Juan Massey
Juan Massey was born in Durango, Mexico. His father is an American citizen of English, Scottish and Norwegian descent whose Mormon ancestors migrated to Utah from West Virginia in the early 1900s, fleeing religious persecution. His mother is from Durango, Mexico, the descendent of Spaniards, Basques, and Sephardic Jewish immigrants who migrated to Northern Mexico.
Massey graduated with a law degree in 1997 from the Facultad Libre de Derecho de Monterrey. At his family ranch in Durango, he developed close ties with many farmers who later migrated to the United States after they were unable to compete with the U.S.’ heavily subsidized agricultural industry under NAFTA.
In 2000, Massey moved back to the United States and graduated with a Master of Laws degree from the Boston University School of Law. After graduating, he relocated to Santa Fe, New Mexico, where he served in the Bill Richardson administration as executive director of the Office of Mexican Affairs and Trade and of the New Mexico-Chihuahua Commission, as well as liaison to the Border Governor’s Conference. During his appointment, Massey worked with New Mexican farmers whose ancestors predate the Gadsden Purchase, Mormon and Mennonite communities in Chihuahua and plant managers from U.S. manufacturing firms who relocated to New Mexico from the Rust Belt to supply the Mexican maquiladora industry.
Massey also worked with Governor Richardson to secure the release of U.S. Marine Sergeant Andrew Tahmooressi from a federal prison in Baja California, Mexico, and advised multinational energy companies doing business in Mexico. From 2016 to 2019, Massey served as economic development policy advisor to the president of the Navajo Nation. Currently, he is in charge of the consulting division of the largest Native American-owned CPA firm in the Southwestern United States.
Juan Massey lives in Rio Rancho, New Mexico, and considers himself a proud member of the U.S.-Mexico binational community.