06

Strategic Priority 6

Why This Priority Matters

The Regional Need

Economic resilience is the ability of a region to prepare for disruption, respond effectively, and recover while maintaining long-term economic momentum. Southeastern New Mexico faces both significant opportunities and meaningful risks. Commodity cycles, drought, water constraints, natural disasters, workforce shortages, infrastructure failures, federal policy changes, technological shifts, housing pressures, public-health emergencies, and major employer changes can all affect regional stability. A resilient economy anticipates these risks rather than responding only after disruption occurs.

Regional Goal

Increase the region's ability to anticipate, respond to, and recover from economic disruption while protecting long-term competitiveness.

Regional Opportunities

Reduce Economic Concentration Risk

Diversification remains one of the most important resilience strategies.

The broader the region's economic base, the better positioned it is to absorb industry-specific downturns.

Monitor Economic Conditions

Regional partners should track indicators that may signal emerging challenges.

These may include:

  • unemployment
  • labor-force participation
  • employment by industry
  • business closures
  • population change
  • housing availability
  • major project activity
  • commodity conditions; and
  • infrastructure constraints.

Build Organizational Relationships Before a Crisis

Resilience depends heavily on relationships.

Communities that already know how to communicate, share information, and coordinate are better prepared to respond during periods of disruption.

Maintain Recovery Capacity

SNMEDD and regional partners should maintain awareness of state and federal recovery programs and preserve the capacity to quickly organize around emerging economic disruptions.

SNMEDD's Role

SNMEDD can support resilience by:

  • monitoring regional economic indicators
  • convening partners when conditions change
  • maintaining continuity in regional planning
  • identifying recovery funding
  • supporting recovery grant applications
  • documenting regional impacts; and
  • helping communities connect immediate response with long-term economic strategy.

Measures of Progress

Potential indicators include:

  • resilience planning activities
  • economic indicators tracked
  • diversification trends
  • recovery resources identified
  • emergency or recovery projects supported
  • regional coordination during disruptions; and
  • CEDS updates made in response to changing conditions.
Return to the Six Priorities →Explore Delivery Milestones →See How Progress Is Evaluated →

Measurable Objectives

Recommended milestones from the start of the authorized work program.

6.1

First 90 Days

Invite all five counties and Tribe-directed participation; agree on contacts, backup roles, and information-sharing protocols.

6.2

Month 12

Complete five county exposure profiles and one regional economic-recovery exercise.

6.3

After an Incident

Issue an aggregate needs summary within 10 business days of agreed activation, where access permits; follow recovery at 30, 90, and 180 days.

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Planning connections: SNMEDD: Regional Plans and Data; EDA: Economic Resilience. Reviewed September 26, 2026.