The New Mexico Amigos
New Mexico Amigos are civic leaders, business owners, and decision-makers from the Land of Enchantment. The men and women of our non-partisan organization are officially designated Goodwill Ambassadors for New Mexico, mandated under state law to attract new business and industry. We embark on regular excursions to other states to meet with elected officials and community leaders, joined in our travels by the Governor of New Mexico.
The Amigos formed in 1962, during New Mexico’s golden anniversary, when 85 leading citizens chartered an aircraft and visited Chicago, Detroit, Pittsburgh, New York, and Washington, DC, to draw attention to New Mexico’s 50 years as a state. Soon after, they created a permanent organization chartered as a private corporation.
Today, the Amigos operate as a state-wide organization, comprised of eight districts, with more than 330 members, who meet the stringent qualifications for invitation into this exclusive group. Amigos are self-funded to support the organization’s travel and activities. We also host a Legislative Luncheon annually, to invite our Legislative Delegation to meet the Amigos, as we represent the voice of business in our State. The New Mexico Amigos count, State Senators, Representatives, Mayors, among our membership.
Each year the Amigos embark on a week-long, Goodwill Trip. During this trip, 172 Amigos, charter an aircraft, visit 2-3 different cities, generally domestic, and occasionally outside the United States. We invite our Governor to travel with us.
We tour businesses, historic sites, universities, and areas of civic interest. We host receptions, and invite the governing bodies and business leadership of the communities we visit. Our purpose is to represent New Mexico for consideration as a place for business and tourism.
History & Geography
New Mexico is the country’s fifth-largest state in area and 36th in population, with 2.115 million citizens according to the 2021 census. The Rio Grande River runs through it as do the Rocky Mountains; it’s on the continental divide with a mean altitude of 5,700 feet—more than a mile above sea level.
New Mexico is part of the Four Corners—where New Mexico, Arizona, Utah and Colorado join at right angles—and is bordered by Oklahoma and Texas to the east and Texas and Mexico to the south. Santa Fe is the capital, founded in 1609, and Albuquerque is the largest city with a population of 557,161.
The state’s governor is elected for four years and has a two-term limit. A 12th-generation New Mexican, Michelle Lujan Grisham (D) is the 32nd governor and the first Democratic Hispanic woman to be elected governor in U.S. history. Her second term began in 2023.
The New Mexico legislature is part-time and has a senate of 42 members and a House of Representatives with 70 members. The state elects two U.S. Senators and three Representatives and has five electoral votes.
Governor Lujan Grisham, (pictured), made her first Goodwill Flight in 2019 and accompanied the Amigos as a guest of the organization. In each city, arrangements were made for the Amigos to visit and exchange ideas with large groups of the cities’ prominent citizens. At luncheons and receptions, Governor Lujan Grisham addressed the local groups, and, in turn, the local governors and other leaders addressed the Amigos.
Gov. Lujan Grisham currently serves as a member of the National Governors Association executive committee. She was a founding member of the Reproductive Freedom Alliance and also serves on the Alliance’s executive committee. She is the Vice-Chair of the Western Governors’ Association, co-chair elect of the United States Climate Alliance, and co-chair of the Council of Governors Emergency Management and Disaster Response Work Group. In 2021, she served as co-chair for the Biden-Harris transition team.
Gov. Lujan Grisham was born in Los Alamos and graduated from St. Michael’s High School in Santa Fe and earned undergraduate and law degrees from the University of New Mexico. Before her time as governor, she served as the New Mexico Secretary of Health under Gov. Bill Richardson. She also spent three terms representing New Mexico’s District 1 in the US House and served as chair of the House Hispanic Caucus.
A 12th-generation New Mexican, she is the mother of two adult children, and grandmother of three. In May of 2022 she married her long-time fiancé, Manuel Cordova.
NEW MEXICO – LAND OF ENCHANTMENT
New Mexico is the fifth largest state in area and 36th in population, with 2.115 million citizens (2021 Census). Geographically, it is bisected by the Rio Grande River and the Rocky Mountains and is on the continental divide with a mean altitude of over a mile (5,700 feet). Navigationally, it is crisscrossed by rail and three interstates, including I-40, the successor to the fabled Route 66. New Mexico is part of the Four Corners, where New Mexico, Arizona, Utah and Colorado all join at right angles. The state is also bordered on the east by Oklahoma and Texas and on the south by Texas and Mexico. Santa Fe, founded in 1609, is the capital, and Albuquerque is the largest city with a population of 557,161.
ECONOMY & TOURISM
The federal government invests in New Mexico with three Air Force bases, the White Sands Missile Range, NASA test facilities, observatories, and in research at the Los Alamos and Sandia National laboratories. Numerous private manufacturing, support and research companies have developed around this and, combined, account for approximately 25% of jobs in New Mexico.
Natural resources contribute significantly to the state’s economy as well, including petroleum, natural gas, coal, uranium ore, manganese ore, potash, salt, perlite, copper, beryllium and tin concentrates. New Mexico’s silver and turquoise have been used in jewelry-making since long before European contact.
Tourism is a significant economic driver as well, with $8.6 billion in direct visitor spending in 2023 and an estimated 70,433 jobs sustained by visitor spending in 2022.
Visitors are attracted to the outdoor opportunities in our state parks and federal lands, natural wonders such as Carlsbad Caverns, as well as Native American and Hispano culture, arts, and history. Santa Fe’s art galleries and museums, as well as its international dining scene, make our capital city one of the most popular travel destinations in the country.
NEW MEXICO'S FUTURE
High-technology manufacturing is increasingly important to our economy, especially in the defense industry, and high-tech commercial aviation is also growing. The state has played host to the X-Prize competition, and funding has been approved for the world’s first commercial spaceport and private space flight facility. The film and television industries flock to New Mexico for its scenic beauty, highly skilled below-the-line workforce, and tax incentives enjoyed by many small businesses.
