Steve Vierck, CEcD
President and CEO
Economic Development Corporation of Lea County
Hobbs, NM
Steve Vierck and the economic development teams with which he has been associated have consistently achieved significant success at the community, regional and state levels. He's worked at a senior management level for several of the nation's leading programs in New Mexico, Arizona and Texas. He has assisted over 200 corporations with job generating facilities including Charles Schwab, Orbital Sciences/Northrop Grumman, USSA, Intel, CNN Wire, Allstate, and Volt.
He has served as President and CEO of the Economic Development Corporation of Lea County since March, 2016. Lea County is known as the "New Mexico Energyplex" as it possesses a world-class array of traditional and clean energy resources including gas, oil, nuclear, wind, and solar. New Mexico is now the third leading oil producing state with over one-half of its production located within Lea County.
Recent positions include serving from 2012-2016 as President of the New Mexico Partnership, the state's economic development marketing agency, and President of the Economic Development consulting division for Angelou Economics, one of the nation's largest economic development consulting practices, from 2008-12.
Steve has also served as President and CEO of the Mesilla Valley Economic Development Alliance (MVEDA) based in Las Cruces, Senior Vice President of the Greater Phoenix Economic Council and directed the Arizona Department of Commerce’s National Marketing Division.
He received a Business Administration degree with a major in Regional Development and a Master’s degree in Economic Geography from the University of Arizona. Steve has been recognized as "Economic Developer of the Year" in both New Mexico and Arizona and is also a recipient of the "William W. Lampkin Award for Long Term Excellence in Economic Development". He has been a Certified Economic Developer (CEcD) since 1991.
Steve is originally from northern Illinois. He has been married to Loretta for over 35 years and they have two grown sons, Ben and Sam.