Teresa Luna lands Idaho security post

BOISE – Teresa Luna, who resigned the top job in Idaho’s state Department of Administration after controversy, has been hired as the new emergency planner for the state Bureau of Homeland Security.

Her new job is a position that bureau officials said matches the skills she brings from her previous post.

“Ours is a very specialized field, and Teresa brings a wealth of subject matter expertise to the organization,” said Brad Richy, the bureau’s director.

Luna resigned from the Department of Administration director job this spring after upheaval in the department that included the failure of the multimillion-dollar Idaho Education Network and the removal of that school broadband program from the department’s oversight.

State Homeland Security spokeswoman Elizabeth Duncan said the 40-person agency welcomes Luna’s skills, and it’s not an issue that Luna lacks any college education; none is required for her new position.

“That is not a deal-breaker,” Duncan said. “Based on her background and experience and knowledge of what we do and the fact that she’s worked extensively with BHS in the past, it’s an excellent fit.”

Luna’s salary in her new job, which she started Monday, is $56,285 a year, well below her $95,000 salary when she headed the Administration Department.

After Luna’s resignation, she stayed on at the department for another month as a “program specialist” at the same $95,202 annual salary she earned as director. She had led the department since 2011. Luna is the sister of former state Superintendent of Schools Tom Luna.

Richy said Luna has worked closely with the bureau on issues involving cybersecurity mitigation strategies, and the bureau also welcomes her experience in state agency coordination and understanding of state, county and local government.