Farmington Hires Economic Development Director

Wednesday, October 10, 2018 at 2:25 PM

Farmington has made another confident move in efforts to revitalize and diversify the regional economy. Mayor Nate Duckett stated, “As part of Farmington’s ongoing strategic alliance with Four Corners Economic Development (4CED), CEO Warren Unsicker will transition to employment with the City of Farmington as the Director of Economic Development. This move provides Farmington with leadership that is already familiar with the goals and landscape of the region’s economy.”

From the City of Farmington:

The City of Farmington has been taking bold steps to ensure a future that is bright for its citizens. Having recently passed a dedicated ¼ percent “economic development and community transformation tax,” the City is poised to complete projects and initiatives that will lead to new jobs and businesses for the region. The appointment of an Economic Development Director comes on the heels of announcing last week, the creation of a “Department of Outdoor Recreation Industry Initiative” (ORII)—a first in our State.

When asked about his transition to the City of Farmington, Mr. Unsicker stated, “We are at a precipice, and we can either leap into Farmington’s vibrant future or be left wondering where we went wrong. It is imperative to act now while we have momentum and funding to put our full effort on being exceptional in key target industries that have yet to see their full potential.”

Warren Unsicker is one of only 13 Certified Economic Developers in the state of New Mexico. Having a Certified Economic Developer (CEcD) lends credibility to the efforts being undertaken by the City and sets the tone and pace for its next steps. “Ensuring that we have someone with the requisite skills, background and knowledge of the community is critical to leveraging these funds in the most accountable and effective way possible,” added City Manager Rob Mayes.

As the options were weighed, it became clear that this was the best plan for the region. “We see this as a win-win,” said 4CED Board Chairman Shantel Cooper. “We are able to keep the momentum behind already active programs that were Farmington centric, but with greater resources, and 4CED can continue its efforts on regionally focused initiatives that benefit us all.”

4CED has identified a potential interim CEO who would take over in the transition while the organization seeks a new permanent CEO. This will ensure that the organization will not miss a step in continuing to develop their existing leads.

In the last 18 months, 4CED has set in motion some critical projects that could soon come to fruition. Mr. Unsicker will continue to assist with managing these projects over the next few months. These include the attraction of a retirement community, agricultural projects and several major energy projects. “These all take time and often much longer than even a year or two, but we have made great inroads with developers, site-selectors, and business owners that have a vested interest in the Four Corners,” said Mr. Unsicker. “We have no intention of letting these projects lapse.”

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