Jon Barela

Jon Barela is an American business executive. He is the Chief Executive Officer of The Borderplex Alliance, a nonprofit group dedicated to promoting business and economic development in the Ciudad Juárez, El Paso and southern New Mexico region. Previously, he served as Economic Development Secretary for the state of New Mexico
Early life and education
Jon Barela was born and raised in Las Cruces, New Mexico, and attended Las Cruces High School. He earned a bachelor's degree in History and Diplomacy from the Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., receiving a Bachelor of Science in Foreign Service (B.S.) in 1984. After graduation from Georgetown University School of Foreign Service,
Career
Barela returned to New Mexico in 1987 and joined the Modrall law firm in Albuquerque. Four years later, he became New Mexico's Assistant Attorney General and Director of the Civil Division under then Attorney General Hal Stratton.
In 1993, Barela joined Intel as its community and government relations manager. He set company benchmarks for outreach into underrepresented communities and was awarded the Intel Achievement Award, the company's highest and most selective honor. Barela left Intel in 2005.
;Cerelink
After spending most of his career as an attorney and as a state and federal lobbyist, in 2002 Barela decided to become a business owner and entrepreneur. He co-founded Cerelink, a technology start-up firm that specialized in complex computer rendering for visual effects in Hollywood films. Prior to founding Cerelink, Barela had no prior experience in technology development for the entertainment industry.
During his 2010 congressional campaign, Barela frequently cited his work at Cerelink when described himself as a successful entrepreneur. In 2011, he was questioned by media outlets on whether Cerelink was the beneficiary of tax credits from state government. In October 2010, Barela told KKOB-AM that those reports were "erroneous."
In July 2012, the Albuquerque Journal reported that Cerelink had stopped operations and was bankrupt, leaving the New Mexico Computer Application Center with an outstanding bill of $934,000. Barela maintains that he had no involvement with Cerelink since 2009, when he resigned from the board and reduced his stake in the company to less than 1 percent of shares. In 2014, Barela was the target of a whistleblower lawsuit that accused him of granting tax credits to Cerelink while he was Cabinet Secretary of the New Mexico Economic Development Department, among other allegations. In the whistleblower lawsuit, Barela also allegedly had an extramarital affair with a subordinate.
Community affairs
Barela has made competitiveness and improving education central themes in his chairmanship of several significant organizations, including the Albuquerque Hispano Chamber of Commerce (one of the country's largest Hispanic chambers), New Mexico First (the state's leading nonpartisan public policy group),
New Mexico's Work Force Development Board, and the Albuquerque Public Schools Foundation.
He most recently served on the Albuquerque Public Schools Board of Education, helping oversee operations of one of the country's largest school districts. Barela supported the policy, "We don't want to be bailing people out of their responsibility because they know the community is going to step up and pay this bill."
2010 U.S. Congressional campaign
Barela challenged Democratic incumbent Martin Heinrich for , but was ultimately defeated in a 51%-49% race on election night. After the election, he was appointed by Governor Susana Martinez to serve as secretary of New Mexico's Economic Development Department.
Barela ran unopposed in the primary for New Mexico's 1st congressional district Republican nomination.
He supports programs to encourage parents' involvement in their children's education, and successful programs which show parents and children the connection between education and future success, such as the "Learn and Earn" program. He cites his experience in the community working on behalf of educational programs as indication that he knows what works and what does not. In regard to the Affordable Health Care for America Act, Barela prefers removing legislative and regulatory barriers to providing insurance, such as allowing interstate pooling for insurance purchase, rather than further government intervention in the health care system. The Gun Owners of America also gave him their highest rating and their endorsement.

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