By KRWG News
New Mexico – Monique Jacobson admits some of the people she has met since taking over as New Mexico's tourism secretary earlier this year are a little hesitant when she starts talking about her background.
For the past 10 years, she has been in Chicago working on marketing campaigns for things like Gatorade and oatmeal.
Before that she was in Pennsylvania at Wharton Business School.
Jacobson is the daughter of an immigrant who came to the United States with just one suitcase, then built his fortune in the Taos Ski Valley.
She grew up in Taos, Santa Fe and Albuquerque before heading out to college.
The 32-year-old Jacobson is ready to put her tourism experience together with some hard-hitting marketing and business experience to elevate New Mexico's ranking as a tourism destination.
Copyright 2011 The Associated Press.