Lopez won his first election in 2001, becoming mayor of Nogales, Arizona, a border town with a population of approximately 21,000.[6] He served as Mayor of Nogales until 2004, earning the distinction of "America's youngest mayor."[5]
Napolitano administration
In December 2003, Lopez was appointed by Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano as the executive director of the Arizona-Mexico Commission. He was designated as state Policy Adviser for Latin America, which is a Cabinet-level division of the governor's office responsible for overseeing and coordinating all international Latin American affairs for the State of Arizona. In late-2006, Governor Napolitano promoted Lopez to be her senior adviser, where he advised her at the Arizona State Capitol on the state's political relationship with other countries and Arizona's trade relationship with Mexico, Canada, Europe, the Asia-Pacific, and Japan. In late-2008, Lopez was appointed by Napolitano to serve as Director of the Arizona Department of Commerce, overseeing the state's economic development efforts and managing Arizona's investment policies.[citation needed]
In 2011, Lopez founded Intermestic Partners, one of the top international business development and political advisory firms in North America. Through Intermestic Partners, Lopez represents numerous Fortune 100 companies doing business between the United States and Latin America. Aside from advising top businesses and executives, he has worked with numerous political leaders in the United States and Latin America.[citation needed]
International Business Solutions
Lopez is the president and CEO of International Business Solutions, Inc., a business advisory firm that provides consultancy services to domestic and international organizations.[3]
Carlos Slim Foundation
According to multiple references in print and online media, since 2011, Marco Lopez has served as a senior advisor to the U.S. Foundation of MexicanbillionaireCarlos Slim Helu,[1][2][3] who was ranked from 2010 to 2013 by Forbes magazine as the richest person in the world. The foundation's work initiated with the launch of Connect2Compete a low-cost broadband adoption program to connect eligible working-class families to the internet.[10] Lopez is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations.
^ abc"Valle Del Sol, Marco López, 2016 Profiles of Success". Valle Del Sol website. Retrieved July 9, 2018. Marco A. López, Jr. is President and CEO of International Business Solutions, Inc., a business advisory firm that provides strategic business development, market access and international policy counsel to both international and domestic organizations. He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and serves as Senior Advisor to the U.S. office of The Carlos Slim Foundation.
^ abc"Former mayor named to CBP post". Nogales International. February 12, 2009. Retrieved April 9, 2021. He began his political career as a congressional page in 1994 in Washington, D.C., for U.S. Rep. Ed Pastor, (D-Ariz.) and then was a member of the advance team in 1998 for Al Gore's presidential campaign.
^"NOGALES"(PDF). Arizona Department of Commerce. Archived from the original(PDF) on October 5, 2011. Retrieved June 26, 2018.
^Duarte, Carmen (March 2, 2009). "Ex-'boy mayor' of Nogales takes vital border slot". arizona daily star. Retrieved June 26, 2018. Customs and Border Protection employs 54,000 in southern, northern and coastal borders of the United States. It oversees Border Patrol, the ports of entry, air and marine interdiction, agricultural and trade specialists, said López.
^"Former Nogales mayor Marco Lopez announces run for Arizona governor". KTAR News. March 16, 2021. Retrieved April 7, 2021. I'm running for governor because I believe in the promise of Arizona—that Arizona is a place where anything is possible and every family has the chance to succeed, no matter who you are or where you come from," the Democrat said in the press release announcing his candidacy.