New CEO named for Sandoval Economic Alliance, focus on countywide strategy

The Sandoval Economic Alliance announced the appointment of Fred Shepherd as its president and chief executive officer, effective December 16, 2025. Shepherd arrives with more than ten years of economic development experience, including roles with the New Mexico Economic Development Department and Mesilla Valley Economic Development in Las Cruces. He has lived in Sandoval County since 2015, when he relocated while serving in the state department.

SEA identified several operational priorities for Shepherd, centered on executing the Countywide Action Strategy, expanding the organization’s project pipeline, and elevating the CORE business retention and expansion program. Those priorities are central to local efforts to translate strategic planning into visible investments, business growth, and job opportunities across the county.

For residents and local officials, Shepherd’s hire matters because leadership at the SEA directly shapes how the county competes for private and public investment. Building a stronger project pipeline means SEA will seek more qualified leads for site selection, prepare projects to be investment ready, and work to convert prospects into real developments that can add payroll and broaden the county tax base. Strengthening CORE, the business retention and expansion program, addresses an immediate lever for preserving and growing existing employers, which often accounts for the bulk of new jobs in a local economy.

Shepherd’s background at the state economic development agency and at a regional development organization gives him familiarity with incentive structures, workforce considerations, and intergovernmental coordination. That experience may help speed projects through permitting and funding pipelines, and make it easier to align county priorities with state programs and regional assets.

Longer term, effective execution of the Countywide Action Strategy could influence where businesses choose to locate within the Albuquerque metropolitan area, and how Sandoval County balances residential growth with employment generation. For now, local leaders, business groups, and residents will watch early measures of success, including new projects advanced, expansions supported through CORE, and any uptick in private investment attributable to SEA activity under Shepherd’s leadership.