BUSINESS
Albuquerque Regional Economic Alliance appoints permanent president and CEO
Chad Matheson had been serving in the interim since August and has been with the organization since 2022
Albuquerque Regional Economic Alliance, the powerful nonprofit that has in recent years helped the state broker massive expansion projects, has named Chad Matheson its permanent CEO and president.
Matheson, who started in the full-time role on Wednesday, had been serving as interim president and CEO of the economic development organization since August 2025, when the organization鈥檚 previous chief executive left for a similar role in Las Vegas.
鈥淭he Greater Albuquerque region has extraordinary assets, a growing and innovative ecosystem with a community of leaders ready to drive meaningful progress,鈥� Matheson said in a statement. 鈥淚 look forward to working alongside our partners, stakeholders and the AREA team to advance bold strategies that strengthen our regional economy for the long term.鈥�
Matheson鈥檚 appointment comes as AREA has been heavily involved in bringing companies to the region that could yield large economic returns.
That includes, most recently, drawing in Castelion Corp., the hypersonics manufacturer building a 1,000-acre campus in Sandoval County. That project will support some 300 full-time jobs. Under Matheson, that work also extended to helping Pacific Fusion find a site in Mesa del Sol, where the nuclear fusion company plans to build a $1 billion facility and support 200 long-term jobs.
Matheson, who is from Virginia and holds a bachelor鈥檚 degree in economics from Old Dominion University, joined AREA in 2022 as its vice president for economic competitiveness before landing a role as the organization鈥檚 senior vice president in 2023, which he held under previous President and CEO Danielle Casey until her departure last year to lead the Las Vegas Global Economic Alliance.
Matheson鈥檚 appointment follows a nationwide search for Casey鈥檚 replacement by AREA鈥檚 board of directors, which includes a list of prominent New Mexico leaders such as Sandia National Laboratories Associate Director Josh Parsons, TXNM Energy Inc. President and CEO Don Tarry and Central New Mexico Community College President Tracy Hartzler.
His appointment is likely seen as a win for the organization, considering the list of recognitions he鈥檚 compiled during his time at AREA.
Matheson, 38, was named one of in 2023 by Consultant Connect and was named by New Mexico Idea. Last year, he earned a certified economic developer designation from the International Economic Development Council.
In a statement, Parsons, AREA鈥檚 board chair, says Matheson 鈥渉as embraced and grown in his role as the Interim President and CEO by offering a strategic vision and a deep commitment to advancing economic competitiveness across the Greater Albuquerque region.鈥�
鈥淭he momentum he has built makes him the right candidate to lead this organization into its next chapter,鈥� Parsons added.
Matthew Narvaiz is the Journal鈥檚 business editor. You can reach him at mnarvaiz@abqjournal.com.
