Mayors from across southern New Mexico and West Texas gathered in Sunland Park on February 10, 2026, for Judge Ricardo Samaniego’s recurring Rural Mayors Meeting. Hosted by the City of Sunland Park, the meeting offered space for open dialogue on shared challenges, local updates, and regional collaboration.
Mayor Javier Perea of Sunland Park served as host, welcoming fellow mayors and regional partners for a morning of collaboration. The Rural Mayors Meeting is intentionally small and conversational, creating space for candid dialogue, peer-to-peer problem solving, and relationship building across jurisdictions that often face similar infrastructure, economic development, and public service concerns.
Participating leaders included Judge Ricardo Samaniego of El Paso County; Mayor Renard Johnson of El Paso, Texas; Mayor Miguel Chacon of San Elizario, Texas; Mayor Gabriel Holguin of Anthony, New Mexico; Mayor Rachel Quintana of Vinton, Texas; and Mayor Ramon Cano of Clint, Texas.
The meeting featured regional and project updates from invited presenters, beginning with a Park Crossing Project overview by Terry Calhoun of Ya Rehman Ent., Inc. Roberto Ransom, Director of Economic Development for El Paso County, followed with a presentation on county branding initiatives and available technical assistance programs. The session concluded with an overview of the Santa Teresa industrial ecosystem presented by Jerry Pacheco, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Border Industrial Association. These briefings provided context on regional development, economic coordination, and cross-border activity before transitioning into a roundtable discussion where mayors shared local priorities, recent accomplishments, and ongoing challenges.
A guided tour of key sites in the Mesa area concluded the meeting, providing visiting leaders with on-the-ground perspective on regional development efforts and infrastructure planning.
By hosting the Rural Mayors Meeting, the City of Sunland Park reaffirmed its role as a convener for regional dialogue and cooperation. These conversations strengthen relationships across city and county lines and support coordinated approaches to growth, public services, and economic opportunity throughout the Paso del Norte region.
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