Jon Barela is the Cabinet Secretary for the New Mexico Economic Development Department. Barela is a native New Mexican, small businessman and an active leader in the state for more than 25 years. He is committed to making New Mexico a place where business and government can work together to create an environment that promotes a vibrant and healthy job market and economy.
Barela began his career in public service as a senior aide to the late New Mexico Congressman Joe Skeen. In 1987, he returned to New Mexico and joined the Modrall Law Firm. Four years later he became New Mexico’s Assistant Attorney General and Director of the Civil Division. In this role, he led unprecedented efforts to enforce and educate the public about New Mexico’s open meetings and public records laws. In 1993, Barela joined Intel, one of New Mexico’s largest private employers, as its community and government affairs manager. He set company benchmarks for outreach into underrepresented communities and was awarded the Intel Achievement Award, the company’s highest and most selective honor. Since 2002, he has been a partner in several business ventures.
Barela has served on numerous non-profit boards of directors and committees and is passionate about making New Mexico a better place to live and work. He has made competitiveness and improving education central themes in his chairmanship of several significant organizations, including:
-Albuquerque Hispano Chamber of Commerce
-Association of Commerce and Industry Board
-New Mexico First, the state’s leading nonpartisan public policy group
-New Mexico’s Workforce Development Board
-Albuquerque Public Schools Foundation
-Albuquerque Public Schools Board
-Kirtland Partnership Committee
-Albuquerque Chamber of Commerce, Superior Service Award recipient
Barela graduated from Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service in Washington, D.C. with a bachelor’s degree in History and Diplomacy and earned his law degree from Georgetown while working for Congressman Skeen.