Colonel Megan A. Cornett
EDD News:
SANTA FE — Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham has appointed Colonel Megan A. Cornett, a retired U.S. Air Force officer with experience in government relations, as director of New Mexico’s Office of Military Base Planning and Support.
Cornett most recently served as Albuquerque operations officer for the Defense Threat Reduction Agency and has extensive experience in civil and commercial airfield management at Kirtland Air Forse Base, as well as locations in North Dakota, Louisiana, Texas, Alabama, Florida, Oklahoma, Idaho, Korea, and Washington, D.C.
She holds a BA degree from Texas A&M University, and a Master of Public Administration from the University of Oklahoma as well as Air University at Maxwell Air Force Base. She served as a legislative fellow with Georgetown University’s Government Affairs Institute and supported Congressional legislative initiatives for the Air Force.
The Office of Military Base Planning and Support is a liaison between the state and the federal congressional delegation on military planning and support issues. It also supports base representatives and communities around military bases with access, infrastructure operations, planning, and logistic concerns. The office is administratively attached to the New Mexico Economic Development Department (EDD), which provides budgeting, legal, and human resources support.
“I am pleased that Megan Cornett can continue to serve,” EDD Secretary-Designate Rob Black said. “Col. Cornett knows the military community in New Mexico and will continue our work on economic development investments around our bases so these communities can thrive, and military retirees can remain or relocate to New Mexico, finding post-mission opportunities as they contribute to the economy.”
“I want to learn more about the communities surrounding New Mexico’s military bases and find solutions to the challenges that impact military operations and the quality of life for service members,” Cornett said. “This includes bringing increased benefits to those who need affordable housing, more options for education, and an overall better quality of life.”
In 2022, EDD undertook a first-of-its-kind study on the economic impact of military installations and retired military veterans in New Mexico. It showed that the sector supports 52,268 jobs, $2.8 billion in annual labor income, and more than $14 billion in industrial output. At the time, New Mexico had 141,558 veterans residing in the state with military retirees in all 33 counties. The military is the 17th largest employer in the state and veterans earn incomes 164% greater than nonveterans, accounting for 8% of total state employment.
Cornett assumed her duties Jan. 6. She replaces Richard Glover who resigned at the end of 2024.