O’Donnell, who became a Lobo in 2010, will step into his new role immediately. O’Donnell received a Juris Doctor and a Master's in Agricultural and Resource Economics, both from the University of Arizona, and a Ph.D. in Economics from UNM. He is a member of the Arizona State Bar. For the past decade, O’Donnell has been responsible for managing BBER’s quarterly economic forecasting program. Working closely with Mitchell, he produces five-year projections of key economic variables for the state of New Mexico and its sub-state regions. Projections are used by both public and private-sector clients for the purposes of budgeting and strategic decision-making.