John H. Bemis was selected by Governor Susana Martinez as her choice for Cabinet Secretary-Designate for the New Mexico Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department in March 2011. In this role Bemis will serve the people of New Mexico through his oversight of State Parks, State Forestry, Oil Conservation, Mining and Minerals, and the Energy Conservation and Management divisions. He will also provide guidance to the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant Transportation Safety Project, Youth Conservation Corps, and the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish.

Previously, Bemis held positions at the State Land Office as an attorney and in 2004 he was appointed Assistant Commissioner for oil, gas and minerals, a position he held until December 2010. He practiced law for twenty years in private practice and corporate positions, primarily in the field of oil and gas law.

He is a graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and served eight years in the United States Army in Air Defense Artillery and Army Aviation positions. He attended the University of Notre Dame Law School and graduated in 1984.