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We're losing one of the good guys. John Carey, president of the New Mexico Association of Commerce and Industry, has announced his retirement after 11 years as the leading business voice in the state.

Carey leaves the post April 30. Ralph Anderson, founder of General Technologies, will serve as interim president until a new one is named.

It's hard to pin down any one aspect of why Carey was so effective, but from my time knowing him and reminiscing with those who worked with him, Carey will leave a legacy of effectiveness and goodwill.

I met him when I started work at the Greater Albuquerque Chamber of Commerce some years back, and I easily recall how many times the phrase, "let's ask John" or "make sure we let John know what we're planning" came up.

Also a lawyer, Carey became a mentor and a guidepost who always treated others as peers. That's no small task in the wacky world of economic development, which is a wild cacophony of opinions and over-heated urgency.

What came up always as a strength was Carey's style. He was always present but also a respectful step behind those who really were ACI: the members.

"What I tried to do was give as much ownership to the members as possible," Carey said. "I saw myself as a facilitator."

Others agree.

Duane Trythall, CEO of Excel Staffing, is the current board chairman for ACI.

"John has never tried to manage them," Trythall said of Carey's relationship with the members and their committee decision-making structure. "If that's the committee's decision, that's the committee's decision.

"He stayed in the background and let the members have the limelight. That was the most the most important aspect of his tenure."

Ironically, Trythall was on ACI's search committee 11 years ago when it was looking for a replacement for then-President Jerry Walker.

"He just fit the bill," Trythall said, citing Carey's previous position as director of government affairs for the Albuquerque Chamber of Commerce. "The guy is one of smartest people I know. It was a good choice."

Trythall said that during Carey's tenure, the membership approximately doubled.

Albuquerque Republican Rep. Larry Larrañaga said he met Carey the first time he ran for office 13 years ago.

"He made the effort to sit down and find out my philosophy about business," he said. "We hit it off very well.

"He has been a great asset for that group."

There's an art to drilling a policy position for a diverse and deep organization. The process is grueling: endless meetings through the committees, digging through the background and researching the issues. It's not sexy work.

But what I really got from Carey was his velvet hammer. He was tough, but utterly respectful, no matter the situation.

"He was not shy about letting you know what the feeling was out there," Larrañaga said. "He always gave you a good reason on why a piece of legislation was good for business or a detriment."

During Carey's tenure, the annual Business Day breakfast in the Legislature, as well as the Viva awards banquet for the members, became must-do items on the calendar.

J.D. Bullington, a nine-year lobbyist for ACI who's director of New Mexico government relations for the law firm Brownstein, Hyatt, Farber and Schreck, described Carey as "the most efficient and organized person I've ever worked with."

"His real strong point is he recognized everybody in the organization, staff or board, had different personalities, strengths and weaknesses," Bullington said.

So what's next for Carey?

"I haven't had a decent vacation in 11 years," the self-described workaholic said. "It's going to be good to spend some time with family."

Not surprisingly, his e-mail and phone have been clogged with well-wishers.

"It's been hard to keep up with," he said.

In a world of super-sized CEOs, Carey stood out. And we all benefited from it.