Lee B. Zink

Lee B. Zink was an economist and former director of the Bureau of Business and Economic Research (BBER) at the University of New Mexico (UNM).

Lee was born in Salem, Indiana and attended Indiana University, where he received his B.S. and Oklahoma State University where he received his Ph.D. He served in the US Army and the Army Reserve, achieving the rank of Lt. Colonel. White completing his doctorate, he became the first director of the Technology Use Studies Center (TUSC) in Durant, Oklahoma. TUSC was one of several centers established by the U. S. Congress to transfer the technology being developed by NASA in the space program. In 1968, Lee began his long and well-loved tenure at the University of New Mexico serving as the director and principal research economist at the UNM Bureau of Business and Economic Research, the director of the UNM Institute of Applied Research Services, and the Associate Vice-president for Research and Business and Government Relations. One of the things he loved doing at UNM was teaching the introductory course in economics to more than 7000 students. Another of Lee's unusual accomplishments was becoming the first academic to serve as president of the Albuquerque Chamber of Commerce. He also served as the Chairman of the Governor's Council of Economic Advisors. Lee's favorite avocation was music, especially the pipe organ and singing in the church choir.

Zink was extremely active in community service. He was a member of the Mayor’s Kirtland Air Force Base Retention Task Force; the Better Business Bureau of New Mexico Board of Directors, the Public Forum Committee on Recycling, the Governor’s Business Advisory Council Executive Committee, the Albuquerque Economic Development Steering Committee, the Albuquerque Employment and Training Needs Task Force; UNICER’s Advisory Council, the First Security Bank of New Mexico Board of Directors, the University of Albuquerque Board of Trustees, the Economic Forum, New Mexico Jobs Task Force, the U.S. Armed Forces Advisory Board, the Albuquerque Economic Development Advisory Committee, the Albuquerque Tribune Board of Editorial Contributors, and the New Mexico Council on Economic Education. He was a cabinet secretary for Economic Development in the New Mexico Economic Development Department, president of the Greater Albuquerque Chamber of Commerce and chairman of the Governor’s Council of Economic Advisors.