William Fulginiti

Bill Fulginiti, 78, beloved Executive Director of the New Mexico Municipal League, left us peacefully surrounded by love on Wednesday, February 26th.   Bill was born on April 19, 1941 in Ashland, Pennsylvania, the oldest of 3 children.  Bill is survived by his wife Pat of 56 years, brother Jerry, sister Ann, brother in law Jim, niece, nephews, great nephews and numerous close and dear friends who were like family.

After high school, Bill became a hair dresser, “Mr. William,” a trade he took after his father who was a barber. A few years later, Bill joined the U.S. Air Force and completed 8 years of service as an Airman. Bill and Pat married on August 19th, 1963. Upon completing his military service he began attending the University of Hawaii, where he discovered his interest in the legislative process and received a Bachelor’s Degree in Social Science. Bill also received a Master’s Degree in Public Administration from Pennsylvania State University.  His League career began at the Pennsylvania League of Cities in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania as Assistant Executive Director for Legislation where he was a lobbyist and implemented the organization’s legislative program.

In 1977, Santa Fe became Bill and Pat’s home when he was hired by the NM Municipal League Board of Directors as the Executive Director, a position he valued and treasured since the beginning.  As Executive Director of the New Mexico Municipal League, Bill was responsible for daily operations and served as Chief Lobbyist. League programs administered by Bill included legislative and executive advocacy on the state and federal level, training of elected and appointed officials, and legal support before the courts.  He also actively represented the League before other governmental, trade and business organizations.  Bill was the founder of the New Mexico Self Insurers’ Fund, whose primary function is to provide workers’ compensation, general liability, law enforcement, auto, property and health insurance coverage to municipalities.  He initiated the first bond pool for municipalities that provided access to national bond markets.  Bill was one of the founders of the National League of Cities’ Mutual Insurance Company (NLC MIC) that reinsures municipal league self-insurance pools in 27 states.  He served as Chairman of the Board of the NLC MIC from 1986 through 2015, and served to the present as the Chairman Emeritus Board Member.  Bill was a former member of the Board of Directors of the National League of Cities Risk Information Sharing Consortium and was a two-time Board Member of the National League of Cities. 

Bill was the founder and administrator of the New Mexico Law Enforcement Accreditation Program initiated in 2004.  Upon legislative creation of the New Mexico Finance Authority in 1992, he was the first Vice Chair of the Board of Directors, a position he held to the present. Bill was also the Vice Chair of the New Mexico Water Trust Board.   He was Co-Chair of the Governor’s Liquor Control Task Force and a member of the State Judicial Compensation Commission.  Bill was selected as an “Outstanding Young Man of America,” in 1974, received the New Mexico Distinguished Public Administrator award in 1992, Governor’s Distinguished Public Service award in 2003, Leadership New Mexico Distinguished Alumnus award in 2014, the Franklin Jones award for Tax Policy Achievement in 2018 and the Ricardo Barros Life Time Achievement award in 2017.

Of all of Bill’s accomplishments, he was most proud of taking the New Mexico Municipal League under his dedicated wing and shaping it into a reputable and lasting legacy as a tenacious advocate representing and serving all New Mexico Cities, Towns and Villages. 

Bill was an extraordinary, humble, devoted, kind and brilliant man, a “gentle giant”.  His calm and effective reach touched many near and far.  It goes without saying that Bill was deeply respected, loved and admired. He will be extremely missed by family, League staff, friends, and all who knew him.   

Thank you to everyone for the tremendous outpouring of heartfelt sentiments expressed in the untimely passing of our cherished Bill Fulginiti. 

A visitation will be held on Thursday, March 12th from 4:30p.m. to 8:00p.m. at the Santa Fe Elks Lodge, 1615 Old Pecos Trail.   A memorial service will be held on Friday, March 13th in the State Capitol Rotunda at 11:00a.m., followed by a reception at the Eldorado Hotel at 2:00p.m. A private burial will take place at a later date. Pallbearers include Senator Tim Jennings, Tom Horan, Larry Horan, Mike Miller, Tony Trujillo, Harry Georgeades, Joe Shepard, R.L Stockard, A.J. Forte, and Mike Bowen. Honorary Pallbearers include NMML Past Presidents’, NMML Board of Directors’, and the NMML Membership. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be sent to the Feel Your Boobies Foundation, 4801 Lindle Rd, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania 17111. If you plan on attending the services, please RSVP by Monday, March 9th to info@nmml.org  or call the League Office at (505) 982-5573.