Rio Rancho Economic Development Work Session - June 16, 2026

The Rio Rancho Governing Body held a work session on June 16, 2026, to discuss economic development initiatives, partnerships, and future strategies. Presentations were delivered by City Manager Matt Geisel, Economic Development Manager Alberto Solis, Sandoval Economic Alliance (SCA) President Fred Shepherd, and Rio Rancho Regional Chamber of Commerce President Jerry Schalow. Topics included the history of local economic development, site readiness efforts, business retention and expansion, and the role of various organizations.

Consent Calendar

• No consent calendar items were on the agenda.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Public comment was not taken at this work session, as stated in the agenda.

Discussion Items

• City Manager Matt Geisel provided an overview of Rio Rancho's economic development history, from early Amrep marketing to the creation of the Rio Rancho Economic Development Corporation (RREDC) and its restructuring into the Sandoval Economic Alliance (SCA). He noted that the city's current contract with SCA began in FY24 and is in its third year.
• Geisel outlined key economic factors: growth in gross receipts tax from destination sourcing e-commerce, strong residential construction, and increasing anchor/institutional employers (LANL, Sandia, UNM RMC). He emphasized the need for a cohesive long-term strategy and proposed making June a recurring economic development work session.
• He introduced an economic development framework highlighting the interconnectedness of quality of life, job creation, and tax base growth, and noted that the city's 2023-2028 strategic plan calls for revisiting economic development priorities.
• Alberto Solis discussed his first two years as Economic Development Manager, focusing on fact-finding, internal collaboration, and external partnerships. Key accomplishments included:
  • Leading a site readiness exercise for 70 acres at Rio Rancho City Center (43 acres designated a strategic economic development site by the state).
  • Applying for $1.5 million in state site readiness grant funding to extend College Boulevard to Broadmoor.
  • Convening a quarterly meeting of small business assistance and economic development partners in April.
  • Identifying four key opportunity sectors: aerospace and defense, bioscience/biotech, healthcare, and higher education.
• Solis stated that Rio Rancho's competitive advantages are being safe, stable (accountable governance), and scalable (families and employers can grow).
• Councilor Bob Tyler pressed for concrete metrics on job creation, business growth, retention, and site readiness. Solis acknowledged that no jobs had been created under his direct watch, but cited collaboration with partners. Geisel noted that the city has supported incentive packages for companies like Intel and Deluxe Designs, and that growth should be measured broadly, not solely by job creation.
• Fred Shepherd presented SCA's contract deliverables: site readiness, business retention and expansion (BRE), and microeconomic gardening. Key statistics:
  • 47 unique company interactions in FY24, 45 in FY25 (direct outreach, not mass emails).
  • 20 businesses responded to an anonymous survey; local business climate ratings were higher than state or national ratings.
  • One small company added 9 jobs through microeconomic gardening; two expansions pending.
  • Since 2025, conservative estimates show projects assisted by SCA projected 1,481 net new jobs, $2.1 million in direct city tax revenue, and $341.9 million in local household spending, with a 400% ROI on city funding.
• Shepherd highlighted that site readiness is a long game, noting that private landowners of industrial land may seek residential rezoning due to higher short-term profits.
• He also clarified that SCA focuses on economic-base employers (companies not seeking front-door traffic), while retail/restaurant referrals go to the chamber and SBDC.
• Jerry Schalow described the chamber's role in business retention/expansion, attraction, workforce development, and quality of life. Notable achievements included:
  • The "Shop on Southern" program, which kept businesses open during road construction and increased Albuquerque awareness of Rio Rancho.
  • Revitalizing Country Club Plaza and Turtle Mountain expansion.
  • Advocating for Rio Tech (CTE center) and Market Street grocery store.
  • Managing Discover Sandoval, a geofencing marketing program targeting workers at LANL, Sandia, and Intel to attract them to live in Rio Rancho and Sandoval County.
• Schalow stated the chamber is the fastest-growing in New Mexico and top ten nationally. He noted that 47,000 residents commute out of Sandoval County daily, representing $3.1 billion in outbound payroll, and that Rio Rancho is 1,600 businesses short compared to peer cities like Santa Fe or Las Cruces.
• He proposed an MOU for $20,000 in city funding for business retention/expansion and workforce programs, with no funding going to chamber operations, and measurable metrics.

Key Outcomes

• Councilor Karissa Culbreath called for quarterly collaborative meetings among the city, SCA, and chamber to reduce overlap and align efforts.
• Councilor Bob Tyler expressed interest in an MOU with the chamber, including a city seat on the chamber board, quarterly reporting (similar to SCA's), and a requirement for collaboration among all entities. He suggested revisiting funding at mid-year budget.
• The consensus among councilors was to increase collaboration and clarify roles to avoid duplication.
• No formal votes or directives were taken; the work session was informational. The meeting adjourned at 5:40 PM.