The Southwest Region Economic Development Association (SWREDA), in partnership with the NADO Research Foundation and with support from the EDA Austin Region Office, will hold the 2025 SWREDA Annual Conference in Las Cruces, New Mexico, May 7-9. The conference is designed for staff from Economic Development Districts, Tribal Planning Grantees, University Centers, Revolving Loan Funds, and others engaged in economic development across the region. An Executive Directors Leadership Institute will occur at the conference location on Tuesday, May 6.

SWREDA is located in the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) Austin Region which covers the five-state area of Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas. Please visit this page frequently as it will be updated regularly.

The conference will include two special pre-conference workshops on Tuesday, May 6: Executive Directors Leadership Institute (for EDD executive directors and those in line to become executive directors in the near future) and Storytelling and Grant Writing Workshop which is aimed at program staff that want to learn creative ways to tell their region’s stories in grant applications. While there is no additional charge to attend either of these, you must pre-register when you register for the conference.

• Tuesday, May 6, 2025 | 1:00 – 5:00 p.m. | Executive Directors Leadership Institute
  Based on interest from EDD executive directors—and those in position to fill the role—the Executive Director Leadership Institute (EDLI) will return for the third year in a row. Content is designed specifically for both emerging and existing EDD executive directors no matter how new or far along in the position. The EDLI is structured to offer training from subject matter experts and allow for peer-to-peer exchanges throughout the afternoon. There is no additional cost to attend, but pre-registration is required.

   

• Tuesday, May 6, 2025 | 2:00 – 5:00 p.m. | Regional Storytelling and Grant Writing Workshop
  Building a strong narrative that tells the story of your region and your vision for regional success can be pivotal for securing vital program funding from state and federal funding agencies. EDD program staff are encouraged to attend this Storytelling and Grant Writing Workshop to learn how to tell their region’s story through state and federal grant applications and learn tips and tricks from leaders in the storytelling and grant writing fields. There is no additional cost to attend, but pre-registration is required.

Topics to be covered during the conference will include disaster recovery, housing, AI and economic development, CEDS, staff recruitment and retention, project development, RLF strategies for success, collaborations with new partners, regional solid waste management, partnerships with other economic development organizations, a federal legislative update, and the Annual Star of the Southwest Showcase. 

In addition, two mobile workshops are being offered. Please note that pre-registration and an additional fee are required to attend a mobile workshop. 

• Spaceport America
  An abundance of acreage and near-perfect year-round weather provide the perfect location for Spaceport America—the first purpose-built commercial spaceport in the world.  Spaceport expands over 18,000 acres next to the U.S. Army White Sands Missile Range and has access to 6,000 square miles of restricted airspace.  Join this mobile workshop to visit Spaceport to learn about its critical role in the commercial space industry: what companies have located there, how it impacts the economy, future plans, financing, and much more. There is an additional fee of $65; pre-registration is required; limit of 30 participants. Because the bus will need to leave the hotel at 8:00 a.m., we will provide a box breakfast to attendees on the bus.
• New Mexico Farm and Ranch Heritage Museum
  The agriculture industry has been a vital economic driver for the New Mexico economy for decades. Come to the New Mexico Farm and Ranch Heritage Museum to learn about the history of the agriculture industry in New Mexico, what roles agriculture plays in the modern New Mexico economy, and where it will go from here. The New Mexico Farm and Ranch Heritage Museum features interactive museum exhibits, several barns and animals on-site, an amphitheater, and the Heritage Garden project. There is an additional fee of $40; pre-registration is required; limit of 30 participants.