FIG Publications announced that Rockford “Rocky” M. Hayes will take over general management of the Rio Rancho Observer, as publisher. Hayes also holds an equity stake in the newspaper, in partnership with new owners David and Jaki McCollum of Las Cruces.

Hayes, his wife Darlene and two sons, will relocate to Rio Rancho from Carlsbad, where he was publisher of the Current-Argus for more than five years. Prior to that, Hayes was publisher of the Madera Tribune, in Madera Calif., for several years. Prior to the Tribune, he held newspaper executive management posts at a variety of papers in Colorado.

Born and raised in Wichita, Kan., Hayes holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Louisiana College, and pursued a master’s degree in counseling psychology at the University of Kansas. While in Colorado, in 1998, Hayes received the Community Leadership Award from the Colorado Press Association. More recently, Hayes was the 2006 recipient of the Dixon Award in Journalism, from the New Mexico Foundation for Open Government, for his work on a successful 2005 lawsuit against the city of Carlsbad. Joined by FOG in this effort, the Current-Argus won a district court order establishing that the names and resumes of such applicants are indeed public records, as defined by the Inspection of Public Records Act — setting a precedent in New Mexico.

Hayes currently serves as past-president of the New Mexico Press Association, and served on the board of directors of the Carlsbad Department of Development until his resignation last week. He is a 2006 graduate of Leadership New Mexico, and a longtime Rotarian.

Hayes enthusiastically led efforts in Carlsbad for a public art project — to fundraise for and commission a one and a half times life-sized bronze sculpture of Jim White, known as the original explorer of Carlsbad Caverns. The bronze is currently being cast, and the completed project is scheduled to be unveiled in early 2010.