A native of Santa Fe, he is a descendant of Pueblo and Hispanic cultures and has spent his career as a professor at The College of Santa Fe and Santa Fe Community College and as an author promoting empathy and respect for differing cultural perspectives. 

The City historian is a community-engaged position; the theme for the current historian is Cultural Storytelling. 

"Andrew Lovato brings to this role not only a deep historical understanding of Santa Fe and its cultures but great emotional intelligence and empathy and a bridge-building, collaborative approach," said Santa Fe Arts and Culture Director Chelsey Johnson. "He's a natural storyteller and gatherer of stories, and we're excited for Santa Feans to take him up on his invitation to share their own and enrich our city's cultural understanding." 

Lovato’s proposed projects include collaboration with local organizations such as Littleglobe, the Santa Fe Public Library, and The Museum of New Mexico, focusing on storytelling as a medium for education and social change; the creation of a radio and podcast series to broadcast local storytelling on public radio, with an intergenerational and intercultural lens; collaborating with the City of Santa Fe Arts Commission, of which he is currently chair; and focusing on the arts as a vehicle for storytelling through visual arts, dance, theater, film, and music.

Lovato is a contributing author of four other books related to New Mexico's history and culture. He has also written numerous articles and has given lectures to diverse groups such as the Santa Fe Fiesta, the Institute of American Indian Arts, and the Newcomers Club of Santa Fe.  

Additionally, he has taught college courses, specifically drawing on content related to the history and culture of Santa Fe. He has given two TED talks: Keeping Cultural Authenticity: A Santa Fe Story and Why History Matters. His weekly radio show, "Our Santa Fe," exploring the city's past, present, and future through conversations with notable Santa Feans, airs every Thursday from 6:30-7:30 pm on KSFR. 

Lovato received his Ph.D. in Communication with an emphasis in Intercultural Communication from the University of New Mexico in 2000 and was selected as a Fulbright Scholar in 2008. Lovato’s books include Santa Fe Hispanic Culture: Preserving Identity in a Tourist Town and The Year Zozobra Escaped.