The 2025 Leadership Albuquerque cohort participated in a full day for its last day on May 19. Over four decades the Chamber’s Leadership Albuquerque program has developed knowledgeable and engaged civic leaders, preparing professionals at all levels and from a variety of industries to expand their influence in their organizations and in our community. Throughout this 10-month course, each cohort of approximately 40 students gains a deep understanding of issues that impact the economic growth and quality of life in our city and state. They enjoy interactions with high-level community leaders, government officials and industry experts and gain insight into the most important challenges we face.
The closing 2024-2025 program day began at University Stadium at the University of New Mexico where David Campbell, Leadership Albuquerque chair, welcomed the group.
Campbell said the day would be full of tourism, culture and quality of life.
“This is always a fun and enlightening day for our Leadership Albuquerque program,” he explained. “The people of New Mexico are extraordinary, and we’re in a majority-minority state, with some of the richest, albeit complex at times, cultural histories of any place in America. ‘Culture’ means more here than it does in other places — it’s exciting, it attracts people to our state, and it’s something we should continually be proud of.”
Campbell said with respect to tourism, it’s difficult to overstate the importance of the state’s leisure/hospitality/tourism industry.
“Many of our small and mid-sized communities thrive on tourism (as it’s) their primary revenue base and a primary source of employment,” he says. “In large cities like Albuquerque and Santa Fe, it is an essential piece of our economic development picture. We have a lot to show off as a state, and there’s an awful lot to experience. So questions about how to grow tourism become really important public policy issues.”
Campbell said college and professional sports are a key piece in the quality-of-life landscape in Albuquerque.
“If you’ve ever been to the PIT for a sold-out basketball game, you understand and appreciate the passion and pride our community has for Lobo athletics,” he said. “We’ve seen a similar, strong community bond with professional sports teams like the Albuquerque Isotopes and, more recently, New Mexico United. A community’s athletic programs and sports teams are absolutely a source of civic glue and identity – and they provide important quality-of-life experiences for families and children.”
Campbell said by the end of the day, the group would hear from:
- Fernando Lovo, University of New Mexico vice president and director of Athletics
- Monique Fragua, Indian Pueblo Cultural Center CEO and president
- Monique Jacobson, former Secretary of the New Mexico Tourism Department
- Tania Armenta, CEO and president of Visit Albuquerque
- Julie Morgas Baca, Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta director
Campbell introduced Fernando Lovo, UNM vice president and director of Athletics, who spoke about the impact of UNM Athletics on the community’s quality-of-life and national profile.
Lovo has spoken to Chamber leaders before about the effort it’s taking to keep the spotlight on UNM with the ever-changing collegiate landscape.
Campbell said during his short tenure, Lovo has already to make not one, but two high-profile coaching hires — football and men’s basketball.
“He dove head-first into a 60-day legislative session that resulted in millions of dollars of additional support for Lobo Athletics facilities and operations,” Campbell said. “He is guiding the university’s athletics program through a conference realignment and enormous changes to the landscape of collegiate athletics – relating to the recruitment and compensation of players.”
The group also got a tour of the New Mexico Mutual Champions Training Center, where the group learned of the major plans to redesign UNM Stadium as the Legislature allocated funding to plan and design the renovation.
Returning to the End Zone Club, Leadership Albuquerque participants heard from Ron Patel, New Mexico United club president.
Jeremy Oswald, Leadership Albuquerque vice chair, introduced Patel by saying that sports is an integral part of a community’s quality of life, which the professional soccer team has contributed to in a big way.
Patel gave an update on how the team is doing and how the organization is fostering community through its efforts.
After a short break, Campbell introduced Fragua, who is also a Leadership Albuquerque alum. She served as the IPCC’s COO under its former leader and Chamber Board member, Mike Canfield.
“Monique is the first woman to lead the cultural center and its for-profit arm, Indian Pueblos Marketing,” he said. “She is a member of Jemez Pueblo, is a chair of the pueblo’s Housing Authority, and has served as a trustee for the Albuquerque Community Foundation and as a board member of Homewise.”
Fragua, who is also an incoming board member of the Greater Albuquerque Chamber of Commerce, a spoke about the IPCC’s mission as well as the importance of Native American culture to the state’s history.
During the group’s visit to the IPCC, they were also able to tour the museum, which is home to centuries of history.
Oswald also introduced Monique Jacobson, former secretary of the New Mexico Tourism Department, who spoke about the state’s successful New Mexico True marketing campaign.
Oswald said Jacobson helped lead the process of creating the campaign more than 10 years ago, which has been seen by millions inside and outside of the state.
Campbell then introduced Armenta, who has been with Visit Albuquerque for more than 20 years.
Armenta provided a presentation on how tourism is an economic driver in New Mexico, which helps the economy throughout the state.
Finally, one couldn’t mention Albuquerque without the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta. The annual event is the most photographed in the world, as well as bringing in more than a million people each year. Campbell introduced Morgas Baca, who has been the leader of the Balloon Fiesta for nearly a year.
Morgas Baca spoke about the impact and history of the Balloon Fiesta — a fitting conclusion to the 10-month Leadership Albuquerque program.
Campbell wrapped up the program by saying, “I want to commend each of you for your dedication to this program, for investing in your own professional growth, and for committing to learn more about our city and state. Our goal has been to help you develop the knowledge and network necessary to become engaged civic leaders in our community. You’ve certainly risen to the challenge, and we believe you will have career-long benefits from your time in Leadership Albuquerque.”
A graduation ceremony was held to end the program, with Lawrence Rael, Los Ranchos de Albuquerque mayor, as keynote speaker.
The Chamber congratulates the class of 2025 Leadership Albuquerque, which includes:
- Cristina Torres Archibeque, Girl Scouts of New Mexico Trails
- Teanna Baca, Middle Rio Grande Council of Governments
- Joy Barrett, Washington Federal Bank
- Monica Begay, SYNCRONYS
- Shayla Benavidez, Sandia National Laboratories
- Kyle Brayton, New Mexico Gas Company
- Russell Brito, PNM
- Claudia Cano, Comcast
- Caryn Carson, Sandia National Laboratories
- Vikki Everett, Dekker
- Ana Garcia, Sandia National Laboratories
- Jesse Hugg, Heading Home
- Gabriel Jacquez, Albuquerque Public Schools
- David Jaramillo, ABB Installation Products Inc.
- Brooke Jung, Visit Albuquerque
- Kirstin Kalberg, Hartman + Majewski Design Group
- Valerie Knight, Air Force Research Laboratory
- Michael Kocurek, Atmosphere Commercial Interiors
- Michael Kueker, Lovelace Medical Group
- Isaac Leon, Sutin, Thayer & Browne
- Sue Leydig, Waterstone Mortgage
- E.J. Lopez, PNM
- Maureen Manring, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of New Mexico
- Tonja McMullan, Holmans USA
- Claudette Michael, Presbyterian Healthcare Services
- Martin Olea, Central New Mexico Community College
- Gwyneth Olson, TriCore Reference Laboratories
- Amit Pathak, Bohannan Huston
- Edwina Quintana, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center
- Katie Rock, Sunny505
- Leslie Romero, New Mexico Mutual
- Adris Samadi, Enterprise Bank
- Brittany Scanlon, Special Olympics New Mexico
- Jeff Slopek, Klinger Constructors
- Philip Smith, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center
- John Stewart, Indian Pueblo Cultural Center
- Gina Urias-Sandoval, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center
- Raquel Koch Vaz, Briones Business Consulting
- Jon Wade, Presbyterian Healthcare Services
- Andrea Sisneros Wichman, Central New Mexico Community College
- David Wyrick, Kirtland Air Force Base
The Chamber would also like to thank the following sponsors who help make Leadership Albuquerque a success.
- PNM and its President and CEO Don Tarry.
- Bohannan Huston and its President and Managing Partner Bruce Stidworthy.
- French Funerals & Cremations and its President and CEO Tom Antram.
- Bank of Albuquerque and its New Mexico Market CEO Kyle Beasley.
- Jaynes Corporation and its President and CEO Shad James.
Visit greaterabq.com for updates on the 2025-2026 Leadership Albuquerque enrollment process.
