David Abbey, served as the director of the Legislative Finance Committee in from 1997 until he retired in 2023.

Mr. Abbey began his tenure with the committee after serving as the chief investment officer of the State Treasurer, director of the Board of Finance, and chief economist for the Department of Finance and Administration. Before working for New Mexico state government, he worked for the Los Alamos National Laboratory, where he researched the environmental impacts of energy policy.

Mr. Abbey was nationally recognized for his efforts to keep the state solvent during the Great Recession, the collapse in oil prices that started in 2014, and the pandemic. He was the recipient of the National Conference of State Legislature’s 2009 legislative staff achievement award and, in 2015, was the first
winner of the Spirit of Bipartisanship Award from New Mexico First. He also received the University of New Mexico Distinguished Public Servant award.

Mr. Abbey graduated from Brown University with a BA in Economics in 1975.