1999 Annual Report Executive Summary
Deming Enterprise Community
Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman designated Luna County an Enterprise Community on January 13, 1999. Plaque presentation ceremonies were held on February 12th with USDA representatives, congressional representatives, local officials and the general public in attendance. On March 30th, a Community Update event, similar to a "town hall meeting", was held at the Garcia Civic Center. Judy Canales, USDA Deputy State Director of Texas, spoke to approximately 150 local residents. Her topic covered what it means to be an Enterprise Community, the realities and the myths. On April 21st, a Resource Fair was held to assist the community in revising the strategic plan developed when applying for the Empowerment Zone designation. Representatives from nine state and federal agencies participated in the workshop and helped the 45 persons in attendance to become familiar with resources and technical assistance available to them.
On June 16, 1999, the first meeting of the Mimbres Valley Authority Board of Directors was held. Training materials were distributed. The Conflict of Interest Policy and MVA By-laws were reviewed and edited. Officers were elected at the following meeting and the By-laws and Conflict of Interest Policy were adopted.
On July 8 and 9 the Enterprise Community Strategic Planning Session was held. Dr. Carl Moore and a three member facilitator team acted as moderators. The MVA Board, members of the application steering committee and subcommittee, as well as individuals from the public at large met for two days to modify the strategic plan. A two-year plan and budget were developed from these meetings.
On August 24, 1999, the Luna County Enterprise Community executed a Memorandum of Agreement. Master of Ceremonies was State Senator John Arthur Smith. Representatives of Congressman Joe Skeen and Senator Jeff Bingaman were present and addressed the audience.
A Director was hired for the Enterprise Community and took oversight of implementing the strategic plan on September 7th. Public notice went out via radio and newspaper inviting public participation by community members on committees of the MVA. Specific benchmarks were assigned to each Board member to encourage continuing progress.
The following report demonstrates the success of the EZ/EC application process. The strategic plan developed in preparing the application gave focus and direction to the community as a whole. Rather than waiting to receive the EC designation, community members and partners took steps to begin implementing the strategic plan. Having just completed our first year as an Enterprise Community, Luna County's progress has been outstanding with many benchmarks well on their way to completion.