On Tuesday, Feb. 7, Mesilla Valley Economic Development Alliance guests filled the Tuscany Room at Lorenzo’s de Mesilla during the organization’s monthly luncheon. During the luncheon, Davin Lopez, MVEDA CEO and president, gave a mid-year update on MVEDA’s activities.

“The past six months has had a lot of positive momentum,” Lopez said. “In fact, we have had the fastest start ever in regard to job creation.” Lopez said in the organization’s first half of its fiscal year, MVEDA has helped create 484 economic-based jobs. “I don’t see this slowing down,” he said.

In the past 18 months, MVEDA has brought $550 million in investments to southern New Mexico as well as 3,000 construction jobs that have already started and 1,000 permanent jobs have been announced. “We only announce a job if the investment is on the ground and work is being done,” said Lopez, adding that of the 1,000 permanent jobs, 700 of them are already in place.

MVEDA judges its success based off of leads, prospects and growth of existing businesses. Since last year, Lopez said leads have been up 120 percent and prospects have increased by 500 percent.

“We talked to existing business in southern New Mexico and asked them if they were planning on hiring more people in 2012. And 55 percent of them said yes,” Lopez said. “Overall, the demand in southern New Mexico has increased because of international trade and expansion of government companies.

Again, we are seeing a lot of momentum.” Though the government is a contributing factor, Lopez said the private sector is also playing a big role. “They are the ones creating those jobs I talked about,” he said.

Some of MVEDA’s biggest projects include Union Pacific, which has subcontracted 10 businesses for its phase I of construction. Seven of those 10 companies are from New Mexico.

Another big accomplishment has been in border logistics, creating an overweight zone that allows trucks from Mexico to come into the U.S. within a few miles and drop-off loads. “I can’t say the names because I will leave that for Gov. (Susana) Martinez to announce, but two companies have committed to moving to southern New Mexico because the over­weight zone bill was passed,” said Lopez, adding that MVEDA is also focused on marketing North America to other countries because of its unique shipping advantages from Union Pacific and overweight zone.

Other areas of interest for MVEDA include unmanned aerial vehicles, Spaceport America, areas of high technology and the New Mexico State University Physical Science Laboratory as well as renewables, such as bio-mass, water conservation and recycling.

“Over the last 18 months, there has been a $1 billion investment in southern New Mexico. We want you to know things are happening here,” Lopez said.

MVEDA’s upcoming events include the Southwest Aerospace & Defense Trade Compliance Forum April 4-5 at Hotel Encanto de Las Cruces. For more information, visit www.mveda.com.

TRUTH OR CONSEQUENCES, NM – The New Mexico Spaceport Authority (NMSA) Board of Directors reviewed plans today to design, build and program the Spaceport America Visitor Experience. The plan includes two off-site Welcome Centers located in the Village of Hatch in Doña Ana County and in Truth or Consequences in Sierra County, plus an on-site Visitors Center and specially developed behind-the-scenes tours as well as the chance to visit the Virgin Galactic Gateway to Space.

The Spaceport America Visitor Experience will be a professionally designed immersion into the excitement of the world’s first purpose-built, commercial spaceport. Guests will be invited to explore the history, adventure, potential and inspiration of both the next space-age. Officials project attendance will grow to more than 200,000 visitors annually.

“The Spaceport Experience begins on-line long before a guest arrives at a Welcome Center” explained Bob Allen, IDEAS Chief Storytelling Officer. “There will be a robust virtual environment offering games, mobile apps and content so that especially our younger guests will already feel a part of the new space age by the time they come for a visit.” Kelly Pounds, IDEAS Vice President of Learning, noted that a lot of the content will have an educational focus. “We’ll have a special section for educators incorporating lesson plans, instructionally and designed interactives as well as a way for teachers to establish a dialogue with Spaceport for long-term collaboration.

“The Welcome Centers are the “mission briefing” areas where guests become part of the spaceport crew, get updated on current activity, get their credentials and catch a shuttle,” said Allen. The shuttles, designed as traveling theaters are an integral part of the experience. Because Spaceport America is a part of a rich portfolio of regional tourism, the Welcome Centers will also feature a “regional trailhead” where guests can learn about and plan multi-day itineraries. Once guests arrive at Spaceport America, they enter the onsite Visitors Center, which will feature hands-on access to space technology and artifacts from recent launches, the opportunity to create a payload and manifest it for flight, interactive and simulation based experiences and a theater. From the Visitors Center, guests can take a guided in-depth shuttle tour of the entire spaceport finishing at the entrance to the Virgin Galactic Gateway to Space where they will get a chance to see in depth into the exciting reality of the world’s first passenger spaceship fleet. Allen noted that, “we are designing a learning-enriched, hands-on immersion into what space is going to be about for the next twenty years. We want a relationship with our guests that lasts generations.”

Comprised of nine companies with rich experience in the design, development, operation and marketing of location-based entertainment, TEAM IDEAS was hired by NMSA to create a memorable visitor experience for Spaceport America, and to create a plan that will meet the needs of visitors and enhance regional tourism. The team evaluated six potential Welcome Center sites in Hatch and eight sites in Truth or Consequences using metrics and criteria developed in the destination hospitality industry before recommending a site in each community with proximity and easy access to I-25 to enhance guest wayfinding and brand visibility.  Officials with NMSA and TEAM IDEAS emphasized a focus on the commercial success of the visitor experience as the best way to make a positive impact on local communities.

The NMSA Board of Directors indicated their support for the plan, with NMSA Chairman Rick Holdridge saying, “After reviewing the TEAM IDEAS recommendations and reconciling it with our budget and commitment to the two counties, we are confident that we have a winning solution fulfilling the promise of economic development, tourism and education.”

Next steps in the development process include the release of Requests for Proposals (RFP) targeting outside investment in Visitor Experience facilities from private developers, the development of a unified visual spaceport brand identity, and continued refinement of the plans as presented. The initial Spaceport America Visitor Experience is expected to reach operational capacity in 2013, about the time Virgin Galactic is intending to begin their commercial operations from Spaceport America. In the meantime, Spaceport America Preview Tours will provide visitors a taste of the project until the full Visitor Experience is ready.

About Spaceport America

Spaceport America has been providing commercial launch services since 2006. Phase One of the construction for the spaceport is expected to be complete in early 2012. Phase Two of the construction and pre-operations activities will follow, including the development of a world-class Visitor Experience for students, tourists and space launch customers, the vertical launch complex improvements and the paving of the southern road to the spaceport. When Phase Two construction is completed in 2013, Spaceport America will become fully operational.

Officials at Spaceport America have been working closely with entrepreneurial space leaders like UP Aerospace, Virgin Galactic, and Armadillo Aerospace, as well as established aerospace firms like Lockheed Martin, Boeing, and MOOG-FTS to develop commercial spaceflight at the new facility. The economic impact of launches, tourism and new construction at Spaceport America are already delivering on the promise of economic development to the people of New Mexico.

For more information, please visit: www.spaceportamerica.com
For more information on Preview Tours of the Spaceport, please visit: www.ftstours.com
Facebook: Spaceport America, or follow us on Twitter: @Spaceport_NM

About TEAM IDEAS

IDEAS is an innovation studio using the power of story to provide creative, design and production services for entertainment, marketing and learning clients. IDEAS was created in 2001 in a management buyout from The Walt Disney Company and serves clients in enterprise and government worldwide. The company operates from its studio headquarters in downtown Orlando’s Creative Village.

Other team members include: Integrated Insight, Inc.; ORCA Consulting LLC; Cordova Marketing Group; Exline Design and Architecture; MYDesign, Inc.; and Blackhorse Worldwide. Team members from New Mexico include SMPC Architects and Larry Littlebird of Albuquerque, NM. The contract called for companies to create partnerships to provide a wide range of services to develop the spaceport’s Visitor Experience.

TEAM IDEAS members have provided a broad range of services in experience development for a list of clients that includes every major Walt Disney theme park & resort around the world, major Universal Studios theme parks, NASCAR, the Smithsonian Air & Space Museum, the U.S. Capitol, the Statue of Liberty, the United States Air Force and the United States Navy. This caliber of relevant experience makes the team well-suited to develop the story, design, market analytics, operational strategy, and facilities of the Spaceport America Visitor Experience.

For more information, please visit: www.ideasorlando.com

Facebook: Ideas Orlando

Mission of Mercy is a New Mexico Dental Foundation sponsored event. During the two day event, dental professionals and passionate volunteers come together to help provide dental care for the underserved population in our state. It is a first come, first served clinic where all are welcome. This clinic is for low- or no-income New Mexicans who cannot pay for dental care.

In 2010, the inaugural NM MOM was held in Albuquerque, NM and it was a huge success. A total of 1.3 million dollars in dental services was donated. This event pulled together 1,700 volunteers who served over 2,200 New Mexico residents and performed 8,724 procedures. The 2010 MOM event was the single largest charitable event in New Mexico history. The New Mexico Dental Foundation will be sponsoring the second event here in New Mexico in Las Cruces with the help of the Las Cruces community. The Foundation is an important new player on the public health scene in our state.

Arrowhead Center invites the public to attend a Networking Mixer, that will introduce the recently expanded on-campus Incubator as a novel way to support the commercialization of faculty, staff and student research in addition to the small business community already being served. Most importantly, it will introduce the entrepreneurial community to the resources and services available at Arrowhead Center.

Join us to learn about Arrowhead business acceleration services: how we can help you turn your idea into a product, start or grow a business, develop and market a technology, or find new applications for research. Tour our newly renovated facility and network with like-minded thinkers.

When:

Thursday, February 23, 2012

Hors d’oeuvres and drinks served at 4:00pm.

Welcome and Opening Address begins at 4:10pm.

Barbara Couture, NMSU President

Garrey Carruthers, Vice President for Economic Development

Where:

Arrowhead Technology Incubator, Genesis Center C, 3655 Research Drive, (click here for map) on the New Mexico State University campus.

For more information contact Zetdi Runyan at (575) 646-7833, or email zrunyan@nmsu.edu.

Union Pacific, which recently began construction of an all-new rail facility outside Santa Teresa, announced a $100,000 donation to Doña Ana Community College as part of Las Cruces Day in Santa Fe during a press conference Monday, Jan. 30, at the Roundhouse in Santa Fe.

The donation, which Zoe Richmond, UP director of public affairs, said was given to DACC to use as the institution sees fit. However, the underlying message at the press conference was creating jobs to sustain UP’s new intermodal facility.

“Doña Ana Community College is excited to be the recipient of such generosity from Union Pacific,” said DACC President Margie Huerta. “We plan to use the funds for scholarships and workforce development to ensure our students have the knowledge needed to qualify for the jobs this new facility will bring to the region.”

There were several key players who helped make the donation a possibility, including Sens. Cynthia Nava and Mary Kay Papen, Rep. Mary Helen Garcia and New Mexico Economic Development Secretary Designate Jon Barela as well as Mesilla Valley Economic Development Alliance CEO Davin Lopez and Border Industrial Association Executive Director Jerry Pacheco and Juan Massey.

“Union Pacific and Doña Ana Community College is an example of a great private-public partnership,” Lopez said. “We are proud to be a part of this.”

“Right now, we are moving 4.1 million cubic yards of dirt,” Richmond said about developments in Santa Teresa. “We hope this donation strengthens our long-term commitment to southern New Mexico.”

As another part of Union Pacific’s commitment to grow New Mexico, Richmond said seven of the 10 subcontractors working on the project are from New Mexico, which translates to 66 percent of $40 million that has been spent in the Land of Enchantment. The intermodal facility is expected to be completed by 2015, bringing in 600 permanent high-paying jobs.

“The average employee will be making $100,000 in wages and benefits,” Richmond said. “We like to say where we have rails, we have ties.” Richmond said UP chose DACC as a recipient because “DACC is a neighbor” and she is looking forward to a good working relationship with the community college.

“Thank you for your generosity,” Huerta said during the press conference. “The Greater Las Cruces Chamber of Commerce as well as many others have given their help and been so supportive – Davin Lopez, Jerry Pacheco, Juan Massey, (Rep.) Terry McMillan.

“Donations like this will have an immediate impact on southern New Mexico. Developing the workforce in southern New Mexico is critical, and this gift of $100,000 is a huge investment and will yield positive return. “In Doña Ana County, we work with a collaborative spirit to improve the community.”

Nava, former superintendent of Gadsden Independent School District, said the example set in southern New Mexico is remarkable. “The rest of the state should listen,” Nava said. “I fought to get Union Pacific here, and I will fight to hold them accountable to their promises. This check is a great start, and it is about jobs, economic development and the opportunity for students to succeed.”

To help bring UP to southern New Mexico, Gov. Susana Martinez signed into law in 2011 a bill granting Union Pacific a locomotive fuel tax deduction that allowed the company to move forward with an investment of $400 million in the construction of a 2,200-acre rail facility west of the Santa Teresa Airport, which will include fueling facilities, crew change buildings, locomotive inspection tracks, an intermodal ramp and a switching yard.

“This new facility will strengthen our long-term commitment to deliver premium service to our customers,” said Scott Moore, vice president of public affairs for Union Pacific. “Upon completion of this new infrastructure, New Mexico will take its place among the leaders in the goods movement industry.”

A key player in getting the locomotive fuel tax deduction bill passed was Barela. When the bill was passed, Barela called it “a cornerstone to creating jobs in southern New Mexico.”

“Doña Ana County has great potential and thank you to our great corporate neighbor – UP,” Barela said. “The facility is a solid anchor project on the entire Mexico border – all 2,000 miles of it.”

View of the Rio Grande River Valley from 239,000 ft (~50 mi) aboard Armadillo Aerospace’s STIG-A rocket launched from Spaceport America, taken January 28, 2012. Photo courtesy of Armadillo Aerospace.

Release courtesy of Spaceport America

Upham, NM – New Mexico Spaceport Authority (NMSA) officials announced today a launch of a “STIG-A” rocket designed and built by Armadillo Aerospace. The launch took place from Spaceport America’s vertical launch complex on Saturday, January 28, 2012. The research and development test flight was a non-public, unpublished event at the request of Armadillo Aerospace, as the company is testing proprietary advanced launch technologies.

Saturday’s Armadillo launch successfully lifted off at approximately 11:15 a.m. (MDT), which was within the dedicated, five-hour launch window, and flight data indicates the rocket attained a maximum altitude of approximately 82-km (~50 miles). A failure of the ballute (balloon-parachute) recovery system meant that the GPS-steerable main parachute could not be deployed as intended; however, the vehicle was successfully recovered within the predicted operating area and the nose cone and ballute were separately recovered intact on the Spaceport property.

“This vehicle was the same one that flew on December 4^th, 2011, and successfully demonstrated the feasibility of a reusable rocket,” said Neil Milburn, Vice President of Program Management for Armadillo Aerospace. “The altitude achieved in this second flight was approximately twice that of the earlier flight and again tested many of the core technologies needed for the proposed manned reusable suborbital vehicle.”

The images captured by the rocket-mounted camera at apogee also serve to indicate the spectacular views of the Rio Grande valley that await future private astronauts.

The next incremental step for Armadillo Aerospace will be a 100-km (~62 miles) -plus “space shot” with the successor vehicle STIG-B, which is provisionally scheduled to launch in early spring from Spaceport America.

About Armadillo Aerospace

Founded in 2000, Armadillo Aerospace has an unequaled experience base with over 200 flight tests spread over a dozen different vehicles. The company has done work for NASA and the United States Air Force, and flown vehicles at every X-Prize Cup and Northrup Grumman Lunar Lander Challenge event, including those held in New Mexico from 2006 to 2008.

For more information, please visit http://www.armadilloaerospace.com.

About Space Adventures (media contact for Armadillo Aerospace)

Space Adventures, the company that organized the flights for the world’s first private space explorers, is headquartered in Vienna, VA, with an office in Moscow. It offers a variety of programs such as the availability today for spaceflight missions to the International Space Station and around the moon, Zero-Gravity flights, cosmonaut training, spaceflight qualification programs and reservations on future suborbital spacecraft.

For more information, please visit www.spaceadventures.com.

About Spaceport America

Spaceport America has been providing commercial launch services since 2006. Phase One of the construction for the spaceport is expected to be complete in early 2012.  Phase Two of the construction and pre-operations activities will follow, including the development of a world-class Visitor Experience for students, tourists and space launch customers. Officials at Spaceport America have been working closely with entrepreneurial space leaders like Armadillo Aerospace, Virgin Galactic, and UP Aerospace, as well as established aerospace firms like Lockheed Martin, Boeing, and MOOG-FTS to develop commercial spaceflight at the new facility. The economic impact of launches, tourism and new construction at Spaceport America are already delivering on the promise of economic development to the people of New Mexico.

For more information, please visit: www.spaceportamerica.com.

SANTA FE –Gov. Susana Martinez and Economic Development Secretary Jon Barela praised the formal filing of the deed with the Doña Ana County Clerk’s Office on Wednesday to create the Camino Real Regional Utility Authority (CRRUA) in Southern Dona Ana County. The utility authority will provide an independent utility for the provision of water and wastewater services along the U.S./Mexico Border in southern Doña Ana County.

“I am pleased that the final step in creating this utility authority has been taken,” Gov. Martinez said. “It is imperative that we have the Camino Real Regional Utility Authority in place to provide a predictable source of water for residents and businesses in the area. This will help to not only retain the companies we have in the region but recruit new companies to Santa Teresa and Sunland Park.”

CRRUA will oversee provisions of services and utility billing to thousands of customers within the City of Sunland Park and the Santa Teresa development, as well as to thousands more in the rapidly developing areas adjacent to the Santa Teresa Port of Entry.

“We are happy about the collaboration in the creation of CRRUA and look forward to the economic progress that will develop as a result of today’s action,” Secretary Barela added.

A view of the Union Pacific site, looking east with the Airport, Santa Teresa, El Paso and the Franklin Mountains in the background. Photo courtesy of Suzie Azar.

Release courtesy of Union Pacific Railroad.

The passage of the Locomotive Fuel Tax Deduction HB523/SB179 by the New Mexico state legislature and signing into law by Governor Martinez was the catalyst that allowed Union Pacific Railroad to break ground on a state-of-the-art rail facility in the southern part of the state. With an overall economic impact of $500 million for the New Mexico economy, Union Pacific’s investment in the project totals more than $400 million. The facility will create 3,000 jobs during the construction phase from 2011 to 2015, and will eventually be headquarters for more than 600 permanent jobs. For the first time ever, southern New Mexico will have a key inland port, positioning the Santa Teresa area as a strategic focal point for goods movement in the southwestern U.S.

Phase 1 Construction

The Phase 1 construction launch occurred on August 8, 2011. Phase 1 will continue through 2012. Rangar-Benson received the first construction contract and will complete the mass grading in which approximately 5.6 million cubic yards of dirt will be excavated and 4.1 million cubic yards of dirt will be placed. This phase will also extend approximately two miles of Dona Aña County public water and sanitary sewer lines that will serve the facility. This work is scheduled to last approximately one year.

Seven of the ten contractors on the project are New Mexico based, totaling $40 million worth of contracts, more than 66 percent of the Phase 1 contracting.

340 people have been working on the site at any given time to date during the Phase 1 construction process with more than 50 percent of those hailing from New Mexico.

Phase 2 Construction

The second phase of construction will commence after Phase 1 and will complete the remaining portion of the yard to include all the mechanical, electrical, architectural, utilities, track and civil engineering portions of the project.

As part of the contract, there is an expectation that the general contractor will consider New Mexican subcontractors and also look for opportunities to hire qualified New Mexicans.

Global Economy Demands Efficiency

The construction of the Santa Teresa facility will permanently position Southern New Mexico as a crucial component of the historic “Sunset Route,” one of the oldest and most critical rail corridors in American history, securing New Mexico’s future as a leader in the goods movement industry. Union Pacific’s initial plans for capital spending in 2012 total $3.6 billion in support of America’s freight transportation needs. That investment will continue enhancing the safety and efficiency of Union Pacific’s 32,000-mile network. The resulting improved rail capacity benefits everyone. It allows freight rail service to grow, helping to build a cleaner environment. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, freight trains are nearly four times more fuel efficient than trucks.

About The Project
Fueling Facilities – Located along the busy “Sunset Route” between El Paso and Los Angeles, this fueling facility will enhance commerce and goods movement in the state of New Mexico.

Crew Change Buildings – This facility will eventually serve as home base for Union Pacific employees operating long-haul trains out of the area.

Intermodal Ramp – This regionally focused intermodal ramp will permit both local and regional businesses more immediate access to the efficiencies of freight trains.

The Southwest Aerospace & Defense Trade Compliance Forum includes a seminar, networking reception, workshop options and a tour of Spaceport America.

Do you know?

• What are you and your organization’s level of exposure, liability and risk when it comes to international trade and the demanding regulatory driven environment?
• What are the key requirements that you and your organization must abide by?
• What are the ongoing challenging, difficult and sometimes sensitive problems the regulations present?
• What are the potentially devastating consequences if you or your organization get it wrong?

If you need or want answers to these and many other questions, this low-cost, high-quality two-day, hands-on, practical-application and case study-focused program is for you.

Day one seminar topics include:

• Overview and Update on US Export Controls;
• International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) HOT Topics: State Department Trends, Defense Service Exports, Export Control Reform Initiatives, Agreements, Brokering, Third-Country/Dual Nationals, D-Trade, Merger & Acquisition Due Diligence, and much more…;
• Automation & Software Essentials in Trade Compliance;
• Industry Panel – How to Successfully Navigate the ITAR Minefield; Enforcement Update and Latest Consequences of Non-Compliance with Important Case Studies and Lessons Learned.
• Day one ends with a Q&A session followed by a networking reception

On day two attendees have two workshops to pick from:

• TRACK 1 is “Challenges Facing Empowered Officials and Trade Compliance Professionals: Minimizing Exposure, Liability and Risk” and includes sessions on Investigations, Disclosures and Decision Making; What the Regulations Don’t Say and How to Prepare for What’s Ahead, Hands-on Interactive Case Studies and ends with a presenter Q&A period.

• TRACK 2 is “Commercial Space and the ITAR” with sessions on What Every Commercial Space Entrepreneur Needs to Know; USML Categories IV, VIII and XV, as well as Relevant CCL Entries; Obstacles to Export; Interagency and Regulatory Conflicts Launch/Spaceflight Insurance Issues, Defense Services, etc.; Spaceports and the ITAR: Compliance Requirements for the Owner, Operators, Tenants, Suppliers, etc.; Hands-on Interactive Case Studies and also ends with a presenters Q&A.

In the afternoon of day two there is a special Spaceport America tour.

Additional details including registration, hotel information and a complete agenda are linked here.

Steve Vierck

Release courtesy of the New Mexico Economic Development Department

SANTA FE – The New Mexico Economic Development Partnership (NMEDP) board named Steve Vierck, CEcD, as president and CEO of the New Mexico Partnership during Friday’s NMEDP board meeting. Vierck is a long-time economic development professional who has a strong record of leading and consulting several economic development organizations both in New Mexico and nationally.  In this position, Vierck will be responsible for leading the New Mexico Partnership in its efforts to market New Mexico to companies, business decision makers and site selectors as a premier location to do business.

“Mr. Vierck brings his sterling reputation and tireless work ethic back to New Mexico, I am very much looking forward to working with him and the Partnership staff in recruiting companies to the state,” said Jon Barela, cabinet secretary of the New Mexico Economic Development Department. “He knows New Mexico and the business development community very well and will be able to position and market the state successfully to companies.”

Vierck is currently the president of the economic development division at Angelou Economics in Austin, TX, one of the largest economic development and site selection consulting firms in the U.S. There, he provides oversight and direct involvement on economic development strategies, industry targeting, marketing plans, workforce assessment and implementation support and conducts competitive assessments of economic development programs for states, regions, and communities throughout the U.S. and abroad including benchmarking of results and approaches for clients including Colorado Springs, Colorado; Greater Phoenix Economic Council; Michigan Economic Development Corporation and the Wisconsin Department of Commerce.

Prior to that, he successfully led the recruitment and expansion of 49 companies as president/CEO of the Mesilla Valley Economic Development Alliance generating 3,000 jobs and $147 million in capital investment in southern New Mexico.

Chairman of the NMEDP Board and president of First New Mexico Bank, Sean Ormand stated that he had the opportunity to witness Steve Vierck at work honing and shaping successful economic development efforts for communities throughout southern New Mexico and that Vierck “will bring real value to the table and be a great asset to the New Mexico Partnership, a vital public/private economic development effort”

Vierck’s past work experience includes: vice president of economic development for the Tucson Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce, senior vice president of the Greater Phoenix Economic Council, executive director of the Chandler Chamber of Commerce and national marketing director of the Arizona Department of Commerce.

Vierck earned his master’s degree in geography with a specialization in economic geography and bachelor’s degree in business administration/regional development from the University of Arizona. He received the “William W. Lampkin Award for Long Term Excellence in Economic Development” and “Developer of the Year” awards in both New Mexico and Arizona. He earned his certified Economic Developer (CEcD) designation in 1991 and has served on many economic and workforce development boards.

For more information on the New Mexico Partnership, visit www.nmpartnership.com.