Back-in-business plan: gradual, purposeful

The governor’s Economic Recovery Council is looking for “low-hanging fruit” out the gate as it tries to refuel the economy as quickly as safely possible in the wake of COVID-19.

Members of the advisory council said Friday they expect New Mexico businesses to begin opening gradually and purposefully over the next few weeks. Industries that can effectively practice social distancing — especially those in areas with few cases of the virus — may be allowed to open before those in areas where health concerns are higher.

“I think we’ll start seeing some relaxing (of government restrictions) pretty quickly,” said Clayton grocery store owner Brian Moore, who co-chairs the council.

“I think the governor wants to move forward as quickly as she can. Relax a little and see what that does. I think the first steps will be very intentional in a way that she can look and see what the results are.”

Moore said the council, announced on Wednesday, met Friday morning for the first time. While the 90-minute virtual meeting was devoted largely to introductions, he said there was discussion about opening state parks and lakes as early barometers.

“I fish by myself, so it’s hard for me to imagine that is a (safety) issue,” Moore said.

Moore also said “I think it’s possible” some government restrictions could be lifted before the governor’s shelter-in-place order is scheduled to expire May 15.

But construction company Chief Executive Officer Jason Harrington of Albuquerque, another council member, said no dates have been established for reopening anything.

“There was a lot of talk about reopening state parks and golf courses, how that is a big component in everybody just feeling better about getting back to normal,” Harrington said. “But it’s got to be safe, too.

“The governor was pretty quick to say right now we’re not putting dates on anything. We’re still gathering information and data. It’s not about dates. It’s about making sure people are safe and making sure they feel safe.”

Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham during a press conference on Friday had strong words for the mayor of Grants, Martin “Modey” Hicks, who said he will encourage businesses to reopen in defiance of state orders.

“This infection is here, it’s dangerous and deadly, and it’s spreading,” she said. “This notion that you don’t have to comply is wrong.

“I need folks not to jump the gun.”

The advisory council’s mission is to provide the governor with “strategies for gradually reopening New Mexico businesses in a smart, safe and effective manner,” according to the governor’s website.

Moore said the council will meet three or four times per week starting Monday. One of its first priorities, he said, is to “come up with some standard criteria,” for all businesses.

Moore also said he expects council members may break into smaller groups and focus on establishing guidelines for specific industries, such as restaurants.

Harrington said he expects the council will also look at issues by region. “I think you will find places, like Curry County,” he said, “that have very few (confirmed COVID-19) cases and are suffering economically.

“I think you look at the overlying health concerns with the economic concerns and that will really connect the dots.”

Moore and Harrington said they are impressed with the diversity of the council members’ business backgrounds.

“It was pretty exciting actually, a lot of energy,” Harrington said soon after Friday’s meeting.

“A lot of the people I don’t know, but you could feel it’s a bi-partisan group. I was impressed with the makeup of it.”

Moore, a Republican state lawmaker from 2001 through 2008, said he only knew of a few council members who had political histories and most of those were indirect.

“I don’t look at any of them in political ways, I guess,” he said.

Both men and the governor cautioned health issues are priority one in determining when the state reopens for business.

Discussions “must be grounded in science, data, and sound public health research, with regular input from the state’s public health authorities and the Medical Advisory Team,” according to the governor’s website.

As businesses begin to reopen, Moore said, residents will be encouraged to venture out with caution in the coming weeks and months.

“Even if you get the opportunity to go to the nursery or the golf course, you’re still safest at home,” he said.

The Albuquerque Journal contributed to this report.

Here is the roster of the Economic Advisory Council with bios, as provided by Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham:

Brian Moore, co-owner Ranch Market, Clayton. Moore is a small businessman from Clayton, where he and his wife own Clayton Ranch Market. Brian was a member of the New Mexico House of Representatives from 2001–2008, where he served on the Legislative Finance Committee.

Christina Campos, administrator, Guadalupe Regional Hospital, Santa Rosa. Campos started at the hospital as volunteer and has been serving as administrator since 2004. She is past chairman of the New Mexico Hospital Association Board of Directors and chairman of the NMHA’s Protecting Access to Rural Communities committee. She is a founding member and past chairman of the NM Rural Hospital Network. In 2013, she was appointed by Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius to serve on the National Advisory Committee for Rural Health and Human Services. Campos has a BA in Latin American Studies and Economics from the University of New Mexico and an MBA in Health Care Administration from Regis University in Denver.

Jason Harrington, CEO HB Construction. Harrington has 26 years in the architecture/engineering and construction industry. He has served as CEO of HB since 2005, overseeing more than $1 billion in commercial projects across the Southwest. He also has been involved in philanthropic and economic development organizations, including Albuquerque Economic Development, the Albuquerque Community Foundation, the United Way of Central New Mexico and other groups. He holds a BS in Construction Management from the University of New Mexico School of Engineering.

Brian O’Leary, senior vice president, tax counsel, NBC/Universal Albuquerque. O’Leary has been tax counsel to NBCUniversal since 1999. O’Leary’s practice focuses on tax controversies, tax policy and economic development initiatives. He is a frequent lecturer on film finance and tax matters and serves as a board member of the National Multistate Tax Symposium. O’Leary regularly assists government authorities in evaluating policy initiatives and appears as a witness before legislative tax and economic development committee hearings.

Peter Trevisani, president/CEO, New Mexico United, Santa Fe. Trevisani is the first president, CEO and majority owner of the New Mexico United Soccer team and a former partner in Thornburg Investment Management. Trevisani was an early investor and adviser to the Meow Wolf art collective. He sees New Mexico United as a vehicle for community engagement and catalyst for systemic change. Trevisani is a graduate of Boston College and Columbia University.

Sally Stahmann-Solis, CEO, Stahmann Farms, Las Cruces. Stahmann-Solis is the third-generation Stahmann family CEO of Stahmanns Inc. She was raised on the family pecan farm in the Mesilla Valley and began working at Stahmanns when she was 9 years old in the company’s mercantile store. She managed the company candy factory after graduating from college and was handed the reigns from her father, William John Stahmann, in 2002. Stahmann-Solis has since become one of the world’s leading female pecan growers and pecan businesswomen. She has a degree in Industrial Engineering from New Mexico State University.

Liddie Martinez, Enterprise Bank & Trust, Espanola. Martinez, born and raised in Española, is president of the Los Alamos Region and director of Community Engagement for the bank. She previously worked for the security subcontractor to Los Alamos National Laboratory as the director of Community & Economic Development and Government Relations. For near 20 years, Martinez led the philanthropic programming and investment in the areas of education and economic development and directed wide-spread support of regional non-profit organizations that supported the social fabric of many rural communities across the seven northern counties of New Mexico.

Jason Sandel, executive vice president, Aztec Well Family of Companies, Aztec. Sandel, a native of Farmington, is the third generation of his family to help lead a business that includes five oil and gas contractors and associated vertically integrated businesses, which have operated in New Mexico since 1963. Sandel also has served on the Farmington City Council, as chairman of the New Mexico Oil and Gas Association, vice-chair of the New Mexico Medical Insurance Pool, vice-chair of the New Mexico Health Insurance Exchange and as member of the New Mexico Economic Development Commission. He currently serves on the board of NMOGA and is a member of the New Mexico Methane Advisory Panel. Sandel is a graduate of the University of New Mexico.

Allen Affeldt, Historic Plaza Hotel, Las Vegas. Affeldt is a hospitality entrepreneur and philanthropist. In New Mexico, he has recently restored and reopened the Plaza and Castañeda Hotels in Las Vegas and the Legal Tender in Lamy. He serves on many boards, including El Rancho de Las Golondrinas and United World College.

Mark Fidel, co-founder, RiskSense Albuquerque. Fidel is responsible for advocating and growing the cybersecurity company’s client portfolio nationwide, specifically in the state, local and education markets. A native of Grants, Fidel is also a licensed New Mexico attorney with more than 18 years’ experience in law and litigation. He has a Finance Degree from New Mexico State University, an Executive MBA from UNM and a law degree from the University of Denver - Sturm College of Law.

Staale Gjervik, president, XTO Energy, Carlsbad. Gjervik, a native of Norway, served with the Norwegian Navy prior to joining Esso Norway in 1998. He has held technical, planning, operations and leadership positions for Exxon Mobil in various locations around the world. He joined XTO in January 2018 as senior vice president focusing on the long-term development of the corporation's Permian Basin assets. He earned his degree in naval architecture and marine technology from the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow, Scotland.

Vince Alvarado, president, New Mexico Federation of Labor/AFL-CIO, Albuquerque. Alvarado, a third-generation union sheet metal worker from El Paso, Texas, is also business manager of SMART Local 49. He has served on several state committees, including the New Mexico Construction Industries Commission, NM Workforce Development Board and the NM Legislative Council State Jobs Council.

Phoebe Suina, owner, High Water Mark, Cochiti Pueblo. Suina manages emergency and disaster assistance projects for High Water, including multi-million-dollar projects for the Federal Emergency Management Agency. She previously has worked for the U.S. Department of Energy and Los Alamos National Laboratory, where she led environmental compliance and remediation efforts, and at the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. Suina has bachelor’s degrees in environmental engineering and engineering sciences and a graduate degree in engineering management, all from the Thayer School of Engineering at Dartmouth College. She is from the Pueblos of San Felipe and Cochiti and is active in the traditional cultures of both.

Carri Phillis, founder The Salt Yard, Effex Nightclub, Albuquerque. Phillis is a local businesswoman, entrepreneur, and philanthropist. She is the founder of Effex NightClub and The Salt Yard. As a female entrepreneur starting her first business in the middle of the 2008 recession, Phillis says she has mastered the ability to respond then adapt to “every wild turn the journey of entrepreneurship takes you on.” She says that most of her notable successes have roots in rejection and downturns and that sheer determination is what has kept her going. She has never seen any other option than succeeding.

Jeremy Turner, director of New Mexico Project Development, Pattern Energy. Prior to joining Pattern, Turner was a managing partner with Forever Energy Consulting LLC, the executive director of the New Mexico Renewable Energy Transmission Authority and the chief financial adviser for the New Mexico Finance Authority. Turner has 10 years of experience in the electric transmission industry and 20 years managing and structuring complex public and private financial transactions. He holds an MBA and Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Economics from New Mexico State University.