in working for the administration? You can submit your information here www.martineztransition.com.

“I am honored to announce former Congresswoman Wilson as chairman of my transition committee.  Heather is a serious and respected leader who will ensure our administration has the most qualified and principled people so we can achieve real, positive, lasting results for all New Mexicans,” said Governor-elect Susana Martinez.

Chairman of the Governor-Elect Martinez Transition Committee Heather Wilson said, “Susana Martinez is someone who has an outstanding record of accomplishment.  I am honored to serve as chairman of her transition committee.  In the coming days and weeks, we will focus on finding individuals who will work day and night to deliver on Susana’s vision of a new direction for New Mexico.”

Mayor Steve Brockett and First National Bank President Pete Cook will also deliver a pair of speeches at the meeting, where they are expected to talk about serving on Lt. Gov. Diane Denish’s transition team.Brockett is one of 18 people on Denish’s government efficiency and finance committee, while Cook is serving on the economic stability committee.

This raises an obvious question — if there is no transition, can there really be a transition team?

But as the New Mexico Independent noted yesterday, to Denish, such a transition hasn’t been canceled, but merely postponed.

“Gov. Richardson postponed taking a position in the administration to ensure that President Obama and the American people face no delays in getting to work to fix our ailing economy, and the president-elect said he looks forward to Gov. Richardson joining his administration in the days ahead,” Denish said in the statement on Richardson’s withdrawal from the position of secretary of commerce.

This means the transition will, apparently, go on.

Brockett said he learned late Sunday night, via e-mail, that Denish still wanted to continue with the transition meetings.”That was fine with me,” he said. “We already had invested quite a bit of time in it. I was glad to see it continue. The recommendations we’re making is a good start, regardless of who the governor is.”

The group is meeting to make recommendations on how to improve government.

To quote the titular character in “Alice in Wonderland,” Louis Carroll’s famous book, “Curiouser and curiouser!”

He has been named  director of the White House Military Office.

Caldera is currently a tenured professor at the University of New Mexico, in addition to having served as the president of UNM from 2003 to 2006.

“Louis has served his country with distinction in uniform and in government, and his pedigree is second-to-none. I know he’ll bring to the White House the same dedication and integrity that have earned him the highest praise in every post, from Secretary of the Army to university president,” said Obama in a statement.

After Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano, who is Obama’s selection for homeland security head and is a Sandia High School graduate, Caldera is the second person with New Mexico connections to be announced as a part of the next Obama administration.

So what does the director of the White House Military Office do? According to the White House Web site:

The WHMO Director oversees the policies that affect the WHMO-wide issues or involve Department of Defense assets.

He ensures that White House requirements are clearly communicated to the WHMO Directorates and meet the highest standards of Presidential quality. The WHMO Director oversees all military operations aboard Air Force One on Presidential missions worldwide.

From the Wall Street Journal:

President-elect Barack Obama plans to introduce New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson as his Commerce secretary nominee at a Chicago news conference Wednesday, Democratic officials said.

The Associated Press is reporting similar news:

Obama planned to announce the nomination after Thanksgiving, according to a Democratic official familiar with the discussions. The official was not authorized to speak publicly about the negotiations and did so on condition of anonymity.

It appears that New Mexico Lt. Gov. Diane Denish better get ready to move into the Governor’s Mansion. But not quite yet.

Like Hillary Clinton, Richardson will most likely not resign his spot as governor until after being confirmed.

Bernalillo County Commissioner Deanna Archuleta

It sounds like Bernalillo County Commissioner Deanna Archuleta really is going to Washington to be part of Obama’s transition team—at least according to a leaked e-mail from one of her assistants. “Commish Puts Kibosh on Meals Pitch” was this morning’s headline on Dan McKay’s Reporter’s Notebook. (BTW, since when does the Journal let reporters show a sense of humor?)

Anyway, the story is that Archuleta’s assistant sent out an e-mail message to other county employees asking that they pitch in to cook meals for Archuleta’s sons while she’s away in Washington working on the transition.

Archuleta told the Journal that she didn’t know about her assistant’s e-mail and said it wasn’t for sure that she’s going to DC.

What is for sure? Archuleta’s sons are “meat and potatoes guys.” Bring on the Shepherd’s Pie!

Got a question about the energy platform or foreign policy? It’s there. Want to apply for a job? Forms are available. Feel like watching Obama’s Election Day victory speech in Grant Park? Just click the button.

And of course there’s the touchstone that Obama has returned to throughout his long campaign — that the effort wasn’t about him but rather about us. The site invites one and all to tell their own stories from the campaign and Election Day.

In case you were out of touch during the last 18 or 20 months, there are biographies of Obama and Vice President-elect Joe Biden, and a link to their quickly growing transition team. As the administration comes together, the details will be posted.

The site seems like a good first step toward the open and transparent government Obama has promised, as well as a nod to the role the Internet played in getting him to where he is today.