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An entrepreneur and business leader, Harold Lavender, graduated from University of New Mexico in 1969. He became an officer in the United States Air Force and had charge of 500 people and numerous base facilities in Idaho and Florida. Following completion of his active duty he earned a law degree from University of New Mexico Law School in 1975 and practiced law. However, to become a commodity trader on the Chicago Board of Trade took him to Chicago. Taking a risk he bought a membership at the Chicago Board of Trade—the world’s largest commodity exchange and took on debt to develop a business as a commodity trader. During thirty-four years as a member and floor trader he traded plywood, soybean meal, soybean oil, and ten-year treasury notes. He experienced ups and downs of world financial markets repeatedly in the rough pits of the world’s largest commodity exchange. Quick mental number computation became a mainstay for monitoring costs and prices minute to minute to keep up with the pace of the fast-moving markets.

He was a spokesperson for CBOT for interviews with CNBC, Forbes, Wall Street Journal, industry publications and public speaking. He represented CBOT in New York, Washington DC, as well as in China, Europe, and Australia. He mentored over one hundred young risk-taking men and women seeking to be pit traders. He was a guest lecturer at the Sloan School at Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, MA. As a CBOT leader he served on many important exchange Committees. He was elected to the CBOT Board of Directors and served two terms as a director and three terms on the executive committee that had oversight for its $135 million annual operating budget. In 2010, he retired from pit trading and returned to New Mexico, his home state.

His extensive knowledge of finance and investments, his ability to sustain success in one of the toughest
industries in the world, his extensive involvement in the leadership in one of the world’s most competitive
institutions of entrepreneurship—the Chicago Board of Trade transferred into a deep interest in New
Mexico’s business and growth. Upon his return to NM, Mr. Lavender rejoined the legal profession and
promoted marketing, business development, and business formation for Modrall Sperling Law Firm, New
Mexico Law Group, and Montgomery and Andrews Law Firm. He taught classes about finance at UNM
Anderson School of Business. He was appointed by New Mexico Legislature to the New Mexico State
Investment Council and became chair of the Investment Committee for several years. During his first four
years as a director, the SIC established transparency and professional approach to investing.
During his over 12-year tenure on the SIC it grew from $13 Billion to over $50 Billion.

Parallel to his service on the New Mexico State Investment Council, Harold became active with the UNM
Alumni Association Board of Directors. He served as its President, a member of its Executive, Finance, and
Investment Committees, and UNM Lobos for Legislation. He served on the UNM School of Law Alumni Board for eight years. Also, he taught finance classes at UNM Anderson School of Business. He participates in Albuquerque Economic Forum and Rotary International. Other community service includes Sandia Foundation Trustee and chairman of its Investment Committee as well as Albuquerque Community
Foundation Impact Investment Committee and Finance Committee. Harold continues to focus on startup
companies working for CNM Ingenuity as its Director of Business and Finance Development. His support and friendliness engage entrepreneurs as they develop their ideas and business models.

Married for 54 years to the former Judith Kennedy from Gallup, their two children Jay Lavender and Meredith Lavender are writers and producers for film and television in the entertainment industry. Harold and Judith have three young grandchildren. If you are looking for Harold on any sunny day over 50 degrees, he is on the fairway practicing or playing golf--his life-long passion.