All decked out in red caps and gowns, 174 University of New Mexico graduates beamed with pride as they took home their diplomas in a variety of GED, certificate and degree programs at Angelo DiPaolo Memorial Stadium May 13. Keep moving forward graduates!

A thriving downtown to help businesses, the arts prosper

Since joining Gallup MainStreet Arts & Cultural District in November we have been working to help would-be entrepreneurs create new businesses, attract new businesses to the district, expand the existing businesses by creating a population density in the downtown, and make physical improvements to the public areas to revitalize and redevelop downtown Gallup to make you proud of where you live.

Creating a thriving downtown, of course, is no small task. It requires local leaders, business owners, and community residents to come together to identify our strengths, strategically situate ourselves within the regional economy, and...

Beginning today, professionals across the country are celebrating Economic Development Week. To recognize the occasion, GGEDC and partners in the Gallup Executive Directors Association (GEDA) will present a series of six articles over the course of this week to highlight economic development.

You may say, “How does the work of these organizations really impact me?” It does so by helping to create jobs for our region, thereby increasing our tax base for government services and infrastructure.

When you take your children to school in the morning, that public school benefited from local corporate taxes. And, the company where you work — where did that firm originate? It might...

In discussing economic development and the role of the Chamber of Commerce, it’s good to have all the troops rally around the same definition so we’re all on the same page.

Economic development generally refers to the sustained, concerted actions of policymakers and communities that promote the standard of living and economic health of a specific area.

The purpose of local economic development is to build up the economic capacity of a local area to improve its economic future and the “quality of place” for all.  It is a process by which the public and private sector partner and work collectively to create better conditions for economic growth and job creation.

The Gallup...