| Abstract |
Over the past 25 years, a new model of community economic development has emerged in the Hispanic villages of northern New Mexico. Its goal is to replace the region's impoverished colonial economy with a bioregional one: a diversified, resilient economy that is both culturally appropriate and environmentally sustainable. This new model differs in two important ways from the unsuccessful economic development initiatives that preceded it during the New Deal and War on Poverty. First, it is structured like the hub and spokes of a wheel, with individual business ventures supported by a central nonprofit organization. Second, the hub nonprofit balances the leadership of community members with the business skills of experienced financial managers and fundraisers. This article analyzes the accomplishments and vulnerabilities of the hub-and-spokes community economic development model, and provides detailed case studies of three of the organizations that have developed and implemented it: Ganados del Valle, Taos County Economic Development Corporation, and Tapetes de Lana. |
