Professional Experience
In 2003 Senator Ortiz y Pino retired from State and Local government after a career as a social worker, social welfare program administrator, human services and human resource management professor, community organizer and social services planner. In 2004 he was elected to the New Mexico State Senate representing District 12 (most of downtown Albuquerque and surrounding neighborhoods). 
Also in 2004 he began working for a non-profit agency named HELP-NM as director of the family services division.
He has worked throughout New Mexico (Las Cruces, Taos, Las Vegas and Santa Fe) but spent the past 28 years in Albuquerque.  His interests broadened gradually over the years from an initial focus on mental health and children’s protective services to work in child and family advocacy, substance abuse, positive youth development and early childhood programming. 
His background includes time spent working in state and local government social agencies as an administrator; university and college teaching; United Way administration; child advocacy and private, non-profit social agency management as well as three years in the private, for-profit sector with an Employee Assistance Program.

Educational Background
BA in Latin American Studies (University of New Mexico, 1965)
Masters in Social Work (Tulane University School of Social Work, 1968)

He writes a regular newspaper column for the Weekly Alibi in Albuquerque (since 2001) on political and social issues.
He was a registered lobbyist with New Mexico State Legislature for twelve years as an advocate for low income families, children and non-profit social agencies.

He helped found (with two other social workers) a private adoption and foster care agency called La Familia in 1984 and co-founded (in 2000) a Charter High School for drop outs in Albuquerque, the Robert F. Kennedy Charter High School.  He also helped found Los Puentes,  Cesar Chavez Charter High School, and Gordon Bernell Charter School in Albuquerque and Cesar Chavez in Deming. All primarily serve adolescents and adults who have left mainstream high schools.

Personal
He is married to Donna Bruzzese, a marriage and family therapist in private practice.
He is father to three adult children and four adult step-children and grandfather to eight.  He is a member of the Peace and Justice Commission of the Aquinas Newman Center at UNM.