Ralph Romero first got involved with the Arizona-Mexico Commission in 1979, and his expertise about the cross-border relationship is unparalleled. Romero has represented Arizona governors and the director of the state Department of Economic Security in both the U.S. and Mexico. He was appointed to the Arizona-Mexico Commissionā€™s Education Committee in 1995, where he has fought for quality education and cooperation from both sides of the border ever since. Romero now works as a private consultant and recently opened his own consulting firm, USAMEX International, LLC.

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Luis Ramirez, president of Ramirez Advisors Inter-National, is an advisor to the Arizona-Mexico Commission. Ramirez has served with the Arizona-Mexico Commission in some capacity for more than 30 years, dedicated to creating cross-border solutions and strengthening ties within the Arizona-Sonora region.

Question: How did you get involved with the Arizona-Mexico Commission?
Answer: I was a student at the University of Arizona, back in 1986, and the Arizona-Mexico Commission at the time was looking for, Iā€™m trying to remember what the committee was, I think it was the economic development committee, was looking for some information and some updates on the status of the maquiladora industry in Nogales. So at the University of Arizona, with then director Marcario Saldate and Bill Borland, we created University research associates. It was a group of students at the UA commissioned to conduct a number of empirical studies, like literally going down to Nogales, conducting surveys and reporting back to the Commission and the governor. So I started with the Commission in 1986/87 as a student, providing information through the UA back to the AMC.Ģż

Q: How would you say working with the AMC has developed the Arizona-Mexico relationship?
A: I think the AMC has been tremendously influential both with me personally and professionally. I should say that I started out as a student, I eventually became a member of the board of directors, became the head of a strategic planning for the AMC. I eventually stepped off of the board and became an advisor to the Arizona-Mexico Commission to the office of the governor. But even back when I was on the board, we did a number of initiatives through the Arizona-Mexico Commission that have had a tremendous impact, not just at that moment but continue to have an impact on the Arizona-Mexico relationship and the Arizona-Mexico region. We fought against certain initiatives, we fought for others and supported other initiatives. For instance, we were involved in, I think it was 1994, the State Department announced certain budget cutbacks that threaten the closing of the U.S. consulate in Hermosillo. So we fought against that, but not only were we successful in maintaining the consulate, but because of those efforts the new consulate was opened up in Nogales. Eventually that consulate has become a consulate general, so we have two consulate generals in Sonora and it is the only state in Mexico that has two consulates. Considering that there are only 9 consulates plus the embassy in the entire country and two of those principal consulate generals are in Sonora, much of that is due to the Arizona-Mexico Commission. I think part of the trick is that itā€™s not the AMC by itself but the fact it becomes a leader driving initiatives that require the involvement of hundreds of people in many instances at the local level, at the border, on the Mexican side and even beyond.

Q: How has the AMC developed over the years?
A: Itā€™s an incredible institution because it has morphed with the times. At times it was more just a relationship building, which was essential. When you think about 60 year history, you have to think back to how international relations were considered back then. International relationships didnā€™t exist, NAFTA didnā€™t exist, trade agreements didnā€™t exist, imports and exports were not a major deal. The AMC was then in the process of building that relationship between Arizona and Sonora, primarily in the beginning. But I think the AMC has now morphed and itā€™s different in size depending on the issues and the political, economic and social environment at the time over these decades. But today it is one of the principal business, economic development, investment promotion [organizations] in addition to the relationship building that is required for Arizona to maintain a very strong relationship with Mexico. Even more so, while our principal partner in this is Sonora, the AMC is really more about a gateway institution for all of Mexico. Because of the NAFTA agreement and the USMCA, which usmcanow.org is making sure everyone is pushing for ratification, we are also finding the linkages of the relationship with Canada. So you have Canadian companies that are investing in Arizona are tapping into the Mexican market and using Arizona as the reach out for all of North America. AMC has been the principal vehicle in conveying that, and enabling that to happen for companies, for communities, promote tourism, promote manufacturing, promote investment, and some of the more traditional business sectors in our binational region, which are the agribusiness, international logistics, all those issues, AMC facilitates that process.

Q: Why is the USMCA important to Arizona?
A: The easiest way to understand the [importance of] USMCA is the relationship that Arizona has with Mexico and Canada and the trade relationship. There are approximately 228,000 jobs in Arizona that are dependent on a trade relationship. But beyond that we have thousands and thousands of tourists that are coming from Canada and all over Mexico to Arizona. And more and more we see the Arizona tourism going to Mexico and Canada, so it truly is a two way relationship. We were talking with a Calgary-based law firm that has season tickets to the Arizona Cardinals here in Glendale and they give their tickets to their clients in Alberta to come watch Cardinals games in Arizona. I found that fascinating, that kind of activity, and we donā€™t even know these things are happening. So the relationship between Arizona and our neighbors to the North and South has truly evolved. More importantly perhaps is how Arizona has really emerged under the leadership of Governor Ducey to become this true ambassador of this U.S.-Mexico relationship. Itā€™s his vision, itā€™s his energy and the direction that heā€™s given to all the agencies and itā€™s contagious. Itā€™s not just what heā€™s doing but heā€™s bringing all these people with him, all these businesses along with him, and Arizona continues to be the model of how to build that relationship with Mexico.

Q: What would you say is a recent accomplishment that AMC should feel proud of?
A: I already mentioned the consulates, which I think weā€™re underestimating the value that has and the significance it has for the entire region. But the Arizona-Mexico Commission has been involved in promoting our border infrastructure from creating back in 2011 ā€œVision 2015,ā€ that by 2015 we more than double our three port capacity, our port of entries, and we finished that about a year and a half early. We continue to build the relationship with other states in Mexico. Weā€™re building our relationship with other parts of Mexico, with Sinaloa, Baja, California, Chihuahua, Mexico City. Weā€™ve conducted a number of trade missions to Mexico City and Estado de Mexico and the city of Toluca. The accomplishments are so many, on education, on culture, on agribusinesses. The timing couldnā€™t have been more perfect, on November of last year we had the Summit in Hermosillo and from there Governor Ducey and a very small delegation flew to Mexico City for the inauguration of President AndrĆ©s Manuel LĆ³pez Obrador. Governor Ducey and Governor Pavlovich just signed a bilateral agreement to help the flow of cattle and the inspection process the cattle has to go through at the Arizona-Sonora border in order for the cattle to go back and forth depending on the size of cattle, if they go for feed or if they go for sale. We land in Mexico City and meet with then the formerly designated ambassador of Mexico to the United States, turns out her brother lives in Tucson and heā€™s in the cattle business and he takes cattle across the border. You couldnā€™t have planned this any better, literally 24 hours before the two governors signed an agreement to help facilitate the flow of cattle. And by the way, cattle is one of the most important sectors of agribusiness in the Arizona-Sonora region. The next day weā€™re telling the Mexican federal government of this accomplishment that happened at the state level. The ambassador takes that and goes, ā€œWow, this is exactly the type of thing weā€™re looking to expand on not only in Arizona-Sonora but border-wide. Thatā€™s just another one of the accomplishments, and there are so many, but that one just sticks out in my mind because it was literally 24 hours later it was having a binational difference.

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Question: What is your professional background?
Answer: Iā€™m the senior director for government relations, external affairs. Thatā€™s fancy language for I do lobbying for the company at the local, state and federal levels. Iā€™ve been doing that for a long time here- over 25 years- and economic development has been a very big part of that. And so, itā€™s a great combination of the two and Iā€™ve been doing that for, like I said, over 25 years here at Tucson Electric Power–UniSource Energy, we have three sister companies. Tucson Electric Power is the most known here headquartered in Tucson. We have two sister companies that provide services- gas and electric- in Santa Cruz, Mojave County, Yavapai, Coconino, Navajo counties. Weā€™re all over the state.Ģż

Q: What is your role with the Arizona-Mexico Commission?
A: Well, I joined the Arizona-Mexico Commission as an individual member in the late eighties-early nineties. Iā€™m not exactly sure when that happened, but Iā€™ve been around close to 30 years as a member of the Commission. When I joined Tucson Electric Power, we joined in a much different manner and we became partners of the Commission back in ā€™92. So, since then Iā€™ve been a member of the board of directors having been appointed to serve in that capacity. Iā€™ve enjoyed that tenure and itā€™s been very fulfilling because of the mission of the Commission. It aligned very closely with what Tucson Electric Power is all about with respect to trade. Weā€™re inextricably tied to our service territories and because our service territory really depends on the economic well-being of the region, we found that participating in the Commission was very beneficial. We made great contacts through the Commission, through its plenary sessions, through its conferences as well as the networking opportunities that were available to use. [It] allowed us to actually enter into some business opportunities in Mexico as well as in the U.S. that we wouldnā€™t have otherwise had a chance to form. Itā€™s been very helpful. So, having said that the most important part, though, is the trade relationship. Weā€™ve focused very, very much so on the trade relationship and making sure as an infrastructure company- you donā€™t think of us as an infrastructure company, but we are- that the basics of trade are ports of entry, highways, rail connections and such. We focus on making sure that Congress has been very aware of those infrastructure needs as well as the staffing needs for those facilities so that commerce can continue to flow as quickly as possible and as efficiently as possible. All of that helps our economies grow. We have a great dependency between us as a state, as a country with Mexico as our biggest trading partner. So, thatā€™s a very important consideration as a company here that our economy continues to grow.Ģż

Q: Why do you think the work the Arizona-Mexico Commission does is important for Arizona?
A: Well, Mexico is Arizonaā€™s largest trading partner. With Tucson located so close to ports and to the border, we have seen it firsthand that the trade relationship is very important for Arizona. Hundreds of thousands of jobs are dependent upon it and as a result, we canā€™t stress the importance of that trade relationship. As an infrastructure company, we canā€™t pull up our poles and wires and find a better economy, so we focus on what makes the economy thrive here. One of the key elements and critical parts of our economy here is the trade relationship. So, we have found that to be the reason why we should be involved with the Commission. Since the early nineties when I joined the company we became a full partner with the Arizona-Mexico Commission to see what we could help with and more importantly if there were opportunities for us to participate in the trade relationship. We have been fortunate to form alliances with manufacturers in Sonora to import poles for a while and such so that we have actually participated in that trade relationship directly.Ģż

Q: Why is it important for Arizona to focus on maintaining and continuously building a relationship with Mexico?
A: It was said 60 years ago that God created us as neighbors and so we should be good neighbors. Good neighbors look at opportunities for mutual benefit. So, our governors back in 1959- Fannin as well as Obregon- realized that doing business was a great relationship. But, they recognized immediately that our relationship was much deeper than that. The foundation has been basically because of the regional proximity, but more importantly the cultural similarities and the cultural overlap of our region has been very beneficial to creating great opportunities for trade. As a neighbor you look at the strengths of each partner and you try to build on those. Itā€™s important for us then to focus on ā€˜OK, how can we continue to grow that trade relationship?ā€™ And, weā€™ve been very sophisticated as a commission in pursuing new committees that will touch on subjects that are of great importance on both sides of the border. And, whether it was in real estate, whether it was in education, public health, more recently in emergency management mutual aid aspects have been very important to furthering the relationship between the two entities. Itā€™s not only about business- itā€™s about education, itā€™s about creating a safer environment for our entire region which has been possible as a result of this great platform that weā€™ve had available.ĢżĢż

Q: The Arizona-Mexico Commission is celebrating its 60th anniversary. What do you think has been its biggest achievement in the last 60 years?
A: We are neighbors and thereā€™s a great opportunity with your neighbors to look for mutual benefit. And, I think that over time weā€™ve realized that in order for us to be successful, we needed to do deeper dives into some of the particular issues that were either obstacles to trade or just simple challenges that we have as a region that needed to be addressed. Weā€™ve been very successful by forming binational committees with great private sector and public sector expertise that have co-chaired and come up with solutions to problems as well as creating new opportunities for trade to expand. Thatā€™s been, I think, our biggest asset for those 60 years- that weā€™ve tackled tough issues, weā€™ve come up with solutions and weā€™ve implemented very workable, practical solutions that have been successful in a variety of areas. Whether itā€™s in sports, whether itā€™s in education, whether itā€™s in health, real estate, weā€™ve touched on a variety of subjects that are very important. As we become more and more sophisticated, the transportation sector will be critical for our success. Mining will continue to grow and expand. We see the future is very bright, but we have built that future on a platform through hard work, trust and a very mutually beneficial relationship where one side has benefitted as much as the other. That, I think at the end of the day, we are all very pleased that the relationship has continued to grow and will continue to grow over the next 60 years. So, Iā€™m very optimistic that the platform we have today is going to be the platform for the future and create new opportunities for our citizens on both sides.Ģż

Q: What is your top priority for 2019?
A: First and foremost, we need to let the world know that the Arizona-Mexico Commission is a unique creature that has been around for 60 years. Very few organizations continue to grow and evolve over a 60-year period, six decades, unless they were relevant. We have found that the underpinning of that trade relationship between Arizona and Sonora and the U.S. and Mexico has a lot of challenges, but here we have a structure that offers us an opportunity to vet issues and come up with solutions. And, I think itā€™s a unique structure, I think itā€™s an envy of all the other states on the border. And, itā€™s the envy of the other states that share a common border with Canada that see this organization as a unique way to further the trade relationship. And, I must give credit- itā€™s always been led by the governor and Iā€™ve served with many governors. Governor Ducey has been a champion for that trade relationship and Iā€™m very proud to know that he is wholeheartedly in support of furthering that trade relationship. So, as a business person he is seeing the benefits of it. But, he also sees in his vision that the trade relationship goes way beyond just the business trade. Itā€™s infrastructure, itā€™s about good policy and itā€™s about making sure that those policies do not get in the way of the trade relationship.ĢżĢż

Q: What is your favorite memory with the Arizona-Mexico Commission?
A: As a long-time member there are many, many great memories. I think the memory of seeing our leadership of the two states continuously recognize the value of the trade relationship, the cultural relationship, the family relationships that exist and not eroding those relationships- building on those. Every governor that has served in those six decades have realized that and have grown that relationship over time. So, Iā€™m proud to see that our leadership has always found the Commission an important platform upon which to exercise that relationship.Ģż

Q: Is there anything else you would like to add?
A: The networking opportunities that have been available for all participants or members of the Arizona-Mexico Commission or the Sonora-Arizona Commission from Sonora that participate. The networking opportunities have been tremendous. We do have formal meetings and then we have breaks. And, during those breaks, during the social hours or during the dinners that weā€™ve conducted, a tremendous amount of business has been transacted. Opportunities have been identified, new relationships have been formed that have led to new opportunities for our region, which has been a really exciting part of who we are. And, that is to have had an opportunity to have an organization that has allowed that to flourish. So, thatā€™s been a real exciting part of our involvement.Ģż

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