.......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Albuquerque Public Schools Superintendent Raquel Reedy held back tears as she remembered Chief Operations Officer Ruben Hendrickson during a news conference Tuesday, a day after he died from a medical episode while hiking on La Luz Trail.

The Stanford graduate was brilliant and hardworking, Reedy said, but still found time to enjoy the outdoors, particularly La Luz Trail, which he hiked every day. She recalled that Hendrickson often would be in the mountains at 6:30 a.m., taking phone calls as he walked with his dogs.

“He loved that place,” she said. “He reveled in the beauty of New Mexico.”

ADVERTISEMENTSkip

................................................................

Hendrickson’s healthy lifestyle was an example for everyone, Reedy said, making his sudden passing all the more difficult.

Hendrickson, 59, was near the top of the Sandia Mountains at the “Y” section of the trail when he had a medical emergency around 10 a.m. Monday. The initial 911 call stated that he had fallen and hit his head on a rock, though later reports said he had experienced a health problem.

The State Police search and rescue unit, accompanied by Bernalillo County and U.S. Forest Service agents, could not locate Hendrickson for several hours, removing his body around 2 p.m.

Reedy was visibly emotional as she remembered Hendrickson during the news conference.

“Ruben had not only a deep knowledge and background in finance and operations, but he knew why we are here – we are here for the students,” she said. “That kind of combination is very hard to find. He genuinely cared.”

APS spokeswoman Monica Armenta said the district did not have any details about the medical issue that caused Hendrickson’s death and has not had time to appoint an interim COO.

Today’s Board of Education meeting has been canceled in light of the loss.

Hendrickson joined the district in 2009 after nearly two decades overseeing a $400 million budget as finance manager and controller for Intel in Rio Rancho.

He rose from APS executive director of budget to COO in 2014, replacing Brad Winter. The position has oversight of the district’s Facilities Design and Construction, Food & Nutrition Services, Maintenance & Operations, Risk Management, School Police and Student Transportation offices.

Last spring, Hendrickson spent a few months revamping the school bus system when a major district contractor left New Mexico, a project that easily could have taken a year, according to Reedy.

Hendrickson helped APS take over many of the bus routes, organizing the hiring of drivers and the purchase of buses and land for a bus holding facility. Reedy said Hendrickson deserves credit for the district successfully busing students when the school year began in August.

He leaves behind his wife, two sons and daughter.