Jon Barela, CEO of the Borderplex Alliance, an economic development and policy advocacy organization, is the first recipient of the Kevin B. Boberg Excellence in Economic Development Award.
The award is sponsored by New Mexico State University’s Arrowhead Center and the Border Industrial Association, and seeks to recognize those with a track record of collaboration with the university and community, including people and organizations working to positively impact economic development in New Mexico and the region.
“It is with great humility that I accept this meaningful award named in Dr. Boberg’s honor,” Barela said. “Dr. Boberg’s enduring spirit continues to inspire those who had the privilege of working alongside him in his final years. His passion for community and gift for uplifting others left an indelible mark on our organization. We are grateful for the time we had with Dr. Boberg and will strive to live by his example of selfless service to our region each day.”
Before being named CEO of the Borderplex Alliance in 2016, Barela served as New Mexico’s Economic Development Cabinet Secretary. Under his leadership, New Mexico became the nation’s leader in export growth, with trade quadrupling in three years. More than 16,000 private-sector jobs were created, and the state’s most significant private-sector construction projects began under his tenure.
Barela was also instrumental in reforming New Mexico’s tax system, which simplified and reduced taxes on New Mexico’s private sector. He was unanimously confirmed by the state Senate as Cabinet Secretary in 2012 and then unanimously reconfirmed in 2015.
The Borderplex Alliance is the only privately funded economic development and policy organization representing two countries and three states. While the alliance maintains physical offices in El Paso, alliance members include representatives from El Paso, Las Cruces and Juárez.
The Kevin B. Boberg Excellence in Economic Development award is named after Kevin Boberg, who helped launch Arrowhead Center at NMSU and was its first director and CEO. Boberg passed away in March 2021.
Boberg made a significant impact on NMSU’s economic development and community engagement projects during his 30 years with the university. Not only did he help launch Arrowhead Center, along with current Arrowhead Center director and CEO Kathy Hansen and former New Mexico Gov. Garrey Carruthers, Boberg was the first to hold the Garrey E. and Katherine T. Carruthers Chair in Economic Development in the College of Business.
Garrey Carruthers will present the award next week to Barela during NMSU’s Outreach Conference at the Las Cruces Convention Center.
In 2013, Boberg was named NMSU’s vice president for economic development under Carruthers, who was NMSU’s president at the time. Hansen then took over as Arrowhead Center’s director and CEO.
Throughout his years building the university’s economic development and community engagement efforts, Boberg continued to work as a professor and mentor to students. He was a member of the Pete V. Domenici Institute Advisory Council and a mentor for the Domenici Public Policy Conference Student Panelist program. He also helped create the Domenici Scholars program.
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PHOTO CAPTION: Jon Barela, CEO of the Borderplex Alliance, an economic development and policy advocacy organization, is the first recipient of the Kevin B. Boberg Excellence in Economic Development Award. The award will be presented at New Mexico State University’s Outreach Conference next week. (Courtesy photo)
IMAGE DESCRIPTION: Head and shoulders of a man.