New Mexico Chamber of Commerce hires new chief executive following Rob Black’s departure

When Leslie Hielema started the job as Orlando Regional Chamber of Commerce’s president and CEO more than a decade ago, her goal was to focus on innovation and entrepreneurship.

Hielema, who has more than 15 years of experience in business development and pushing economic growth, will bring that same playbook to the Land of Enchantment starting next week in her new role as CEO and president of the New Mexico Chamber of Commerce, one of the state’s most influential voices in the business community, the Chamber announced Tuesday.

Hielema, who begins on Jan. 23, replaces Rob Black, who is the secretary-designate of the New Mexico Economic Development Department. The Chamber and its board of directors performed a monthslong nationwide search after Black left for the state position in September.

In a Journal interview, Hielema said she spent the past two-and-a-half years at CableLabs, a research and development lab for the broadband industry, as the organization’s chief marketing officer and senior vice president. Before that, she ran her own company, Quantum Strategy Lab, for about two years, where she consulted small- and medium-sized businesses.

Hielema has held several executive roles — including her stint at the Orlando Regional Chamber of Commerce from 2008 to 2012, where she led a seven-county region in advancing business advocacy — before joining NMCC. She has a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from the Florida Institute of Technology, a master’s degree in electrical engineering from the University of Michigan and a master’s degree in management from Boston University, according to the NMCC.

“I would say my career has really been about driving impactful change within the community, the state, uniting diverse stakeholders and creating meaningful collaboration between businesses, communities, civic organizations and policymakers,” Hielema said.

Hielema’s appointment comes at an important time for the Chamber: the 60-day legislative session starts next week, during which the organization will focus on several key areas, including health care, workforce development, energy and taxation.

Hielema, who said she is excited to start in the role, added that “growing the innovation industries is going to be very important.”

“New Mexico was recently identified to be part of a quantum hub and kind of building out the quantum computing technology of the future,” she said. “If we work together, not only on attracting those companies, creating the right business environments for them, and working on workforce development, we can really build those emerging industries.”

In a statement, Leean Kravitz, chair of the Chamber’s board of directors and a vice president with Fidelity Investments, called Hielema the “ideal leader.”

“With her extensive background in business development and a proven track record of successful Chamber leadership, Leslie is well-positioned to strengthen NMCC’s partnerships throughout the state,” Kravitz said. “Her expertise will allow us to cultivate strategic alliances that enhance our programming and resources while expanding our presence across New Mexico.”