Tucumcari and Quay County officials and civic leaders were in Santa Fe last week for the annual “Quay Day Legislative Luncheon,” hosted by  the  Greater Tucumcari Economic Development Corporation.

 “Quay Day is that one day during the State of New Mexico’s 60 Day Session in Santa Fe that we get Tucumcari and all of Quay County readily recognized. We make our presence known.” said GTEDC board president Franklin McCasland.

 This year’s event included a recognition of Quay County’s retired state Rep. Brian Moore.

“We wanted to say thank you, and let Brian know how much we appreciate the work that he has done for our part of the state for the last 8 years,” said GTEDC Executive Director Patrick Vanderpool.

At the luncheon,  held this year at the Lodge at Santa Fe, were state officials  including  the secretaries of the state’s departments of Economic Development, Human Services, Taxation and Revenue, Energy Minerals and Natural Resources, Public Safety, Tourism, Transportation   and other agency heads including Land Commissioner Patrick Lyons. Each made a presentation on what to expect from their respective departments in the coming year. 

“The luncheon gives the people from Quay County the opportunity to communicate with our state’s policy makers and agency heads, something that would not usually happen at such a level. To be able to have this many Cabinet Secretaries and State Legislators in one place ready to talk to you and answer questions is really a special thing” said Danielle Lopez of the  GTEDC.

At the lunch, the GTEDC received an NMEDD Certified Communities Initiative Award. According to Economic Development Cabinet Secretary Fred Mondragon, “(the award) is one of many steps that the State of New Mexico requires from its communities to be promoted as business ready.”

This is Tucumcari’s third time receiving the award, andsxith consecutive year as a Certified Community.