Northwest New Mexico Council of Governments names Mayor Duckett
2021 Regional Champion
FARMINGTON, N.M. - The Northwest New Mexico Council of Governments named Mayor Nate Duckett as the 2021 Regional Champion from San Juan County. The COG bestowed this honor on him yesterday at its annual board meeting and luncheon in Grants.
Mayor Duckett was named Regional Champion for his leadership and dedication to public service and the betterment of his community and the region. Since entering public service in 2014 as a Farmington City Councilor, Duckett has worked tirelessly to improve the quality of life for his citizens, diversify the local economy and save jobs and the tax base that our schools depend on for funding.
Mayor Duckett has been relentless in the pursuit to retrofit San Juan Generating Station with carbon capture sequestration technology. Carbon capture will substantially reduce the plant's statewide CO2 output and help ensure its continued operation. The plant's existence is crucial to the health of New Mexico's economy. It will save over 1,500 jobs in San Juan County and the Navajo Nation and provides reliable, low-cost and extremely low-emission wholesale electricity.
Communities statewide suffered economic hardships as a result of the shutdowns during the pandemic. As a champion for balanced approach measures, Mayor Duckett fought to reopen the economy and get people back to work safely. He spent countless hours on calls with elected officials around the state, medical experts and businesses to bring concerns forward and negotiate a better approach to navigating COVID on behalf of our community and our state.
Diversifying the economy is a top priority for Mayor Duckett, and outdoor recreation is at the forefront of this goal. OR is a powerful economic sector and has created over 35,000 direct jobs and generated $623 million in tax revenue in New Mexico. Mayor Duckett is fully committed to growing the OR economy with stakeholder partnerships throughout New Mexico while ensuring our natural assets are protected for future generations.
Mayor Duckett said at the luncheon, “I am humbled by this award and thankful for the opportunity my community has given me to serve our city. We are enjoying improved economic standing right now but cannot lose sight of the regional challenges that we face. It will take the collaborative efforts of each of us to retain and attract private investments in industries that support high paying jobs and sustainable economic development. I have faith in the people of the Four Corners and will do all I can to grow the quality of life here.”
###
For information about the Northwest NM COG and its Regional Champion Award, visit http://www.nwnmcog.com/regional-champions.html
