Chamber Leaders Announced: Esparza Advertising’s Del Esparza Selected as GACC Chair-Elect, Will Join Bohannan Huston CEO and 2023-2024 Chair Bruce Stidworthy in Leading Chamber

At a board meeting last week, the Greater Albuquerque Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors nominated and approved its leadership for the coming program year, which begins July 1st. Esparza Advertising CEO Del Esparza will serve as Chair-Elect of the Board, alongside incoming Chamber Board Chairman and Bohannan Huston President & CEO Bruce Stidworthy.

“I’ve had the pleasure of working alongside Bruce and Del for many years in our efforts to strengthen our community,” said Chamber President and CEO Terri Cole. “They have all the skills necessary for tackling our city’s biggest impediments to economic growth head-on. They’re innovative problem-solvers who are fiercely dedicated to making our city and state a great place to start and grow a business and a safe, exciting place to work and raise a family.”

“Commitment to the community is an important pillar for my own business, and I’m proud to be part of the work the Chamber leads in Albuquerque as well,” Esparza said. An Albuquerque native and owner of a Downtown business, Esparza has served as the chair of each of the Chamber’s public safety and Downtown revitalization policy committees. He founded Esparza Advertising in 2000, a marketing firm internationally recognized for industry best work, after years of honing his expertise in fields ranging from technology to healthcare. He is also the published author of The Next Dinosaur, a guide for small and midsized businesses as they transition from brick-and-mortars to ecommerce.

Stidworthy previously led the Chamber’s education policy committee and is a two-time chair of the Chamber’s Leadership Albuquerque program. He succeeds CEO of Unirac, Inc. Peter Lorenz as Chamber Chair. Stidworthy has held various leadership roles over a 28-year career at Bohannan Huston, Inc. A past Chair of the New Mexico District Council of the Urban Land Institute, Stidworthy holds a BS in civil engineering from New Mexico State University and an MBA from the Anderson School of Management at UNM.

“The Chamber’s work to support business and to improve our broader community are so closely intertwined – we believe you can’t have one without the other,” said Stidworthy. “That’s why we’re focused on continuing to be a committed advocate for job creators and prioritizing crime reduction and public safety, the improvement of our public schools for every New Mexico child, and the revitalization of a thriving downtown – where people want to work, live, and play.”

The full list of those elected to the Executive Committee is below.

2023-2024 Executive Committee* and Officers:

Chairman of the Board – Bruce Stidworthy, Bohannan Huston, Inc.*

Chair-Elect – Del Esparza, Esparza Digital + Advertising*

Immediate Past Chair – Peter Lorenz, Unirac, Inc.*

Treasurer – Kellie Mixon, New Mexico Mutual*

Education BIG Chair – Del Archuleta, Molzen-Corbin Inc.*

Education BIG Vice Chair – Paul Madrid, REDW LLC.

Public Safety BIG Chair – Shad James, Jaynes Corporation*

Public Safety BIG Vice Chair – Janice Torrez, Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Mexico

Downtown Transformation BIG Chair – Doug Majewski, Hartman+Majewski Design Group*

Downtown Transformation BIG Vice Chair – Karl Holme, GAHLA

Legislative Session and Local Government Advocacy Chair – Sherman McCorkle, Sandia Science and Technology Park*

Federal Advocacy Chair – Leean Kravitz, Fidelity Investments*

Leadership Albuquerque Chair – Tom Antram, French Funerals & Cremations*

Leadership Albuquerque Vice Chair – David Campbell, Mesa del Sol

At-Large – Carolyn Ingram, Molina Healthcare*

At-Large – Don Tarry, PNM Resources*

CANs Chair – Kevin Eades, Molzen-Corbin & Associates

SATs Chair – Tom Jenkins, Real Estate Advisors*

ABQ Reads Chair – Liz Earls, US Bank*

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