Posts Tagged ‘Kevin Boberg’

Article courtesy of the Las Cruces Bulletin

Bulletin Staff Report

About two dozen Mexican investors will meet with local business owners and industry experts during the Hispano Chamber of Commerce de Las Cruces’ Reverse Trade Mission Friday, March 18, at the Las Cruces Convention Center, 680 E. University Ave.

According to the Hispano chamber, the objectives of the mission are to showcase the potential growth areas in the Las Cruces region to foreign investors; introduce foreign investors to existing businesses in the area and provide an opportunity to expand their product lines and create joint-ventures; introduce foreign investors to entrepreneurs in the Las Cruces region; and to create new jobs in the Las Cruces area.

“This is a first for the Hispano chamber, but it’s an event we plan to hold every year to remind foreign investors of the opportunities our area has to offer,” said Peter Ibarbo, Hispano chamber board member and chair of the chamber’s Economic Development Committee. “We are expecting 25 investors from Mexico to come to the area and tap into local resources and expertise in a mutually beneficial, business-to-business setting.”

Investors will explore local industries related to hotel and tourism development, café and restaurant development, product distribution center development, maquiladora supplier development, alternative energy infrastructure development and real estate development.

The day will begin at 1:30 p.m. with a lunch session for the investment delegation featuring welcoming remarks from John Munoz, Hispano chamber president, and Ken Miyagishima, Las Cruces mayor. Introductions by Las Cruces Economic Development entities will be given by Kevin Boberg of the Arrowhead Center and Christine Logan of the City of Las Cruces Economic Development Department.

A pre-qualified business-to-business session with potential business partners and associates will take place from 2:30 to 5:25 p.m. From 5:30 to 6 p.m., local attorneys will speak on tax and fiscal issues regarding bi-national business activities and business immigration visas.

U.S. Rep. Steve Pearce has been invited to give the opening remarks for the 6 p.m. dinner, to be followed by a presentation on the Spaceport America supply chain by Wayne Savage, chair of the Commercial Space Committee for the Greater Las Cruces Chamber of Commerce. Odes-Armijo Caster of the Albuquerque- based Sacred Power Co. will talk about solar energy initiatives and developments in New Mexico.

Individual ticket prices are $17.50 for Hispano chamber members, which includes full access to business-to-business sessions and dinner, and non-member ticket prices are $25 for access to the business-to-business sessions only, $35 for business- to-business sessions and dinner and $27.50 for dinner only tickets.

To learn more or to purchase a ticket, call Ibarbo at 621-5240 or email peter@ibarbogroup.com.

Article courtesy of Las Cruces Bulletin

Artist's Rendering courtesy of Studio D Architects

By Gabriel Vasquez

Higher learning means higher earning, and The Bridge of Southern New Mexico is hoping to drive that message home to students already attending the Arrowhead Park Early College High School (ECHS) on the New Mexico State University campus.

The Bridge, a local nonprofit that has brought together teachers, students, parents, the education community and private industry, was the catalyst for the new high school – the first of its kind in the state – that opened July 2010 to 117 Las Cruces freshmen. For now, the school is operating out of Doña Ana Community College, but will begin operations from its new Arrowhead Park campus once construction is finished in August, said Tracey Bryan, president and CEO of The Bridge.

“To compete in the 21st century workforce, you need at least a two-year degree or industry certification to really have a shot to succeed,” said Bryan, speaking at a Mesilla Valley Economic Development Alliance business forum Tuesday, Jan. 4. “The Early College High School exists for the purpose of building a stronger workforce for the ultimate goal of creating a stronger economic future for Doña Ana County.”

To achieve the feat, The Bridge, born out of what was then the Regional Education Initiative, began seeking partnerships and board members from different areas of industry and education around the county. With partners such as Barbara Couture, president of NMSU; Margie Huerta, president of DACC; Stan Rounds, superintendent of Las Cruces Public Schools; Cynthia Nava, superintendent of the Gadsden Independent School District; and Robert Garza, Las Cruces city manager, The Bridge has secured the human capital and money needed to move forward with the project.

“We have the top leaders in this county from all these different sectors,” Bryan said. “The reason The Bridge will and is already having an impact is because these people have the authority to make the decisions that need to be made.”

The curriculum for the new high school, which centers on an industry- and career-specific learning environment, was designed around “the best educational practices” in the nation, Bryan said.

“Nationally, (early college high schools) have a 90-percent graduation rate,” she said. “They (use) the best practices in education, such as small classes and applied learning, and the teachers can really work with students not just as teachers, but as mentors.”

If the Doña Ana County dropout rate was reduced by half in one year, those students who graduate high school would have a cumulative earning power of $3.3 million, and if those same students got a four-year degree, they’d earn about$12 million, according to a recent Arrowhead Center study Bryan cited. Additionally, the county’s home values would increase by $66 million if those students stayed in Doña Ana County and the state would stand to gain $212,000 in added tax revenue.

Getting students to understand the connection between education and future earnings is critical, Bryan said.

“We’re turning to the private sector for that,” she said. “Mentors, internships and building a strongpathway. We’re going to do it together.”

Students who attend the ECHS for four years will graduate with both a high school diploma and an associate’s degree, thanks in part to dual-credit classes offered at the school.

“The ECHS model is incredible,” Bryan said. “In our ECHS, we specifically sought students who were at risk of dropping out. They understand that they are trailblazers in their family and in the state.”

Bryan said so far, no ECHS students have dropped out since classes began. About 35 percent have perfect attendance, 14 percent have straight A’s and all students have passed their first dual-credit college course, computer literacy.

But to graduate on time with both a diploma and an associate’s degree requires intense academic focus, the main reason why the ECHS won’t offer the typical high school extracurricular activities.

“It won’t have a football field, it won’t have a band, none of those things,” Bryan said. “These kids will graduate with a two-year (college) degree and be ready to move on.”

Now that classes are up and running, The Bridge is seeking the participation of local business owners and industry leaders who want to donate their expertise or offer internships to students attending the new high school.

Kevin Boberg, CEO of the Arrowhead Center, said the new high school is on the Arrowhead campus because in the future, students will be able to secure internships and work study programs with employers within the Arrowhead Park, a business incubator currently being developed that’s already home to several high-tech companies.

For now, however, Bryan said The Bridge is encouraging any local business people who may be able to invest or offer mentorships or internships to ECHS students to contact the organization.

“Students need an adult to get the bigger vision of why they should stay in school,” Bryan said.

After its first four years, the ECHS will house up to 500 students in grades 9-12.

For more information or to contact The Bridge, call 528-7092 or visit www.thebridgeofsnm.com.

The September meeting of the MVEDA Business on the Border Forum will be held on Tuesday, September 7, 2010 from 11:30 AM until 1:00 PM at the Hotel Encanto de Las Cruces, 705 S. Telshor. The meeting will begin with a hot entree buffet followed by a brief update by MVEDA staff.

Dr. Garrey Carruthers

Dr. Garrey Carruthers, Dean of the NMSU College of Business and Vice President for Economic Development, and Dr. Kevin Boberg, Associate Dean of the NMSU College of Business and CEO for the Arrowhead Center, will speak at the luncheon.  The focus of the presentation will be on the growth and opportunities for small businesses in the Arrowhead Business and Research Park and Arrowhead Center’s Entrepreneurship Institute and TECHSTART Incubator.

Luncheon cost is $20.00 per person, payable by cash, check or major credit card. Due to space limitations, reservations are required. Please confirm your attendance no later than Thursday, September 2nd by sending an email to rsvp@mveda.com or by calling the office at (575) 525-2852. The meeting is open to the public.

Article courtesy of NMSU News Center

Photo by Fred Shepherd

April 27, 2010
WRITER: Justin Bannister, (575) 646-5981, jbannist@nmsu.edu
CONTACT: Vicki Galindo, (575) 646-5265, vigalind@nmsu.edu

A mile-long extension of Payne Street through New Mexico State University’s Arrowhead Business and Research Park is now open. The new road, and its accompanying underground utilities, will allow for the park’s continued growth and better connect it with the rest of campus.

“Without this road, we couldn’t continue developing the park,” said Garrey Carruthers, dean of the NMSU College of Business and vice president for economic development. “This road lays the infrastructure necessary to help us attract the kinds of companies that hire our students, offer internships and create jobs in the region.”

The 257-acre business and research park is located on the south end of NMSU’s Las Cruces campus between Interstates 10 and 25. The new road extension stretches south, through the park, from the intersection of Payne and Wells streets to Sam Steel Way.

“Academically, this research park is a place where our students will eventually be engaged in hands-on applications, working with companies in search of solutions that they have identified in the classroom,” said Kevin Boberg, CEO of the Arrowhead Center. “Economically, it’s estimated that once fully developed, the entire research park could contain more than two million square feet of office and lab space where 5,000 to 6,000 people would work. This road enables us to realize those benefits.”

The road project represents nearly $2 million in investments, including a $900,000 grant from the U.S. Economic Development Administration. Other money for the project came from the state of New Mexico, local road funds, the New Mexico Department of Transportation and NMSU.

Photo by Fred Shepherd

The first 11 acres of the park under development are adjacent to the new road. The most recently completed building, Spaceplex 2, is home to General Dynamics and opened last summer. The park’s next building will be more than 8,000 square feet and broken into smaller, 1,700-square-foot pads for businesses intending to establish themselves before jumping into larger spaces. That building is currently under construction with an occupancy date set for later this summer.

Other plans for the research park include working with the Las Cruces Public School District to construct an early college high school where high school students could take college-level courses for credit.

Broadcast Advisory: Video and sound bites are available under the slug Arrowhead Drive at the following ftp site: ftp://aggievision:goaggies@aggievision.nmsu.edu. Use the following information if you are using a download client: Host: aggievision.nmsu.edu Username: aggievision Password: goaggies. To download these files you must have Quicktime Pro software. For questions on problems with downloading, please contact Minerva Baumann (575) 646-7566.

Release Courtesy of NMSU Communications & Marketing Services

Photo Courtesy of NMSU

Bulldozers are rolling through a chunk of desert owned by New Mexico State University. The heavy equipment is building a new road and laying utilities to better connect NMSU’s Arrowhead Business and Research Park with the rest of campus. The project is also expected to help attract new investments, new clients and eventually thousands of high-paying jobs to the park.

The road will extend south for approximately one mile from the intersection of Payne and Wells streets to Sam Steel Way, which runs parallel to Interstate 10. Construction is scheduled to be complete in March 2010.

The project represents nearly $2 million in investments, including a $900,000 grant from the U.S. Economic Development Administration. Other money for the project came from the state of New Mexico, local road funds, the New Mexico Department of Transportation and NMSU.

“The road will really open up the whole park,” said Kevin Boberg, Arrowhead Center’s CEO. “We can’t do any other development without the utility backbone the road delivers.”

The business and research park is located on the south end of NMSU’s Las Cruces campus between Interstates 10 and 25. The first 11 acres of the 257-acre park are already in development. The most recently completed building, Spaceplex 2, is home to General Dynamics and opened last summer.  The next building scheduled for construction will be nearly 8,000 square feet and be broken into smaller, 1,700-square-foot pads for businesses intending to establish themselves before jumping into larger spaces.

Other plans for the research park include working with the Las Cruces Public School District to construct an early college high school where high school students could take college-level courses for credit.

“Without the infrastructure, we wouldn’t be in a position to take advantage of these opportunities,” said Vickie Galindo, Arrowhead Center’s director of workforce innovation and business development. “We would not have been able to make this happen without the EDA and help from New Mexico Secretary of Economic Development Fred Mondragon.”