As Chief Development Officer, Sam leads AUI’s strategic growth, business development, client relationships, and expansion throughout New Mexico and the Southwest. Under the leadership of the three partners, AUI has grown exponentially and now employs more than 400 people. While Sam takes great pride in the company’s growth and accomplishments, he believes AUI’s greatest strength is the people who make it possible. He is particularly passionate about investing in AUI’s employees, creating opportunities for them to grow, and building a company where people can build meaningful careers and take pride in what they accomplish together.

Beyond AUI, Sam is deeply committed to giving back to New Mexico and supporting the industries and communities that have helped shape his career. He currently serves on the board at Capra Bank, where he also serves as Advisory Board Chair. He previously served on the board of Junior Achievement of New Mexico, including as Board Chair, and served as Chair of the New Mexico chapter of Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC). He has also served on the boards of the National Hispanic Cultural Center and Sophia’s Foundation, including as Board Chair. His leadership and community service have been recognized through honors including Albuquerque Business First’s 40 Under 40 Overall Winner and Junior Achievement’s National Gold Leadership Award.

Much of what guides Sam today was instilled in him by his late mother, who raised him as a single mother until he was 10 years old. She taught him the importance of hard work, staying humble, and never forgetting where you come from—values that continue to influence how he leads, how he treats people, and how he approaches both business and life. Sam credits those early lessons as an important part of the foundation upon which he has built his career.

For Sam, however, the greatest measure of success extends beyond business. His wife, Krista, is his partner, best friend, greatest supporter, and the foundation of his family. Together, they take great pride in their children, Sway, a freshman at Hope Christian High School, and Jacob, a junior pre-med student at Baylor University. Sam considers his family his rock and motivation, and he believes being present for them is one of the most important responsibilities he has.

Sam is deeply humbled to be recognized as the Hispano Chamber of Commerce Businessperson of the Year. He views the honor not simply as a personal achievement, but as a reflection of the many people who have helped shape his journey—including his business partners, the more than 400 employees of AUI, his mentors, friends, his late mother, and, most importantly, Krista and his family. For Sam, success is ultimately about people: building something meaningful, creating opportunities for others, giving back to the community, and never forgetting where you came from.

A leader in the financial services industry, he was appointed by the American Bankers Association to the American Law Institute’s Select Committee on the Uniform Commercial Code of the United States. He is a co-founder and Charter Director of New Mexico Bank and Trust and of Plus System Incorporated. At TVC he facilitated private equity and venture funding in excess of $1.2 Billion. Active in start-up business ventures he has advised over 200 start-up companies and is a co-founder of New Mexico Angels. Mr. McCorkle was voted by the New Mexico business community as the Most Influential Individual in the state. He has received the Albuquerque People’s Favorite Community Leader award multiple times. Mr. McCorkle is an active emeritus member in the USAF Chief of Staff Civic Leader Program, the Air Force Global Strike Command Civic Leader Program. He is Chairman Emeritus of the Strategic Deterrent Coalition. Mr. McCorkle is a 1984 Graduate of the Colorado Graduate School of Banking at the University of Colorado.