COUNTY OF TAOS STATE OF NEW MEXICO f.r Bob Romero Miguel Romero jr. Darlene J. Vigil AnJanette Brush Ronald Mascarenas, chair PRESS RELEASE: Contact Information District I District II District III District IV District V Jessica Stern, Economic Development Director (575) 737-6346 | jessica.stern@taoscountynm.gov FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE TAOS COUNTY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT JESSICA STERN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR OFFICE PHONE – (575) 737-6346 BRENT JARAMILLO, COUNTY MANAGER OFFICE PHONE – (575) 737-6304

Taos County Selected as One of 16 National Economic Mobility & Opportunity Cohort Members –
Will Hire a Full-Time Position Taos, NM – November 4, 2025

Taos County was recently selected as one of 16 communities nationwide to participate in the first-ever Economic Mobility & Opportunity Special Assistants program facilitated by the International City/County Managers Association (ICMA). This 2.5 year program will infuse over $300,000 into the community, including the creation of a full-time position, that will bolster local leadership and advance initiatives that enable Taos County residents to climb the economic ladder. This opportunity is made possible through support from the Gates Foundation. Economic Mobility and Opportunity (EMO) can generally be defined as the ability of an individual, family or group to change their economic status, either for better or worse, over a period of time. According to ICMA, the EMO Program is “Embedded within ICMA’s Local Government Reimagined initiative, and offerings range from evidence-based tools and content, virtual and in-person trainings, and a peer learning cohort for a select group of highly motivated ICMA members. Through these, local leaders can learn about drivers of mobility and opportunity and what’s working to move the needle for the security, health, and welfare of vulnerable residents in communities across the country.” Taos County’s Special Assistant, who will be hired with the title, “Economic Mobility & Opportunity Officer,” will lead collaborative efforts with community partners to further develop a strategic plan that facilitates economic mobility through improvements in community health outcomes. This role will consider the possibility of expanding the role of the County’s Health Care Assistance Program to create a “County Health & Human Services Department,” or another avenue for such services as determined by community partners. This work will be done in collaboration with 100% Taos County Initiative and a broad array of community health providers. This position will be posted and hired in November December. “Access to healthcare, human services, and coordinated health-related assistance is critical to the sustainability, vitality and resiliency of any community and economy. We understand that without addressing the need for improved health outcomes, our residents will continue to face barriers to economic mobility and opportunity. Taos County is proud to participate in this program and cohort; and we look forward to strengthening our health and human services going forward,” said Brent Jaramillo, Taos County Manager. Over 50 communities applied for the EMO Special Assistants Program. The 16 selected jurisdictions listed below represent a range of mid-sized communities across the country. • Beaumont, Texas • Charlottesville, Virginia • Clarkston, Georgia • Dubuque, Iowa • Fayetteville, North Carolina • Gainesville, Florida • Greenfield, California • Kalamazoo County, Michigan • Morgan Hill, California • Newport, Oregon • Rochester, Minnesota • San Juan County, Utah • Staunton, Virginia • Taos County, New Mexico • Thomasville, North Carolina • Vermont EMO Coalition (Essex Junction, Shelburne, South Burlington, and Winooski) About the Taos County Health Care Assistance Program The Health Care Assistance Program will provide a professional clerical assistance to medically indigent patients, who are residents Taos County and applying for indigent assistance with their eligible medical billing. HCAP strives to: Increase Access to Social Determinant of Health (SDOH) Support (healthcare, food, housing, utilities, safety, environmental needs; Reduce Substance Use Related Harms in Taos County; Increase Behavioral Health and Mental Health Supports; Develop Immediate Humanitarian Response Network; Increase Awareness of Public Health Harms Overdoses and Suicides; Diversify Funding for Taos County Health Programs; Program Evaluation and Transparency; and provide Career building to include education, job resumes, certificates, and on the job training. About 100% Taos County Initiative The 100% Taos County initiative, a program of NMSU’s Anna, Age Eight Institute, provides Taos County with a collaborative process for transforming under-resourced communities into fully-resourced environments, creating local access to services described in the book 100% Community: Ensuring ten vital services for surviving and thriving. The 100% Taos County initiative identifies the adverse social determinants of health in the form of families’ lack of access to vital services. These services, such as medical and behavioral healthcare, determine our quality of life with the capacity to prevent adverse childhood experiences, trauma, substance use disorders, and poor school achievement leading to a lack of job readiness. By guaranteeing services within Taos County, 100% TCI goes upstream to prevent family involvement with child welfare, law enforcement, the courts, and emergency room care.


For additional information, please contact Jessica Stern, Taos County Economic Development Director at 575-737-6346 or jessica.stern@taoscountynm.gov ###