CIBOLA COUNTY, N.M. – The future of Cibola County’s economy will not be determined by one project, one employer or one industry.
Instead, local economic development leaders say the county’s path forward will depend on coordination: preparing workers, strengthening education, supporting housing and presenting Cibola County as one region with shared priorities.
That is the role the Cibola Communities Economic Development Foundation says it is here to play.
Cooper Jones, President of CCEDF, described the foundation as “the central engine for regional growth,” with a board made up of leaders from industry, small business, education and entrepreneurship.
“Our priority is alignment,” Jones said in written responses to the
“We serve as the bridge between the city, county, and village to ensure we are marketing our resources and land with one voice.”
The foundation’s focus comes as Cibola County faces several connected economic challenges. Data reviewed throughout the
Cibola
Citizen’s Economic
Report shows a county
with persistent child poverty, lower average wages than the state and region, a smaller employment base than before 2010, housing pressure and ongoing concerns about student achievement.
Jones said CCEDF has moved over the last year from broader discussion toward execution. He said the board has become a “working board,” with success measured through job placement, new industry recruitment and meeting milestones in the foundation’s strategic plan.
That shift matters because Cibola County does not only need economic hope. It needs measurable progress.
Jones said the foundation sees workforce readiness and child poverty as closely connected.
“Economic development is the most effective tool against child poverty,” Jones said. “We are tackling the ‘under-equipped’ workforce issue by aligning classroom curriculum directly with local industry needs.”
According to Jones, CCEDF is working with the local school district and New Mexico State University to build clear “Pathways” from graduation into higherpaying local jobs.
Active pathways include nursing and welding. Pathways in development include business, broadcasting, heavy equipment operation, commercial driver’s licensing and mining or uranium sciences.
“The future of Cibola County depends on a workforce that is ready on day one,” Jones said. “We are no longer just hoping for jobs; we are building the people to fill them.”
Those pathways connect directly to several of the county’s major economic questions.
Nursing links to health care jobs already present in the county. Welding, heavy equipment operation and CDL training connect to construction, infrastructure, transportation, mining and energy. Mining and uranium sciences connect to renewed conversations about Cibola County’s role in energy production and natural resources. Business and broadcasting pathways point to the need for entrepreneurship, communications and local professional skills.
The larger idea is that workforce development begins before a person applies for a job. It begins in schools, in families, in housing, in transportation and in whether students can see a future for themselves in the place where they grew up.
That is why housing, education and public finance are also part of the county’s economic future.
Cibola County has begun moving toward an affordable housing ordinance that could give local government another tool to support housing projects. Property tax distributions show residents already help fund schools, county government, the hospital, NMSU-Grants and local municipalities. A clean county audit for fiscal year 2025 also strengthens the county’s position when seeking grants, partnerships and outside investment.
The county needs jobs, but also workers ready for those jobs. It needs employers but also housing for employees. It needs industry recruitment, but also schools and training programs that prepare students. It needs public investment, but also careful financial management.
Jones explained Western New Mexico is working to build the tools that will lead to a brighter economic future for Cibola County. The work of professionals across the communities in Grants, Milan, Bluewater, San Rafael, San Mateo, Fence Lake, Bibo and the many many cities of Cibola is on display in Cibola.