El Paso Electric

El Paso Electric Employees Honored for Contributions to the Community

“The contributions made by our employees to the communities where they live and work are the pride of El Paso Electric,” said David Stevens, El Paso Electric Chief Executive Officer.  “Their time, energy and dedication set an example of community service and leadership for others to follow.”

This year, two EPE employees were recipients of the Jim Haines Advocacy Award.  The award recognizes members of the EPE management team who support and encourage their employees to volunteer while being active volunteers themselves.

• Henry Quintana, Public Relations Manager, was recognized with the Jim Haines Advocacy Award for his exemplary efforts in supporting numerous community groups and organizations.  He has been a member of the Board for the UTEP Alumni Association since 2004 and has received numerous prestigious awards such as the U.T. El Paso Department of Communication Hicks-Middagh Award for Excellence in 2005 and the Peter and Margaret De Wetter Center Award in 2006. He was the UTEP Alumni Association President in 2008-2009, and was recently selected to spearhead the Marketing Committee for the 2014 UTEP Centennial Commission. 

• Chris Montoya, Director of Information Technology, was presented the award for his many contributions to the community. He is currently on the board of directors for the March of Dimes. He is a member of Leadership El Paso and is a loyal participant in Big Brothers, Big Sisters. He is also a regular contributor to the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure. He’s a compassionate person and demonstrates his compassion through tireless support of numerous charitable causes. His participation and leadership are an inspiration to all who know him.

El Paso Electric’s MegaWatt Award is presented to those employees who have demonstrated Excellence in Community Service.

• Geoff Becker, Regulatory Case Manager, was presented this award for his tireless volunteer work with the boy scouts as Scout Master for Troop 413.  Becker plays a vital role in mentoring and guiding the young scouts so that they may grow up to be future leaders of the community.

• Oscar S. Corral, Supervisor of Meter Reading and Collections, received EPE’s MegaWatt Award for his community work with the American Cancer Society. For the last three years he has been the local chairperson of the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life. Corral is a cancer survivor who is always willing to share his story of survival with community groups and organization.  This year he was named the Hero for Hope for the West Texas Region.  He was also the first recipient of the Cancer Society’s Rock Star of the Year Award which is given to a top volunteer.

• Arturo V. Garcia, Manager of Distribution Construction, was presented with the EPE MegaWatt Award for his leadership and commitment to making sure the Las Cruces International Mariachi Conference is a success year after year.  Garcia has assumed the leadership of a group of volunteers that prepare lunch for more than 700 students.  He coordinates the volunteers as well as the food delivery and preparation. Afterward, he spearheads the clean-up effort.  Garcia has helped make the luncheon one of the shining hospitality events of the conference.

• Eva Hinojosa, Process Management Clerk, is an EPE MegaWatt Award receipient because she’s a dedicated and passionate volunteer.  Hinojosa volunteers throughout the year for fundraising activities associated with the March of Dimes, Tough Enough to Wear Pink and the Las Cruces International Mariachi Conference, as well as several other fundraising events that take place during the holiday season. She takes a lead role in raising money for cancer research. This is an issue near and dear to her heart as she lost a sister to cancer two years ago. Every year, she gets local businesses to donate items to be raffled in support of Cowboys for Cancer, and she always goes above and beyond what is expected of her.

• Linda Pleasant, Specialist Principal Rate Analyst, received this award for her volunteers efforts as a National Guard Family Readiness Group Advisor. She assists military families by providing them with information, moral support, counseling and planning social outings for them. Pleasant is also involved in her church, the Harvest Christian Center, where she teaches marriage classes, and she is involved in the Boy Scouts and the Franklin High School Orchestra. She is a strong proponent of advanced education and has been an advocate of the UTEP Accelerated MBA Program

• Luz Maria Ramos, Principal Communications Engineer, was presented with the award because of her time and support of one of our area’s major cultural events, Viva El Paso!  She has been a Viva El Paso! volunteer for more than nine years, a board member for four years, and she is currently the President of Viva El Paso! Through this opportunity to lead, Ramos has undertaken a mission to ensure and improve upon the success of Viva El Paso! She works hard to publicize and promote the show, trying to get better costumes for the performers and doing what she can to ensure the performers have everything they need to put on a great show. She was instrumental in lighting and sound system improvements for the McKelligon Canyon Amphitheatre where the show takes place. Ramos is fully committed to ensuring that Viva El Paso! will always be something that all of us can be proud of.

• Robert Romero, GIS 4 Specialist, was recognized for his volunteer work with the Las Cruces and Dona Ana County March of Dimes.  For the past several years he has recruited a team of walkers that participate in the Las Cruces March for Babies. Uncer his leadership, El Paso Electric’s team has consistently been one of the top fundraising teams for the event.  He has been and continues to be a great volunteer leader and his effots have made a direct impact on the health of babies in the Las Cruces and Dona Ana communities.

• Adan Ruiz, Lineman, has always had a soft spot for those in our area who are less fortunate. He spends much of his free time doing volunteer work in the Lower Valley. Whenever a Lower Valley Church needs electrical work done, he can be counted on to be there to help out. Ruiz is very active in El Paso Electric’s Volunteers in Action Hand Up Committee working on numerous projects. One such project involved a widowed woman raising four godchildren on limited funds in Clint. Her home needed rewiring and ceiling fans. As part of the Hand Up Committee, he completely rewired her home to bring it up to code, and the rest of the Committee assisted with ensuring she had cooling and heating.  Ruiz is an active member of San Elizario Catholic Church and serves on its community finanance committee and parish council.

• Mario Sanchez, Service Worker, was presented with EPE’s MegaWatt Award for his dedicated efforts as a volunteer coach and mentor to the students of Sierra Blanca.  Sanchez is a golf coach and during the season, he has transported the team to practices in Van Horn. His boys golf team has won district three years in a row and under his guidance, the girls golf team won district for the first time ever this past year.  Sanchez also assists the head basketball coach to lend his knowledge of the game to the players. He is a role model for the students always pushing them to do their best and to help others.