Economic development officials tout business competitiveness to national site selectors
He and three other commercial real estate officials from outside of New Mexico joined a Thursday luncheon hosted by the economic development organization Albuquerque Regional Economic Alliance, or AREA, at Albuquerque Academy to learn more about the metro area's investment potential from local executives.
This week, AREA drove the out-of-state visitors around town to tout the city's business competitiveness. AREA CEO and President Danielle Casey at the luncheon described the tour as letting the visitors "get to know what's going on and kind of look under all the rocks and learn about the market and understand what we're doing to really advance our economic development ecosystem."
AREA also took the real estate officials to local events like an Isotopes game and golfing, which Urbanowicz said is an important factor business leaders consider when setting up shop somewhere.
"What's going to be more important in attracting business and attracting talent in the future will be quality of life," said Urbanowicz, an executive managing director with Vestian.
Chad Matheson, senior vice president for AREA, broke down some state and metro-area economic and jobs statistics for the visitors at the luncheon, particularly highlighting the growing market for research and development. In terms of job count in the Southwest, New Mexico has the fourth-largest R&D market and it grew 23% from 2018-2023, he said.
"From a research and development perspective, really honing our core competencies and material sciences is one that I feel we have a tremendous potential in," Matheson said.
In addition to science and technology-related fields, the state has a demand for professionals in health care, manufacturing and construction, finance and insurance, and education, Matheson added.
Officials with Central New Mexico Community College, Presbyterian Healthcare Services and Sandia National Laboratories attended the Thursday event as well to explain some of their program offerings to the visitors, from quantum computing partnerships to health care simulation labs.
"There's likely some way that we can work with just about anybody," said David Kistin, manager of technology and economic development at Sandia Labs.
This was site selector Jeffrey Garza Walker's fourth tour of Albuquerque, initially coming to the state six years ago to consider its business opportunities. He's the executive vice president and managing principal of SRS Real Estate Partners and lives in Phoenix.
It's exciting to see New Mexico "starting to move forward with your initiative" to become a hub of economic development, Garza Walker said. He said it's important for an area to be ready for big companies to move in to, pointing to site readiness and a strong labor force as being key.
"One company can change the whole dynamic. And I believe you've got the right people in the room that are trying to get you ready for that," Garza Walker said of AREA.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Associated Press
5 hours ago
- Associated Press
Asia Pacific Enterprise Awards and Asia Responsible Enterprise Awards 2025 China Chapter Celebrates Exemplary Business Excellence and Responsible Leadership
SHANGHAI, CHINA - Media OutReach Newswire - 23 July 2025 - The Asia Pacific Enterprise Awards (APEA) and Asia Responsible Enterprise Awards (AREA) China Chapter successfully concluded its latest edition, honoring the nation's most exceptional enterprises and visionary business leaders at the forefront of innovation, resilience, and sustainable growth in an increasingly dynamic economy. Organized by leading regional NGO, Enterprise Asia, the prestigious dual awards ceremony took place at Grand Hyatt Shanghai on 11 July 2025. The joint awards ceremony recognized outstanding enterprises and entrepreneurs who exemplify business excellence, leadership, and social responsibility in navigating disruption and embracing the green, inclusive economy of tomorrow. A rigorous evaluation process, led by a distinguished panel of judges, assessed over 150 nominees across eight categories for the AREA and four categories for the APEA. The AREA recognized exemplary leaders and enterprises that have demonstrated an unwavering commitment to sustainability and responsible business practices. In parallel, the APEA honored exceptional organizations and entrepreneurs who exhibited exceptional business performance, strategic foresight, and visionary leadership in navigating today's dynamic business landscape. In his welcome address, Datuk William Ng, Vice Chairman of Enterprise Asia, stated, 'In an era marked by unprecedented challenges and transformation, it is the enterprises and leaders who dare to innovate, uphold responsible business values, and commit to sustainable progress that will define the future. Tonight, we are here to celebrate not just their business success, but their resilience, foresight, and positive impact on society and the environment.'. Among the outstanding AREA award recipients, Town Ray Electrical (Huizhou) Limited received the award under the Green Leadership category for its exemplary environmental stewardship. The company achieved significant results by upgrading waste gas treatment, using low-VOC coating materials, adopting energy-saving equipment, and installing photovoltaic systems. These efforts reduced VOC emissions by 3.699 tons, saved 480 tons of standard coal, cut carbon emissions by 2,792 tons, reduced hazardous waste by 15%, and achieved 100% packaging recycling. The above achievements have also enabled the company to make contributions to society in the field of sustainable development. Bank (China) Company, Ltd.'s strong governance, transparency, and accountability have earned it a two-time win in the Corporate Governance category. The bank leads with practices exceeding regulatory standards, including fully recorded Board meetings, independent performance reviews, and a well-indexed annual report. It has received favorable evaluations three times in corporate governance assessments among banks and insurers and maintained over 98% customer satisfaction for three consecutive years. Demonstrating its strong commitment to responsible banking, Bank of China (Hong Kong) Limited ('BOCHK') earned dual honours in the Social Empowerment and Corporate Sustainability Reporting categories. Since 2016, the 'BOCHK x Food Angel' initiative has benefited over 210,000 people, recycled 8,800 tonnes of surplus edible food, and produced over 2.1 million meals. These efforts have reduced food waste and supported community dignity through innovations such as the 'Self-serve Station'. Meanwhile, BOCHK's has also established a robust sustainability governance framework and its Sustainability Reports strictly align with GRI standards, HKEX's ESG Guide and follow guidelines such as TCFD, SASB and SDGs. The Reports have also been verified by an independent third party with reasonable assurance. One of the world's leading aluminum producers, China Hongqiao Group Co., Ltd., also marked a key milestone in its ESG journey with its win in the Corporate Sustainability Reporting category. Guided by a robust ESG governance framework, its latest sustainability report outlines the ambitious '2555 dual carbon' targets—peaking emissions by 2025 and achieving net-zero by 2055—alongside goals such as increasing green electricity usage to 70% by 2030 and reducing aluminum carbon intensity by 40%. The report highlights extensive stakeholder engagement, reinforcing the Group's commitment to transparency, accountability, and long-term value creation. Further exemplifying leadership in social responsibility, Techtronic Industries (TTI) was recognized under the Social Empowerment category for its transformative initiative, 'Building Resilience, Empowering Communities'. In partnership with Habitat for Humanity, the project addressed environmental, poverty, and infrastructure challenges by building eight new homes, renovating 20 others in Go Cong and Thai Nguyen, and improving WASH infrastructure for more than 1,800 individuals. Through the Participatory Approach for Safe Shelter Awareness (PASSA) and active employee volunteerism, TTI embedded sustainable development into its core strategy while fostering lasting community impact. Meanwhile, other esteemed winners of the AREA included industry leaders such as Alibaba's Taobao Tmall Group: Xianyu Platform; China Construction Bank Corporation; Inc.; Ping An Bank Co., Ltd.; Qisda Corporation, among others. In the APEA segment, notable winners included Kaishan Group Co., Ltd. and CTF Services Limited, recognized for their unparalleled achievements in business excellence. The APEA and AREA 2025 China Chapter were co-organized by Enterprise Accelerator Co., Ltd. and proudly supported by the Hong Kong Young Industrialists Council Limited (HKYIC), International Chamber of Commerce - Hong Kong (ICC-HK), MayCham China in Shanghai, Shanghai Chamber of Commerce in Guangzhou, SingCham Shanghai, and Strategic Public Relations Group. PR Newswire is the official news release distribution partner, with as the official media partner and Osin Au Pty Ltd as the official beverage sponsor. AWARD RECIPIENT LIST OF THE ASIA RESPONSIBLE ENTERPRISE AWARDS (AREA) 2025 CHINA CHAPTER AWARD RECIPIENT LIST OF THE ASIA PACIFIC ENTERPRISE AWARDS (APEA) 2025 CHINA CHAPTER Hashtag: #Business #Sustainability #ESG Wechat: Enterprise Asia 亚洲企业商会 The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. About Enterprise Asia Enterprise Asia is a non-governmental organization in pursuit of creating an Asia that is rich in entrepreneurship as an engine toward sustainable and progressive economic and social development within a world of economic equality. Its two pillars of existence are investment in people and responsible entrepreneurship. Enterprise Asia works with governments, NGOs and other organizations to promote competitiveness and entrepreneurial development, in uplifting the economic status of people across Asia and in ensuring a legacy of hope, innovation and courage for the future generation. Please visit for more information.
Chicago Tribune
7 hours ago
- Chicago Tribune
Changes to federal student loans leave aspiring medical students scrambling to cover costs
Twenty-year-old Eric Mun didn't want to believe it: Only one kid in the family could make it to medical school — and it wasn't going to be him. Mun had done everything right. He graduated high school with honors, earned a scholarship at Northwestern University and breezed through his biology courses. He immigrated to Alabama from Korea as a toddler. From the quiet stretches of the South, he dreamed of helping patients in a pressed white coat. But dreams don't pay tuition. And with new borrowing limits, Mun's family can only support one child through school. 'My parents already implied that my older brother is probably going to be the one that gets to go,' Mun said. President Donald Trump's sweeping 'big, beautiful' tax and spending bill, signed into law earlier this month, imposes strict new caps on federal student loans, capping borrowing for professional schools at $50,000 per year. The measure particularly affects medical students, whose tuition often exceeds $300,000 over four years. Aspiring physicians like Mun have been thrown into financial uncertainty. Many members of the medical community say the measures will send shock waves through a system already laden with economic barriers, discouraging low-income students from pursuing a medical degree. 'It might mean there are people who want to be doctors that can't be doctors because they can't afford it,' said Richard Anderson, president of the Illinois State Medical Society. Before the passage of Trump's budget bill, the Grad PLUS loan program allowed graduate students to borrow their institution's total cost of attendance, including living expenses. The program was slashed as part of a broader overhaul to the federal student loan system. Now, beginning July 1, 2026, most graduate students will be capped at $20,500 in federal loans per year, with a total limit of $100,000. Students in professional schools, like medical, dental or law school, will face the $50,000 annual cap and a total limit of $200,000. Mun's parents work at an automobile assembly plant. Throughout high school, he knew he would have to rely on scholarships and federal loans to pay his way through college. Mun's voice faltered. 'I'm just trying to remain hopeful,' Mun said. Also folded into the bill: the elimination of several Biden-era repayment plans, cuts to Pell Grants and limits to the Parent PLUS loans program, which allows parents of dependent undergraduates to borrow. Proponents of the Republican-backed bill said the curbed borrowing will incentivize medical schools and other graduate programs to lower tuition. The tuition of most Chicago-area medical schools is nearly $300,000 for four years, not including cost-of-living expenses. Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine has a $465,000 price tag after accounting for those indirect costs, according to the school's website. Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science trails closely behind at nearly $464,000. 'One of the main concerns about the Grad PLUS program is money that is going to subsidize institutions rather than extending access to students,' said Lesley Turner, an associate professor at the University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy. Still, many medical professionals expressed doubt that schools will adjust their costs in response to the bill. Tuition for both private and public schools has been steadily climbing for decades, up 81% from 2001 after adjusting for inflation, according to the Association of American Medical some evidence that Grad PLUS may have contributed to those tuition hikes. A study co-authored by Turner in 2023 found that prices increased 65 cents per dollar after the program's introduction in 2006. There was also little indication that Grad PLUS had fulfilled its intended goal of expanding access to underrepresented students. But Turner cautioned against the abrupt reversal of the program. After accounting for inflation, the lifetime borrowing limits now placed on graduate students are lower than they were in 2005, she said. Many students may turn to private loans to cover the gap, often at higher interest rates. More than half of medical students relied on Grad PLUS loans, according to AAMC. The median education debt for indebted medical students is around $200,000, with most repayment plans lasting 10 to 20 years. The median stipend for doctors' first year post-MD was just $65,100 in 2024. 'I think for many reasons, it would have been reasonable to put some sort of limit on Grad PLUS loans, but I think this is a very blunt way of doing it,' Turner said. In a high-rise on Northwestern's downtown campus last week, 20 undergraduate students and alums from local colleges gathered for the Chicago Cancer Health Equity Collaborative Fellows program. The eight-week summer intensive offers aspiring medical professionals a deep dive into cancer health disparities information and research. Participants like Mun have been left reeling after the flurry of federal cuts. Alexis Chappel, a 28-year-old graduate of Northeastern Illinois University, watched her dad struggle with addiction growing up. She was deeply moved by the doctors who supported his recovery, and it inspired her to pursue medicine. But she has no idea how she'll cover tuition. 'I feel like it's in God's hands at this point,' Chappel said. 'I just felt like it's a direct attack on Black and brown students who plan on going to medical school.' Just 10% of medical students are Black and 12% are Latino, according to AAMC enrollment data. Socioeconomic diversity is also limited: A 2018 analysis found that 24% of students came from the wealthiest 5% of U.S. Pendergrast, who graduated from Feinberg in 2023, relied entirely on Grad PLUS loans to fund her medical education. Juggling classes and clinicals, she had little money saved and no steady stream of income. Pendergrast was so strapped for cash that she enrolled in SNAP benefits — a program also cut under Trump's budget bill. Now an anesthesiologist at University of Michigan Health, she's documented her concerns on TikTok for her 48,000 followers. 'It's not going to improve representation, and it's not going to improve access,' Pendergrast said. 'It's going to act as a deterrent for people who otherwise would be excellent physicians.' For low-income students, the application process is already fraught with economic obstacles, Pendergrast said. Metrics like GPA and the Medical College Admissions Test, or MCAT, are heavily weighted in admissions, and may disadvantage students from underresourced schools. Many students also lack mentorships or networks to guide them through the process, she noted. 'I think the average medical student is going to be richer and whiter, and not from rural areas and not from underserved communities,' Pendergrast said. The elimination of Grad PLUS loans comes amid a mounting nationwide physician shortage. A recent AAMC report predicted a shortfall of 86,000 physicians by 2036. Meanwhile, a significant portion of the workforce is poised to enter retirement: The U.S. population aged 65 and older is expected to grow 34.1% over the next decade. The shortage is particularly concentrated in primary care. In practice, that means longer waiting times for patients, and an increased caseload on physicians, who may already suffer from burnout. 'If the goal is truly to make America healthy again, then we need to have a strong physician workforce … We should be coming up with ideas to make it more accessible for people who want to be doctors as opposed to hindering that,' Anderson said. Sophia Tully, co-president of the Minority Association of Pre-Med Students at Northwestern, said she and her peers have struggled to reconcile with a system that often feels stacked against them. The 21-year-old plans on taking an extra gap year before medical school in an effort to save money. Tully summed up the environment on campus: 'For lack of a better word, people are panicking.'
Axios
7 hours ago
- Axios
How investors affect Columbus' housing market
Over 7% of Columbus-area homes sold in Q1 2025 went to institutional investors, straining our already strapped housing market. Why it matters: Investors like hedge funds, private equity firms or real estate investment trusts often buy homes in cash and in bulk — outcompeting average families, especially first-time homebuyers. The big picture: Columbus' share is about 1 percentage point higher than the national rate (6.3%), per a report from real estate firm ATTOM. The data measures entities that purchased at least 10 residential properties in a calendar year. Sales have been trending downward nationally since a pandemic peak, but they're holding steady locally. Between the lines: Markets attractive to investors have strong population and job growth, solid rental yields, landlord-friendly regulations, affordability and long-term appreciation potential, ATTOM CEO Rob Barber told Axios. Columbus is one of the top U.S. markets for "mega investors," per a 2023 Urban Institute study. Zoom in: A recent Dispatch investigation found that six national companies control more than 6,000 Columbus-area homes. The corporate landlords: American Homes 4 Rent, Amherst, FirstKey Homes, Progress Residential, Starwood Capital and Vinebrook Homes. American and Vinebrook have been active here for over a decade and were initially focused on the inner city, while the others entered our market during the pandemic and are targeting suburban neighborhoods. Friction point: Carlie Boos, executive director of the Affordable Housing Alliance of Central Ohio, told the Dispatch she's concerned investors are inflating prices and limiting inventory. Company representatives noted they own just a fraction of all homes and said they're expanding rental opportunities for families that can't afford to buy in nicer areas. What we're watching: State lawmakers have introduced bills aiming to curb institutional investor activity in recent years but haven't made progress.
