Issue link: https://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/1169853
www.negociosnow.com 10 October 2019 SPECIAL EDITION Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller has held office since December 2017. In an email interview, he told Negocios Now about the importance of the upcoming USHCC convention and his vision for development in the City. NN: What does having the USHCC convention in Albu- querque mean for you? We are honored to be the host city for the 2019 USHCC National Con- vention. This is a home- coming: the largest gathe- ring of Hispanic business leaders and owners from across the nation is back to where it was founded 40 years ago. We get the chance to showcase our beautiful city and state to conference participants, and give our local small businesses an opportunity to interact with other His- panic business leaders and owners. NN: What is the contribu- tion of small businesses, in particular Hispanic busines- ses, to the Albuquerque eco- nomy, and what is the city doing to help small busines- ses grow? Ninety-nine percent of businesses in New Mexico are small businesses. They are the backbone of our enti- re economy and the focus of our economic development strategy. We're out to show the world that Albuquerque is a place where small busi- ness can thrive. In a place as diverse as Albuquerque, that includes a significant effort to support minority- owned businesses. We're helping local companies do businesses internationally, developing and training a workforce that can meet our small business needs, and revitalizing our city through placemaking. NN: What is your vision for economic development in Albuquerque Our vision for economic development is an economy that works for everyone: small business owners and their employees, econo- mic opportunity for young people, and a higher likeli- hood of success for home- grown entrepreneurs. We are investing in quality jobs, broad-based growth in targeted sectors where we know we have a competi- tive edge, and connecting people to ignite innovation. Synthia Jaramillo oversees the Albuquerque Hispa- no Chamber of Commerce tourism contract and was a member of the committee that brought the convention to Albuquerque. Jaramillo is director of economic development for the City of Albuquerque and is the first woman to lead the Economic Development Department. In that job she is focused on developing the local economy by suppor- ting small businesses and empowering the communi- ty. Under her leadership, companies such as Jabil, Carenet, LSI, NBCUniversal and Netflix have chosen to expand into Albuquerque. She has also led efforts for small business and workfor- ce development by begin- ning programs such as Job Training Albuquerque, Tip- ping Points, and the Small Business Advocacy Office. Prior to her job with the City, Jaramillo spent nearly two decades at the Albu- querque Hispano Chamber of Commerce in various roles, concluding her time there as chief operating offi- cer. She has a background in banking and is an experien- ced small-business owner. Jaramillo was raised in Albuquerque, gradua- ted from Rio Grande High School, attended Central New Mexico Community College, and had further training at Notre Dame University Medoza College of Business, Stanford Gra- duate School of Business Latino Entrepreneurship Scaling Program, and Loyola Marymount University. Albuquerque mayor ready to showcase city for USHCC Synthia Renee Jaramillo