News

• More than US$200 million in financing approved in 2023 for new sustainable environmental projects
• Board appoints new NADBank Managing Director for the 2024-2027 period

San Antonio, Texas – The Board of Directors of the North American Development Bank (NADBank) met  in San Antonio, Texas, for their second meeting of the year. During the meeting, the Board discussed the strategic plan of the binational institution for the next five years, so that the Bank provides support and investments throughout the border region so that Mexico and the U.S. can achieve their environmental goals and transition to a greener economy through its investments, grants and technical assistance. In particular, the plan reaffirms the Bank’s continued focus on investment in water infrastructure to better manage this shared resource along the border and address wastewater problems, with the commitment of Mexico and the United States to move towards sustainable development, through investments that promote a better quality of life for border residents, as well as reflects the growing binational priority of accelerating investment in greener mobility.

The Board also reviewed the operations of NADBank during 2023, which included the approval by the Board of Directors of nine new projects to receive more than US$200 million in financing. These projects, which represent a total investment of US$672 million and are expected to benefit more than 1.1 million residents on both sides of the border, included critical water and wastewater infrastructure for four communities, a medical clinic that will be built in accordance with sustainability standards and battery energy storage.

In this regard, the Board acknowledged the valuable work carried out by NADBank in boosting its financing operations after the global impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, strengthening its development asset portfolio by disbursing US$173 million date this year to date, and generating a robust pipeline of projects in development.

In accordance with the Bank’s charter, which sets term limits to assure the management of the Bank embodies its binational character, the Board of Directors appointed John Beckham, a U.S. citizen, as NADBank Managing Director for a four-year term beginning January 1, 2024. Mr. Beckham, who has been Deputy Managing Director since 2021, has broad experience in promoting economic and social development through deploying capital to financial institutions, structuring financing for renewable energy projects, restructuring distressed investments and executing equity investments in growing mid-sized companies across emerging markets.

The Board members congratulated John Beckham on his appointment as head of the institution and reiterated their willingness and commitment to continue working together to carry out the Bank's objectives and programs for the benefit of the border community.

Mr. Calixto Mateos Hanel, of Mexican citizenship, is completing his four-year term as managing director in December 2023. In this regard, the Board recognized his contributions and leadership in successfully integrating the activities of the Border Environment Cooperation Commission (BECC), navigating the COVID-19 pandemic and pivoting the Bank to invest comprehensively in the infrastructure and economic sustainability of the border region.

The Board also held a public meeting in hybrid format with around 60 participants representing communities on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border, the private sector, project developers and non-government organizations.                                                              

The NADBank Board of Directors is formed by 10 members, with the heads of the Ministry of Finance and Public Credit, the Ministry of Foreign Relations and the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources on behalf of Mexico and by the U.S. Department of the Treasury, the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for the United States, as well as border state and resident representatives from both countries.

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NADBank is a financial institution established and capitalized in equal parts by the United States and Mexico for the purpose of financing environmental infrastructure projects along their common border. As a pioneer institution in its field, the Bank is working to develop environmentally and financially sustainable projects with broad community support in a framework of close cooperation and coordination between Mexico and the United States. For more information about NADBank, visit www.nadb.org.