The Questa Economic Development Fund was awarded a $23,000 Local Economic Assistance and Development Support (LEADS) grant in July from the New Mexico Economic Development Department to launch a business retention and expansion (BRE) program. This is an economic development initiative bringing business owners and community leaders together to help strengthen the local economic environment.

Lynn Skall, director of the QEDF explains that, “the key objective of a BRE program is for community leaders to sit down with individual area business owners and have engaging conversations about the issues that impact and challenge the business. What obstacles are they facing that may be preventing them from growing? What support do they need? What solutions would they like to see implemented?”
The grant enabled QEDF to hire Monique Parker as a part-time BRE Coordinator. Parker is a long-time resident of the Questa area, living in El Rito for over 20 years. She brings a portfolio of professional experiences that make her ideally suited to oversee this project, from owning her own business in Taos County, working as a marketing communications consultant for Fortune 500 companies in Silicon Valley prior to her relocation to northern New Mexico, to teaching and mentoring through the UNM-Taos.

Parker will be coordinating the Questa BRE Program. She will be convening the businesses and community leaders, hosting roundtables to brainstorm solutions to issues, all while keeping a record of the information and outcomes. Ultimately, Parker will compile a report of all the data collected during the personal visits and interviews and present the findings to the Questa community in the spring of 2025.
As a business owner, please expect to hear more about the Questa Business Retention and Expansion Program, and how you and your company can participate in this process.

Community leaders, who will be key stakeholders in administering the program, will be invited to participate from government, economic development organizations, foundations, and other relevant institutions.

For more information about the Questa BRE Program, email Monique Parker at QBRE-Coordinator@QuestaEDF.com.