Weeks before early voting began, Rosemary Romero had a stack of signs on her front porch that were color-coded with matching bumper stickers and a Web site for her City Council campaign.

It's easy to tell you've arrived in her Casa Linda neighborhood because the blue and red signs poke out from many yards along the street.

Romero, 54, a professional facilitator, talks a mile a minute. She appears to be at the controls of an organized political machine.

"I don't think I have ever seen anybody like me running for office in Santa Fe," she declares, describing a career in conflict resolution where she has conducted meetings and written strategic plans on topics such as forest restoration, water supply and the environment.

He schedule, she says, is "crazy." In addition to running for office, she continues to run her own business from home and serves on the boards of directors for four local nonprofits: St. Vincent Regional Medical Center, Farm to Table, Neighborhood Network and Leadership Santa Fe.

She likes to begin each day by about 6 a.m., moving across the hall from her bedroom to her office to answer e-mail in her pajamas. Later, she dons her "business casual" costume, usually combined with a matching set of signature Santa Fe silver-and-gemstone jewelry.

Romero often wears the jewelry when she travels, she said, and people can tell where she is from by what hangs from her ears or her neck.

She has served as director of a national mediation group with 6,000 members and has participated in international workshops, but decided to stay near home for the long term.

"My roots are community," she said. Born in Santa Fe as one of five siblings, Romero's family traces 14 generations in Northern New Mexico. She lives within sight of the first house her parents bought in Santa Fe and spent childhood weekends working on a family ranch near Otowi Bridge.

Romero has experienced life challenges that could have been crippling, but she says built her character. She offers cheerful, if trite, expressions such as "I took lemons and made lemonade" in describing how, after her daughter, Anita, died last year after a long illness, she poured hours into the landscaping of a "pocket park" near her home in the Casa Linda neighborhood off Cerrillos Road and Monterey Drive.

Her brother, Leonard Romero, was shot and killed in 1976 during a downtown traffic jam after the burning of Zozobra. Like her daughter, he was in his mid-20s when he died.

"Our family has suffered, ... and I learned to let go and forgive. Otherwise it would have eaten me alive," Romero said about losing her brother. "I have learned forgiveness at a really profound place, and that's a different way to look at the world. ... Often what happens in Northern New Mexico is that people can't get to the substance of an issue because they are still mad about something that happened last year or the year before or 10 years ago."

Financial support for her candidacy is coming from family, friends and business colleagues. While her opponent's first campaign finance report showed heavy backing by a real-estate political action committee, Romero reported she raised a little over $9,000 from a list of individuals.

Among them is Marylin Bane, who unsuccessfully ran for a council seat in District 2 during the last election. Bane, past president of Old Santa Fe Association, had planned to run again this year but dropped out of the race when Romero stepped forward. She serves with Romero on the board of directors for the Neighborhood Network and said the two have a "personal connection."

"I know her clarity of thinking, and I know her principles," said Bane, "particularly in terms of neighborhood advocacy."

Romero likes to be identified that way but says she'll always listen to all sides of an issue when making decisions on the council.

She oozes confidence. "I'm tough," she said. "I don't think it is going to be close. I think I have support from people wanting somebody who is balanced. ... I think I've got it."

ROSEMARY ROMERO

Age: 54

Birthplace: Santa Fe

Education: Associate of Arts, Santa Fe Community College; attended College of Santa Fe's Environmental Management Program; attended Antioch College in Yellow Springs, Ohio; 200 hours of mediation, facilitation and strategic planning training; 1994 graduate of Leadership New Mexico Program

Occupation: Facilitator/mediator

Work experience: 16 years as partner at Western Network, a nonprofit organization focused on environmental mediation and public involvement; seven years self-employed consultant

Other experience: Former city Planning Commission member; facilitation and strategic planning for federal, state and local agencies and tribal governments; St. Vincent Regional Medical Center board member; past president and board member of Leadership Santa Fe; Farm to Table board member; has been involved with Santa Fe Conservation Trust; United Way Santa Fe County past president; Association for Conflict Resolution past president; La Nueva Vida; Friends of Farmers Market; Girls Inc.; Santa Fe County Pregnancy Taskforce; Choices Program

Campaign finance: Reported donations of $9,011, with major contributions from Canyon Road attorney Richard Ellenberg, Walter Ganz and physician David Gunderdson

Personal: Single, partner Rob Leutheuser; daughter Linnea Morris and fiancé Christian Moreno; dogs Angela and LitaFord; and cats Zoe and CB

Have you ever been arrested? No

View candidate video profiles at www.santafenewmexican.com/vote08/.