b'2021-22 Officers & Directors NEW MEXICO Petroleum Marketers Association (NMPMA) Reportsupporting itself. Its economic successand high-paying STEMCOVID-19 contacts, accord-jobswill ripple through the economy statewide. And it hasing to managers. The staff the potential to be a base of educational and industry opportu- increase will allow the depart-nity. When President Kennedy engaged the United States in thement to return calls to the call space race of the 1960s, he faced a brigade of naysayers. Andcenter, manned remotely, on for a while, it seemed they would be proven right. But the spacethe day they are received.program helped make the United States the powerful leader inThe economic hit of the science and technology it is today. New Mexico is still at just thepandemic has been unevenbeginning of its space journey, but the Virgin Galactic launchAmazon grows ever bigger, suggests we are on the right trajectory.and the local salon is forced New Mexico Notes Vets Home Repairs Estimated at $25M. The Department of Healthto close; household savingsRuben Baca and Architectural Research Consultants estimate renovation of thesoar along with mortgageNMPMANew Mexico State Veterans Home would cost $25 million, whiledelinquencies. But, without replacement with a similarly sized building would cost betweena doubt, the blow to tourism- Executive Director$53.8 million and $80.8 million. The facility condition assessmentrelated businesses has been concludes the building is outdated and in poor condition.nearly universal. Between Schools Spend on Technology, Air Quality: School districts haveshutdowns and reduced reported to the Public Education Department they have usedcapacities when open, travel about 45 percent of their second allotment of federal relief fundsrestrictions, and consumer on ventilation systems to improve air quality, personal protec- fears, the industry has had tive equipment and other supplies to continue services underfew options for offsetting pandemic restrictions, and technology, including adaptive tech- pandemic-related losses. In nology for students with disabilities. Districts reported spending2019, before the pandemic, one in 12 New Mexico jobs was only 10 percent of the $392 million they received in the secondrelated to tourism, and the industry generated more than $700 allotment of elementary and secondary school emergency reliefmillion in tax revenue for state and local governments. In Janu-(ESSER II) funds on summer and after-school learning andary 2020, matched taxable gross receipts, a key indicator of other programs to recover learning lost when schools suspendedbusiness activity, were up more than 15 percent for the leisure in-school classes. Among large districts, only Los Alamos Publicand hospitality sector compared with 2018. Three months later, Schools reported allocating 100 percent of their ESSER II fundsmatched taxable gross receipts were down by more than 35 per-to address learning loss. The American Rescue Plan Act requirescent. And they stayed down. Even with the vaccine rollout and school districts to spend at least 20 percent of the third allot- the loosening of restrictions, as of March, business activity in ment of relief fundsESSER III fundsto address learningthat industry had not recovered. In a list of the top 25 percent of loss. Childcare Assistance Enrollment Up. Childcare Assistanceunemployment claimants by occupation, restaurant servers and enrollment increased to 14,485 in May, up 639 from the previ- cooks and housekeepers were all in the top 10, with waiters and ous month but still significantly below pre-pandemic years.waitresses at number two.The Early Childhood Education and Care Department recently announced it will increase reimbursement rates for childcare providers and raise the income limit for families to 350 percentFollow-up Eventsof the federal poverty level, allowing for a family of three earn- Good news!Sandia Resort and Casino OPENED and we con-ing up to $76,860 a year to receive subsidized childcare.tinued with our dates of August 23-25, 2021, for our Convention Workforce Hires Contact Tracers. The Workforce Solutions and Trade Show. Look for a follow-up in the next WPMA News Department has hired more than 100 new staff members, includ- in the upcoming December Issue. See you in 2022!ing Health Department workers no longer needed for tracing Good News . SLook for highlights in the WPMA News magazine Winter IssueWPMA News / Autumn 202145'