2026 Annual Convention

The NMBA held its 114th Annual Convention on Thursday, June 18 and Friday, June 19 in Santa Fe at the La Fonda Hotel. The convention’s theme was a celebration of the 100th anniversary of Route 66. Max Myers, NMBA president and lifetime resident of Santa Fe, wanted to showcase his hometown, and his efforts exceeded all expectations.

The La Fonda is a fantastic venue for a convention. As you walk out the front entrance, you are only a few blocks from four major museums, limitless shopping and over 25 nearby restaurants. Our out-of-state attendees were overwhelmed by the charm of the city. 

We had two events prior to calling the convention to order. First, a golf tournament was held at the Black Mesa Golf Course in Española, a few miles outside of Santa Fe. The course was recently named one of the “Ten Most Spectacular Courses in the World” by LINKS Magazine. If you do play a game, make sure to bring plenty of golf balls. One of our golfers lost eight balls on one hole, but he wasn’t fazed because he was playing with range balls. It is a difficult, but fun, test for players of all skill levels.

The second event was a cooking class at the Santa Fe School of Cooking. The class instructor was James Beard Award-winning chef and author Cheryl Jamison, and, not surprisingly, we had many attendees. A multicourse lunch was served, which was described by all participants as “superb.”

During our President’s Dinner on Thursday evening, new NMBA Officers and Board Members were elected:

• Aaron Emmert (Pioneer Bank) — President
• Liz Earls (Capra Bank) — President-Elect
• Scott Czarniak (First National 1870) — Treasurer
• Rick Rowley (Bank of Clovis) — Board
• Chez Steel (SW Capital Bank) — Board
• Sheila Mathews (Four Corners Community Bank) — Board

The dinner’s keynote speaker was Barbara McAneny, MD, CEO of New Mexico Oncology and Hematology Consultants Ltd., and former president of the American Medical Association. Her presentation, “The Health Care Crisis — Is There a Doctor in the House?” was excellent and incredibly informative.

The second day of the convention featured four fantastic speakers. First, Srinivas Mukkamala, Ph.D., gave a thorough overview of artificial intelligence. Then, Rep. Christine Chandler (D-Los Alamos) discussed the major accomplishments of the 2026 State Legislature. Following Rep. Chandler, Raymond Olsen, WinTrust, outlined methods for tackling fraud. Then, to conclude the proceedings, Dale Dekker, DPS Design, provided a fascinating overview of what is going on in New Mexico.

No convention is possible without tremendous sponsors and vendors. We want to give a major shoutout to the following:

• Abrigo
• Advantage, Powered by JMFA
• American Bankers Association
• B:Side Capital
• Banc Consulting Partners
• BHG Financial
• Capital CDC
• Cook Solutions Group
• ePayResources
• Everon Solutions
• Federal Home Loan Bank Dallas
• Housing New Mexico/MFA
• New Mexico Finance Authority
• NFP
• PayDay HCM
• Wespay

Also, a very special thanks to BHG and Kathleen Connellan for sponsoring the President’s Dinner.

Legislative Update

To our surprise, New Mexico State Sen. Peter Wirth (Santa Fe) announced that he will not seek the Senate majority floor leadership position again after next year’s legislative session nor seek a sixth term in 2028. Wirth has served in the state Senate since 2009 after a stint in the state House of Representatives and has served as majority floor leader for 10 years. In a statement, he said he decided not to seek re-election to his leadership position or Senate seat because it was “the right moment” to pass the torch.

“I have always believed that strong institutions outlast any individual leader, and that one of the most important things a leader can do is prepare the ground for what comes next,” he said. “The New Mexico Senate Democratic Caucus has never been stronger. This is the right moment to make way for a new majority leader, not because the work is done, but because the work must continue, and continue well.”

Rep. Marian Matthews (D-Albuquerque) was defeated in the 2026 primary. She is a great supporter of business and the banking industry, and she also sponsored a number of bills on behalf of the NMBA. She will certainly be missed.

Six incumbent state House members did not run for re-election in 2026:

• Joanne Ferrary (D-Las Cruces)
• Susan Herrera (D-Embudo)
• Matthew McQueen (D-Santa Fe)
• Mark Murphy (R-Roswell)
• Martin Zamora (R-Clovis)
• Jimmy Mason (R-Artesia)

Senators are not up for re-election in 2026.

2028 Legislature

The 2028 Legislature opens on Tuesday, January 19 and adjourns on Saturday, March 20. There is no limitation on issues that can be addressed during the 60-day session, nor a limit on the number of bills that individual legislators can introduce. Issues likely to be considered include AI regulation, interchange, public bank, state tax reform, health care and criminal justice.