Gus Rodriguez, speaking for the Alliance for Regional Military Support, told the Las Cruces City Council work session on Monday, Feb. 24, that the group is urging the city to build stronger economic and workforce links with nearby military installations including White Sands Missile Range, Fort Bliss and Holloman Air Force Base.

Rodriguez said the Alliance’s “mission is to ensure that the Fort Bliss, White Sands, and Holloman Air Force Base remain an integral part of the nation’s national defense strategy” and that the organization is working to “solidify and enhance the capabilities of our regional military installations, missions, and the importance to the Department of Defense.”

The presentation emphasized three areas: workforce development, industry connections and a proposed innovation center in Las Cruces. Rodriguez and fellow presenter Richard Dayub said about 50% of the workforce at White Sands is of retirement age, creating near-term hiring needs the city could help fill. “One of those needs…was…how do we engage more citizens from the city to be able to take a look at those job opportunities at White Sands Missile Range,” Rodriguez said.

Dayub described outreach to defense-industry partners and economic-development counterparts in other communities, including visits to Lawton and Fort Sill to study a model that pairs local research and development with off-site testing at White Sands. He said the Alliance has provided leads that connect city economic-development staff to firms including Lockheed and Raytheon and to a company identified in the presentation as Ignite.

Presenters suggested several concrete options for Las Cruces:

- Explore an innovation center that would aggregate existing local resources and serve as a research-and-development and workforce-training hub tied to White Sands and other installations;
- Partner with New Mexico State University and Dona Ana Community College to create pipelines for graduates into defense-industry and installation jobs;
- Market the Las Cruces Airport as a potential site for counter-unmanned aircraft testing and contractor refueling; and
- Continue intergovernmental and congressional engagement to secure project support and funding.

Dayub and Rodriguez said they had discussed the ideas with installation leaders and with a congressional staff member and described the reception as positive. “When Las Cruces comes to DC…you’re extremely well prepared and you know exactly what you want to do,” Dayub reported hearing from a congressional staff member.

Elizabeth Teeters, who introduced the presenters, and the Alliance representatives said the next step is continued discussions between the city, White Sands and defense-industry partners to define what an innovation center would look like and which existing city assets could serve that role.

The presenters did not propose specific funding amounts or a timetable; they described the work as exploratory and recommended further joint planning with city economic-development staff.

The Alliance thanked the council for time to present and said it would continue coordinating with city staff on follow-up meetings and introductions to potential industry partners.