MVEDA Staff

The MVEDA staff comprises professionals from different industry sectors with over 50 years of direct economic development experience in New Mexico. Collectively, the MVEDA Board and Staff is made up of leadership from various sectors coming together to strategize, design and drive economic development initiatives that will improve the lives of residents in the region.

Davin Lopez
President & CEO

Oversees all areas of the organization’s operations, programs, and initiatives and ensures the implementation of an effective regional marketing plan for business attraction and expansion.

Davin Lopez joined the organization in February 2009. Prior to joining MVEDA, he served as Vice President of the New Mexico Partnership, the private economic development business attraction arm of the State of New Mexico which he joined at its inception in September 2003.Davin Lopez, MVEDA President & CEO

Davin spent five years in corporate real estate with two of the largest Real Estate Investment Trusts in the U.S., General Growth Properties (GGP) and the Macerich Company (MACE), where he held roles as Director of New Business Development and Strategic Planning. He also spent two years in private business consulting advising smaller, high growth companies on their strategic initiatives and growth plans.

Davin is a member of several national associations including the International Asset Management Council and the International Economic Development Council. He is also a board member and advisor to the New Mexico Partnership, Arrowhead Center at NMSU, the Las Cruces Greater Chamber of Commerce, and the Bridge of Southern New Mexico. Davin holds an MBA from Yale University and a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from the University of California, San Diego. 

Brian Garcia
Vice President, Business Development

Oversees the daily business development strategies inclusive of marketing, lead generation, retention/expansion initiatives, project response, and business client/project management.

Brian received his Bachelor’s degree and MBA from New Mexico State University. Besides performing a wide variety of custom research, Brian develops custom proposal packets and operating cost comparisons for prospective companies. He is an affiliate member of the State Data Center’s Business & Industry Data Center Program.

Jessica Lyn Robles
Director of Business Development

Executes initiatives and activities to facilitate local business expansion and retention to include incentive awareness, needs analysis, and connections to information and resources.

Jessica Lyn earned her MBA and Bachelor’s from New Mexico State University. She comes to us from Farm Bureau Financial Services where she served as a commercial focused agent throughout Doña Ana and Otero Counties. With over 20 years of customer service management, client retention, and business operations focus, she will be expanding the Business Retention and Expansion program to better address the needs of existing businesses throughout Doña Ana County.

Bret Buchanan
Business Development Specialist

Provides support to the business development team through market analysis, the management of data systems and reporting, and by supporting the organization’s traditional and digital marketing outreach.

Bret joined the MVEDA staff in March of 2022. He graduated from New Mexico State University (NMSU) in May of 2022 with a Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Economics and Agricultural Business while minoring in Business Administration. While in college, Bret has previously been very involved within the agriculture industry and worked as an intern on a congressional campaign.

Carlos Parra
Director of Marketing

Oversees the branding and marketing efforts of the organization and its initiatives and works with the business development team to create and implement successful lead generation strategies and campaigns.

With a degree in Advertising Art, Carlos brings years of experience over many different mediums of marketing. Carlos has helped local and national business grow online organically for over 20 years and is bringing these techniques to Economic Development. When Carlos isn’t obsessing about algorithms and content, he’s always happy to discuss the influences of video games and comics in today’s culture.

Eldelisa Nava
Director of Operations

Manages the day-to-day operations of the organization including human resources, accounts payable/receivable, events, facilitation of volunteer committees, partner engagement,and special projects/initiatives.

Eldelisa joined the organization in May 2021. Prior to MVEDA, she worked as a Sales/Catering Manager for Heritage Hotels & Resorts and the Director of the Las Cruces Hispanic Chamber of Commerce respectively. She brings to the organization 25+ years of experience working with non-profits, streamlining business processes, providing customer service, and project management. 

Board Members

The MVEDA Board of Directors is represented by leaders in the community from various sectors of the private sector, the City of Las Cruces, Dona Ana County, New Mexico State University, Dona Ana Community College, the Las Cruces School District, the Greater Chamber of Commerce, the Hispanic Chamber, and other non-profits.

Officers

Christine Wright
Chair
Beasley Mitchell & Company

Lorenzo Alba, Jr.
Vice Chair
Casa de Peregrinos

Hildeberto Moreno
Secretary
Ironhorse Resources Development

Jacob Slavec
Treasurer
NAI 1st Valley Realty

Rico Gonzales
Past Chair
El Paso Electric Company

Directors

Councilor Tessa Abeyta
City of Las Cruces

Belia Alvarez
Las Cruces Hispanic Chamber of Commerce

Joe Bullock
First American Bank

Matthew Conrad
MountainView Regional Medical Center

Giovany Danel
Union Pacific Railroad

John Harris
Memorial Medical Center

Fernando Macias
Dona Ana County

Eric Montgomery
El Paso Electric Company

Debbi Moore
Greater Las Cruces Chamber of Commerce

Sherley O’Brien
Las Cruces Public Schools

Javier Perea
City of Sunland Park

Ifo Pili
City of Las Cruces

Erica Saunders
WestStar Bank

Patrick Sullivan, Ph.D.
Elephant Butte Irrigation District

Travis Tarry
Citizens Bank of Las Cruces

Susan Tegmeyer
RT Electric, Inc.

Monica Torres, Ph.D.
Dona Ana Community College

Ken Van Winkle, Ph.D.
New Mexico State University

Terra V. Winter, Ph.D.
Community Foundation of SNM