Good morning, everybody. Buenos Días. My name is John Beckham. I have the honor of being managing director here at North American Development Bank. I want to thank you all for, along with my colleagues Alejandro Olivo and Salvador López, for joining us here today at the NADBank Summit 2026. A warm welcome to all of you here at the in-person Kimpton Hotel, as well as a warm virtual welcome to everybody who's connected to us online.
This event is a real highlight for everyone here at NADBank. Why is it that? Because everyone can share ideas, concerns, priorities for the region and relationships, especially moments of change like we're living today. For us, what really excites us is that we get to listen to all of you in one-on-one conversations, as well as listening in to your conversations. So, yes, we're eavesdropping.
When we set out this year's summit, we wanted to encourage a topical, robust exchange with candor and engagement. We landed on the theme of “Strengthening Binational Cooperation to Deliver the Infrastructure of Tomorrow.” Why? It may be obvious, but it's worth starting by taking stock of all that we have in common. We share natural environmental resources; the infrastructure that physically links us: bridges, dams, roadways, pipelines, transmission lines. We have supply chains that create value and good jobs that are integrated with direct investment networks and technology. We share human capital that complements each other and collaborates. And most importantly, we have communities and families here in the border region and throughout both countries. All of this comes together on the border region and ripples through both countries.
Investing and collaborating here is a priority for everyone in both countries, not just the border region. It's important because everyone, whether you live in Michigan and all the way down to Morelos, relies on this region's continued success. It's too big to ignore. The border region has over 26 million people and is a huge driver of economic growth through trade, services, education, manufacturing. It's also important to think about these things because past success doesn't guarantee future performance. And as a banker, we always have to make that disclosure. We cannot rely on the past investment and the collaboration to assure well-being for future generations.
It's also important because nothing stays the same. The binational relationship and border region face new challenges that need to be addressed. Supply chains need to be strengthened to weather volatility, beat global competition, and continue to create jobs. The security we need to provide, for the benefit of communities and businesses on both sides of the border, we need the investment to support that. There's a lot change in technology. We need to adopt and deploy it so that our businesses and our communities are better off because of it. There's chronic challenges of air pollution, and we need to address those things to ensure the health through clean air that we all share and breathe. And it goes without saying because it's a big theme always at NADBBank; there's continued water stress in our semi-arid region. So we need to invest in resiliency in times of drought and in times of growth.
From where we sit at the NADBank, we see a need to cultivate what we built. In other words, we need to continue investing and cooperating. We also see a robust web of connections, collaborations, and shared values. This network of Mexican and U.S. stakeholders, businesses, local, state, and federal government constitute the core of the border and bi-national relationship. This network at NADBank gives us confidence to meet the challenges and opportunities we face. NADBank in this summit serves as this dynamic relationship. We want to support the investments in people and infrastructure. We also want to serve as an example of what U.S. and Mexico can do together with a common agenda, cooperative structure, and equal commitment of resources. By ourselves, none of us, certainly not NADBank, can meet the opportunities and needs of the moment. Success requires that we cultivate and deepen our partners across the region. We want feedback from the multiple actors, public, private, and academic. Engagement with people and organizations like yourselves. This will help build the future.
These goals motivate our summit. The conversation we've had at past summits have enabled NADBank to invest in new technologies, adapt and catalyze private investors and companies, and innovate new products and services. We hope to be able to do that after this session. And they always reinvigorate our commitment of preserving and enhancing the environment, supporting the well-being of border region communities, contributing to a small, strong, collaborative, and dynamic international relationship at the border and throughout the U.S. and Mexico. We want to do that for today and the future generations to come.
On behalf of all NADBankers, we look forward to an interesting dialog. But more than a dialog, we want this summit to be action-oriented. So, if you permit me a few requests, first I ask that everyone lean in and listen. Some of the most effective solutions may come from the experiences and successes of your peers. Look for what can be replicated. Identify ideas, strategies, practical approaches that can be adopted and implemented in your own community. Turn insights into action. Commit to bringing back at least one new partnership, policy, or best practice that can strengthen your community or business. Build a stronger border together. By learning from one another we can accelerate progress and create a stronger region.
As I wrap up, I want to express on behalf again of Alejandro, Salvador and myself big Thank You’s. First to the NADBank team that worked tirelessly to put this together. I also want to thank our sponsors for their ideas, participation, and contributions to this event. And last, I want to thank all of you here, present and virtually, for sharing your time and feedback on what we do.
Editor's Note: The above commentary from John Beckham, managing director of the North American Development Bank, served as the opening remarks for the 2026 NADBank Summit. It was held at the Kimpton Santo Hotel in San Antonio on Aug. 27 and 28.
