Posts Tagged ‘Las Cruces Convention Center’

Mission of Mercy (MOM) is seeking 1,000 volunteers to serve the expected 2,000 patients in need of dental treatment. Not only is the dental community volunteering, but MOM is in need of hosts to escort patients, people to volunteer in registration, parking, data entry, hospitality & more! The event will take place at the Las Cruces Convention Center on March 2-3, 2012. For more information regarding volunteer types, shifts available and to register please click here.  Volunteers should register no later than Friday, February 17^th.

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.

Article courtesy of the NMSU News Center

By Janet Perez

The business of ensuring the nation’s security has evolved into a vast and intimidating industry, but that doesn’t mean entrepreneurs and innovative researchers are shut out of the field.

The 2011 National Security Technology Conference & Expo, hosted by New Mexico State University’s Arrowhead Center, is committed to helping entrepreneurs and researchers create networks, get valuable advice about venture capital and log face time with representatives from some of the biggest names in national security.

“This conference and expo will provide a venue for technology entrepreneurs and researchers to network with and learn from federal agencies, contractors and venture capitalists,” said Garrey Carruthers, dean of the NMSU College of Business and vice president for economic development.

The conference, sponsored by the Arrowhead Technology Incubator in support of a grant from the U.S. Department of Energy and the National Nuclear Security Administration, takes place Sept. 12 at the Las Cruces Convention Center, 680 E. University Ave.

Kathy Hansen, chief operating officer of the Arrowhead Center, said the conference aims to bring technologies being developed in labs to the attention of commercial ventures, as well as take technologies being developed by small businesses and expose them to potential customers.

One small business ready to make its National Security Technology Conference & Expo debut is the Navitus Group, a current client of the Arrowhead Technology Incubator. Josh Kauffman, the CEO and chief technology officer of Navitus, has developed a battery management system that is capable of handling high-current loads. The system also is constantly monitoring and maintaining the battery, which can make it stronger and increase performance.

With a booth at the expo, this is the first time Kauffman and Navitus are taking on the role of vendors.

“I’m usually on the other side – the guy walking around looking at other companies and their technologies,” he said. “The exposure and the clientele that are going to be walking through this conference are just too much not to be there.”

Small businesses will have booths at the expo alongside major entities, such as Sandia National Laboratories and Los Alamos National Laboratory. Hansen hopes small businesses and researchers in the region will take advantage of the exposure the expo offers as a way of bringing attention to their products.

“Many times, smaller businesses have a hard time knocking on the door and getting into DOD (Department of Defense) or DOE,” she said. “One speaker will talk about how DOD and DOE need to go to technology incubators such as Arrowhead in order to get access to those technologies being developed by small businesses.”

This year, the organizers of the National Security Technology Conference & Expo have opted to focus the event on the fields of cyber security, energy and aerospace.

“We tried to pick the areas that were the hottest topics, and energy is hot and certainly we have local businesses and researchers at NMSU involved in that,” Hansen said.

Also this year, a group of private investors and venture capitalists will be on hand to discuss what business sectors and technologies they are interested in funding.

“That’s very important, because a lot of ideas and technologies die for lack of that funding.” Hansen said. “Of course, the venture capitalists are usually later-stage funding. They are going to be funding technologies that look like they have near-term commercial potential.”

Kauffman understands all too well the importance of venture capital funding. His company already has received an initial investment of $200,000 and he credits the incubator at Arrowhead, particularly Chris Penner, director of business incubation, for helping him reach that milestone.

“I don’t have any doubt that the incubator has helped tremendously,” Kauffman said, “I think we would have gotten there eventually, but I think the incubator has accelerated that – and I’m talking accelerated by years.”

That statement underlines Hansen’s assertion that business incubators are a vital part of the economy.

“There is a much higher success rate for businesses that have been incubated than those that have not,” Hansen said. “Of course, our end goal is to grow the region, do economic development here and try to grow the number of jobs.”

For more information on attending or purchasing a booth at the 2011 National Security Technology Conference & Expo, visit arrowheadcenter.org.

Article courtesy of the NMSU News Center

Writer: Janet Perez, 575-646-4120, perezjm@nmsu.edu

The nation’s debt crisis, national security and health care reform are the hot-button topics experts will address at the 2011 Domenici Public Policy Conference Aug. 31-Sept. 1 at the Las Cruces Convention Center, 680 E. University Ave.

“Once again, under the leadership of Sen. Pete Domenici and the NMSU Domenici Institute Advisory Committee, we have assembled an outstanding lineup of national leaders to discuss very topical policy issues, to include the competitiveness of U.S. education, health care reform, the national debt and national security — all issues that the senator has championed for many years,” said Garrey Carruthers, dean of New Mexico State University’s College of Business and director of NMSU’s Domenici Institute.

Among those set to speak at the conference are former U.S. Sen. Thomas A. Daschle, who championed health care reform while in Congress and has published two books on the topic; New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez, who will discuss matters affecting the state; and retired Air Force Gen. Michael Hayden, who as former director of the National Security Agency and the Central Intelligence Agency will speak on cyber security.

Now in its fourth year hosting the conference, the Domenici Institute is named after New Mexico’s longest-serving U.S. senator, Pete V. Domenici. Every year, the conference brings together some of the country’s top experts to discuss a variety of important issues facing the nation.

This year, Domenici will provide his thoughts on the national debt, a topic he is well versed in as a former chairman and ranking minority member of the Senate Budget Committee. He also co-chairs the Bipartisan Policy Center’s Task Force on Debt Reduction.

“The task force supported raising the debt ceiling promptly and mandating actions to put the federal budget back on a sustainable path,” Domenici said. “We also proposed a tough enforcement mechanism with any debt ceiling legislation in order to build bipartisan confidence among members of Congress that future deficit cuts will actually occur.”

The conference will close with the premiere of a documentary on Domenici’s life in public office. The documentary not only will capture the legacy of Domenici’s accomplishments, but it also will serve as testimony to New Mexico’s participation in issues of national importance.

The 2011 Domenici Public Policy Conference also will feature:

National Debt

Alice M. Rivlin is a senior fellow in the Economic Studies Program at the Brookings Institution. Last year, President Obama named Rivlin to the Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform. She also co-chairs the Bipartisan Policy Center’s Task Force on Debt Reduction. Rivlin served as vice chair of the Federal Reserve Board from 1996-1999, was director of the White House Office of Management and Budget in the first Clinton Administration, and was the founding director of the Congressional Budget Office.

National Security

James L. Jones served as National Security Advisor for Obama from January 2009 to November 2010. He is a retired U.S. Marine Corps General who held the positions of Supreme Allied Commander, Europe and Commander of the United States European Command until December 2006. Jones is president of Jones Group International, created to help address challenging geo-strategic issues.

Health Care

Karen Ignagni is president of Washington, D.C.-based America’s Health Insurance Plans. She is a nationally recognized spokesperson for the health care industry and has appeared before Senate and House committees to share her expertise. She has written articles on health care policy for numerous publications, including The New York Times, USA Today, and the New England Journal of Medicine. She also has appeared on ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX, CNN, MSNBC and CNBC.

J. Mario Molina is a physician and the president and CEO of California-based Molina Healthcare. As the son of Molina Healthcare founder, C. David Molina, the younger Molina has worked in various capacities within the company. He has received the Ernst & Young Greater Los Angeles Entrepreneur of the Year Award, and in 2005 was featured in Time magazine as one of the 25 most influential Hispanics in America.

Science and Technology: Can America Compete?

Norman R. Augustine is the former CEO and chairman of Lockheed Martin. Along with working with other aerospace companies such as Martin Marietta and Douglas Aircraft, Augustine held several positions in the Department of Defense. He served in the Office of the Secretary of Defense as assistant director of defense research and engineering, as well as assistant secretary, under secretary, and acting secretary of the Army.

The 2011 Domenici Public Policy Conference costs $50 to attend, with registration and payment available online at domenici.nmsu.edu. The event is free to NMSU students. For more information, call the Domenici Institute at 575-646-2066.

This project is partially sponsored by the Department of the Army, Office of the Surgeon General. The content of the information does not necessarily reflect the position or policy of the U.S. government and no official endorsement should be inferred.

Robert Garza

Article courtesy of the Las Cruces Bulletin

By Richard Coltharp

For City Manager Robert Garza, helping guide Las Cruces in the right direction regarding economic development is a little like driving a car cross country.

You have to keep an eye on the gauges of your dashboard.

Garza spoke Tuesday, Aug. 2, at the monthly Business on the Border luncheon presented by the Mesilla Valley Economic Development Alliance at Hotel Encanto de Las Cruces. Also speaking was Chuck McMahon, the economic liaison for Doña Ana County.

Garza said he is regularly apprised of several key indicators he calls his “economic dashboard.” They include non-farm payroll, unemployment rates, single-family building permits, permit valuation, the city’s general fund and total permitted value.

Everyone’s aware of the recession of the last few years, and the city’s gauges reflect that downturn. Some of the indicators show Las Cruces and the El Paso area have rebounded better than the rest of New Mexico.

But the key from the city’s perspective is gross receipts tax (GRT).

“When people have money, they buy things,” Garza said. “And that’s our bread and butter.”

Just five years ago, in 2006, the city’s GRT revenue saw a 13.4 percent increase. The number slid the next three years: 7.2 percent in 2007, 5.8 percent in 2008 and -3.4 percent in 2009. But 2010 and 2011 saw slight rebounds, to 0.8 and 1.7 percent, respectively.

“So the question became, ‘Why was it not going back down again?’” Garza said. “And the answer was this: public construction.”

Major public projects, such as the new Las Cruces City Hall, the Las Cruces Aquatic Center and the Las Cruces Convention Center, the past few years infused life into the GRT.

Fiscal year 2010 saw $91 million in public construction, and fiscal year 2011 saw $89.9 million. Fiscal year 2012 was scheduled to see $31.5 million and for a GRT forecast of 1.3 percent growth.

Without the public projects, the GRT of 2010 and 2011 would have been in the negative, Garza said.

“Those public projects were artificially putting money in our coffers,” he said.

While much of the private economy remained in a holding pattern, the city found a way to create another construction vitamin.

With the benefit of some bonds and some planning, the city was able to fund $73.6 million in capital improvements through fiscal year 2012.

“Now, we add that to the $31 million,” Garza said. The number becomes $104.6 million higher than in 2010 and 2011.

While the side effect may be a boost to the GRT, the tangible results will be capital improvements to city infrastructure. About half the projects are rehabilitation and half are new, Garza said. They include work on the airport, facilities, parks and recreation, drainage, gas, water, wastewater and streets, specifically streets providing access to the new Centennial High School on Dripping Springs Road.

Those improvements also play a role in job creation, Garza said.

“Some people come here because they get a great job here,” he said. “Others come because of the quality of life.”

Job creation, Garza said, comes from three areas: expanding existing companies, attracting new companies and enhancing collaboration.

“Eighty percent of jobs are added one by one,” Garza said of the importance of expanding existing companies.

One benefit, he said, is the revitalization of existing areas, citing Downtown Main Street as an example as well as improvements to the University Avenue corridor and plans for El Paseo Road and Picacho Avenue.

He also recognized ways the city can better facilitate speed and timing for developers in construction.

“Our permitting and inspecting process needs to be cleaner,” he said. “In too many cases, we’ve got different eyes looking at the same things. I know it’s a problem. And we’re working on it.”

McMahon cited an instance where the county’s collaboration with the city has helped facilitate projects.

“NRG Solar is putting 250,000 solar panels up on the West Mesa,” McMahon said. “The county implemented a commercial property exemption for the first 10 years of the company’s 25-year agreement. That will help them make progress sooner.

“The county also supports the (Tax Incremental Development District),” McMahon said of the incremental tax downtown property owners are paying that will go exclusively toward revitalization in that area.

Other county projects include $6 million for an arsenic treatment facility in Santa Teresa, and an agreement with the New Mexico Spaceport Authority and Sierra County for 25 miles of road from Upham at Interstate 25 to the Spaceport America. Doña Ana has agreed to fund the survey, alignment, design and drainage.

One hitch for the road, Mc Mahon said, could be environmental clearance. Because the road would be adjacent to the historical El Camino Real, extra care must be taken to avoid damage.

“It could take months, it could take years,” McMahon said. “In general fiscal terms, the county is in good shape. We’ll be ending the year with very healthy cash reserves. We have three times the legal required amount. We’re required to have $11 million, and we have three times that.”

Garza said the city is also in good shape financially. He acknowledged the city can no longer depend on once-flowing funds from federal and state sources, but they have adjusted accordingly.

“We have one threat,” Garza said. “That’s the hold harmless clause on food and medical tax.”

When the state eliminated the tax on food and medicine that instantly reduced GRT for municipalities. So the state instituted the hold harmless clause, basically a payment to offset what municipalities lost.

“We face the constant threat of (the state’s) trying to repeal that,” he said. “If they do it, is it going to crash the plane? No. Will it hurt us? Yes. But if they do it slowly, incrementally, then we can adjust over time.”

Release courtesy of the Hispano Chamber of Commerce de Las Cruces

Las Cruces, N.M. – Local bank representatives and business counselors will join the Hispano Chamber of Commerce and the City of Las Cruces to distribute information and answer questions from the public during the inaugural Small Business Lending Fair, set for 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday, Aug. 5, at the Las Cruces Convention Center.

The first event of its type and size in Las Cruces, the Small Business Lending fair is a new annual event organized by the Hispano Chamber targeted at local economic development by facilitating the start-up and expansion of small businesses in our community.

“Our members, as well as people in the community, have voiced their need for this type of event in Las Cruces,” said Peter Ibarbo, chair of the Hispano Chamber’s Economic Development Committee and co-organizer of the event. “By bringing all of the financial institutions together, as well as micro-lenders and government loan programs, Hispano Chamber members and members of the public will benefit from a ‘one-stop-shop’ if they’re looking to start a new business or grow their existing business.”

Participants invited to the Small Business Lending Fair include Bank of the West, Wells Fargo, Bank of America, Citizens Bank of Las Cruces, Bank of the Rio Grande, BANK’34, Century Bank, First New Mexico Bank, White Sands Federal Credit Union, FirstLight Federal Credit Union, OneSource Federal Credit Union, Bank of the Southwest, First American Bank, Western Heritage Bank, Pioneer Bank, First Community Bank and BBVA Compass.

“Why spend a week or more researching competing loan products when you can get the information all at once?” Ibarbo said. “Local bank representatives will be on hand to answer questions, set up future meetings and distribute information regarding their commercial loan products.”

The Small Business Lending Fair will be organized in an event similar to a job fair – with more than 40 exhibitors and vendors presenting information in a booth-type format.

In addition to traditional commercial lenders, the Hispano Chamber has invited ACCION New Mexico, The Loan Fund and WESST Corp. to provide information regarding their respective organization’s micro-loans. Micro-loans can be used by those who lack the capital, collateral or financial background to start a small business. Lenders such as ACCION and the Loan Fund have an established micro-loan clientele in southern New Mexico, including Las Cruces.

“Micro-lending is growing in popularity across the United States, and is a viable alternative to larger commercial lending,” Ibarbo said. “Anyone looking for more information on micro-loans should attend the Small Business Lending Fair.”

An injection of public or private capital is not the only way to grow an existing business. For current business owners and administrators who are looking to grow their clientele base without a loan, the Small Business Lending Fair will be host to business-support organizations such as the Hispano Chamber, Greater Las Cruces Chamber of Commerce, Green Chamber of Commerce, Downtown Las Cruces Partnership, Mesilla Valley Economic Development Alliance and the Sierra County Economic Development Organization. Business-referral organizations have also been invited, such as Masterminds de Las Cruces, Success … Inc.!, Synergy Business Network and Buzztown.

“It is part of the Hispano Chamber’s mission to educate its member and the public at large about all of the opportunities available to grow their business,” Ibarbo said.  “Often, business-support and business-referral organizations can provide that needed marketing boost.”

The Hispano Chamber has also partnered with the Office of U.S. Sen. Tom Udall to bring government lending partners to the Small Business Lending Fair. Government organizations invited to participate in the fair include the Small Business Administration, USDA Rural Development, Economic Development Administration, Housing and Urban Development and the Department of Labor.

Specialized SBA lender Enchantment Land Certified Development Corp. will also be on hand to distribute information and answer questions about SBA-backed loans.

Completing the “one-stop” shop at the Small Business Lending Fair will be the Dona Ana Community College Small Business Development Center (SBDC), PTAP, SCORE and WESST Corp., who will provide free business counseling at the event.

In addition to free counseling, the SBDC will also host three “How to Start a Business” workshops during the half-day event. Entrepreneurs interested in learning the initial steps on how to start a new business are highly encouraged to attend the Small Business Lending Fair.

The Small Business Lending Fair is free and open to the public. Residents from Las Cruces’ neighboring communities are also invited to attend.

For more information about the Small Business Lending Fair, call the Hispano Chamber at 575-532-9255.

About the Hispano Chamber of Commerce de Las Cruces:

The Hispano Chamber of Commerce de Las Cruces, through its diverse membership, advocates for business growth in the community and promotes Las Cruces and Hispanic business owners through economic development, education, community service, and cultural awareness. The Hispano Chamber of Commerce de Las Cruces was initiated in 1992 as the Hispano Chamber of Doña Ana County and in 1994 incorporated as The Hispano Chamber of Commerce de Las Cruces. The original founders consisted of a group of businesspersons interested in developing a support organization for small and Hispanic businesses.