|
News Article
|
Business Announcements for the week of 7/25-7/31/2010
 Clear Channel Outdoor has promoted Louie Salazar to the position of vice president of sales for the El Paso division. Salazar spent six years as an account executive with the company. Prior to joining CCO, Salazar was an account manager for Sanders/Wingo Advertising and in management with The UPS Stores. Salazar has a bachelor’s degree in Media Advertising from the University of Texas at El Paso.
The El Paso Convention and Visitors Bureau has made several new hires. Ashley Petry has joined the staff as a convention sales manager. Petry will focus on government, corporate and healthcare associations. Kellee Wassell has joined the staff as an executive assistant to general manager Bill Blaziek and assistant general manager Bryan Crowe.
In addition, Veronica Castro, director of tourism development, recently attended the Travel and Tourism College’s inaugural class at Texas State University. Approximately 64 representatives from convention and visitors bureaus and attractions throughout the state attended the week-long course.
The University of Texas at El Paso has hired Jorge Villalobos as the director of facilities services at the university. Villalobos is in charge of campus-wide planning related to building maintenance, modification and repair of campus facilities, grounds and utility services. Villalobos has a bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering and a master’s degree in Civil Engineering from UTEP and is a doctoral candidate in Civil and Systems Engineering at the University of Arizona.
 U.S. Customs and Border Protection has named Charles L. Wright as its new port director at the Santa Teresa Port of Entry. He replaces Guillermo Rivas, who became border security coordinator in the El Paso Field Office. The Santa Teresa POE is located just west of El Paso. During the last fiscal year, the port processed approximately 424,800 northbound cars, 39,038 northbound pedestrians and 51,276 northbound commercial trucks.
The El Paso Hotel
/Motel Association announced the winners of the seventh annual bowling tournament. First place, Cane Hotel Co.; second, Doubletree Hotel; third, Hyatt Place; best dressed team, Homewood Suites; best individual score, Victor, Doubletree Hotel; don’t give up your day job, Michelle Kaip, Hilton Garden Inn.
State Rep. Marisa Marquez, along with El Paso City Council, recognized Joe Olvera, one of the city’s first Chicano journalists, at a ceremony last week.
Las Cruces restaurant St. Clair Winery and Bistro will move to a new, larger location not far from the existing building this year. Remodeling and renovation of the former Way Out West restaurant location at 1720 Avenida de Mesilla is underway. The new location will feature a larger seating area, an expanded patio with views of the Mesilla Valley and larger kitchen facilities.
The League of United Latin American Citizens, LULAC, has selected El Paso as the site of the organization’s 2013 national convention.
The 2013 LULAC Convention and Exposition will bring roughly 1,500 to 1,800 delegates, 200 students and roughly 300 guests to the four-day convention.
The annual convention is attended by top leaders in business, government and other sectors of the Latino community.
Sun Metro has partnered with Google to share its public transportation information via Google Transit, allowing users to plan their public transportation trips online. Each Google Transit search will provide satellite images and user-friendly maps displayed beside a Sun Metro transit route itinerary. The service also provides estimates on walking and travel time. During the first few weeks of service, the program will operate as a BETA version. Access the service at www.elpasotexas.gov/sunmetro or www.google.com/transit.
The Ysleta Independent School District has named eight new administrators in the district. They are: Ricardo Lopez, area I associate superintendent; Susanna Russell, area II associate superintendent; Dr. Dora de la Rosa, principal of Bel Air High School; Frances Cox, principal of Constance Hulbert Elementary School; Maria Aguilar, principal of Hacienda Heights Elementary School; Marie Anaya, principal of Riverside Middle School; Sandra Perez, principal of the Ysleta Pre-K Center; Austin Burton, principal of Cesar Chavez Academy.
The Government Finance Officers Association has awarded El Paso Water Utilities the Distinguished Budget Presentation Award for its FY 2010-2011 budget document. GFOA rates budget documents on effectiveness as a policy document, financial plan, operations guide and communications device. This is the 11th consecutive year EPWU has received the award. The association also recognized chief financial officer Marcela Navarrete for her efforts in preparing the document.
El Paso Water Utilities CEO Ed Archuleta was honored by the University Council on Water Resources in Seattle. He was named a “Friend of UCOWR” in recognition of the contributions he has made toward meeting the goals of the organization. The worldwide organization consists of more than 90 member universities and organizations who work to facilitate water related education and promote public awareness of water issues.
The Rotary Club of El Paso’s $23,150 matching grant awarded to AVANCE has been approved. AVANCE has used the grant to purchase materials for its parenting classes.
Sun Metro ridership has increased by 8.15 percent during the first quarter of 2010, while national ridership figures saw a 3.32 percent decrease for bus systems with city populations between 500,000 and 2 million, according to the American Public Transportation Association. There has been a decrease in bus ridership by most transit agencies.
El Paso native Jere Pelletier will be part of the Sun Country Team, playing in the 38th Annual Junior America’s Cup, held in Albuquerque next week. The event will include representatives and teams from 17 different golf associations and PGA sections throughout the western parts of Canada, Mexico and the United States.
The Texas Perinatal Association awarded Dr. Enrique Ponte a lifetime achievement award. It is given to an individual who has dedicated their career to the improvement of healthcare for mothers and infants in Texas.
Ponte started practicing medicine in El Paso in 1988. He helped create the only Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation program in El Paso. The technology is used as a replacement for a child’s heart while they are awaiting surgery or to support the child’s systems.
The Texas State Bar has launched a new program, Texas Lawyers for Texas Veterans, to develop and assist pro bono legal clinics throughout the state for military veterans who otherwise cannot afford or do not have access to the legal services they need. The program officially launched last week at the state bar’s annual conference in Houston. Several cities, including El Paso, are forging ahead with veterans clinics.
Law firm Brown McCarroll has launched a new logo and new website. The website features a resource center and more detailed information on the legal services that the firm provides. The website is www.brownmccarroll.com.
Keep El Paso Beautiful executive director Katherine Gunter-Palafox has been appointed to the Keep Texas Beautiful board of directors. This is the first board seat to be filled by an El Pasoan in more than five years. Gunter-Palafox joined KEPB in 2001. In 2004, she launched the community tool shed program; it consists of 32 lending libraries of clean-up and beautification supplies. Through KEPB, more than 500 trees have been planted throughout El Paso.
The office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Management has awarded the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center F. Marie Hall Institute for Rural and Community Health $6.7 million to establish the West Texas Health Information Technology Regional Extension Center. The center will help physicians and other primary care providers adopt and use electronic health records in their practices. The program helps physicians enroll for incentive payments to defray costs of the systems that promise better efficiency, fewer errors and less reliance on paper files.
The University of Texas at El Paso Department of Residential Life will unveil its newest concept in student living, Miner Heights, 10 a.m. Tuesday. The $6.5- million renovation project began in October and will officially open its doors to UTEP student residents on Aug. 20.
The housing complex features fully furnished modern interiors, refrigerated air and wireless internet.
The Texas Historical Commission invites the public to nominate their community for next year’s First Lady’s Texas Treasures Award. The award will recognize one community that utilizes multiple resources offered by the Texas Historical Commission, as well as those of other organizations or state agencies, to support historic preservation initiatives.
Canutillo High School has appointed Larry Morales to the position of head boys basketball coach and Andrea Beltran to the position of head volleyball coach for CHS. Most recently Morales coached the junior varsity boys basketball team at CHS.
Beltran served as the interim head volleyball coach at Chapin High School.
|
|