Board of Directors

Frank Spencer III

Frank Spencer III has brought together a management team committed to providing consistent, predictable, and reliable results. His collaboration and team is focused on exceeding customer expectations. Frank established a vision for Aztec Contractors, Inc. and has been instrumental in providing a strategic footprint in Federal, Commercial, and Residential Construction. As an experienced Construction Manager with over 10 years of experience in the construction industry. Frank is competent in providing construction management; quality/safety assurance; reviewing and approving submittals, design, scheduling, contract administration and finance.

Bobby Blanco

Mr. Blanco is a lifelong El Pasoan who is deeply committed to the long-term success of the Borderplex community. He currently serves as a Partner and the Director of Insurance and Estate Planning and Strategic Wealth Advisors in El Paso, TX. He has also worked as a Managing Member and Financial Advisor at Capital Wealth Management. Mr. Blanco holds a Bachelor of Business Administration in Management from the University of Texas at El Paso.

Carmen I. Perez

Carmen I. Perez, Managing Partner at Linebarger Goggan Blair & Sampson, LLP

Ms. Perez has managed the El Paso office since 1997, overseeing all office operations, personnel and budgets and the collection and litigation programs for over 56 clients in El Paso, Hudspeth, and Culberson Counties. As a member of the firm’s Management Committee, she directs the overall firm’s operations and policies.

Ms. Perez is a graduate of Southern Methodist University School of Law and the University of Texas at El Paso. After law school, Ms. Perez was a briefing attorney for the Honorable Justice Susan Larsen of the Texas Eighth District Court of Appeals. She worked for the Consumer Protection Division of the Texas Attorney General’s Office and for the El Paso County Attorney’s Office prior to joining Linebarger Goggan in 1995.

Ms. Perez served on the Board of Directors of the State Bar of Texas as a minority director from 2004 to 2007. In June 2005, Ms. Perez received a prestigious Presidential Citation for her service on the Board. Ms. Perez was a member of the Section of Litigation for the American Bar Association and was a member of the Children’s Rights Litigation Working Group from 2002-2008 where she worked on issues related to child welfare cases. She is a member of the College of the State Bar of Texas, a Texas Bar Foundation Life Fellow, a member of the Texas Center for Legal Ethics, and a member of the Hispanic Issues Section of the State Bar of Texas. She also serves as the Texas Bar Foundation’s Nominating Chair for District 17. Ms. Perez is also a member of the El Paso Bar Association, the Mexican American Bar Association (MABA), the El Paso Women’s Bar Association, the American Bar Association and the National Hispanic Bar Association. The MABA honored Ms. Perez in 2001 as the Member of the Year and in 2016 she was the recipient of MABA’s "Investing in Our Community’s Future” award. She is also a member of the West Texas Chapter of the Texas Association of Assessing Officers, formerly the chapter president of the organization.

Ms. Perez is active in the El Paso community and is a staunch supporter of her alma mater, the Lydia Patterson Institute in El Paso. She was honored by the school in 1998 as a “Distinguished Alumna” in recognition of her outstanding work as an attorney and serves on the school’s board of directors. Ms. Perez serves on the Board of Directors for Gigi’s Playhouse El Paso, an organization dedicated to providing therapeutic and educational programs at no cost to children with Down syndrome. She is a member of CommUNITY En Accion, where she is active in organizing the annual Young Achievers’ Forum, a program dedicated to giving El Paso 6th graders a college day experience. Ms. Perez previously served as a Private Sector Representative to the Upper Rio Grande Workforce Development Board. She also served on the boards of the United Way, the Hispanic Leadership Institute and the El Paso Child Guidance Center.

Ralph Adame

Mr. Adame is currently the Managing General Partner of Mexus Group, LLP and the President/CEO of Mexus Communications Management, LLC, a Wireless Internet Service Provider to commercial clients in El Paso County, southern New Mexico and Ciudad Juarez. Previously, he served as the Director for Business Development of DTSI, an information technology company located in San Antonio, Texas. With over thirty-six years of experience in ownership and management of retail, direct and outsourcing sales and solutions in the United States and Mexico, Mr. Adame holds extensive experience and expertise in the technology field.

Dr. Armando Aguirre

Armando Aguirre has dedicated his career to helping students fulfill their dreams. His commitment to excellence in education is evidenced by his impact to the educational community in the state of Texas. Currently, Dr. Aguirre serves as Executive Director at ESC-Region 19. Part of his responsibilities is to provide leadership necessary to ensure that the programs and services, provided by the ESC, support the improved quality of public education. Additionally, he works closely with the superintendents to identify and respond to needs of school districts in the region, establishing priorities for the most efficient use of available resources. Dr. Aguirre has stayed true to his vision of shaping education in El Paso and inspiring students, teachers, and administrators to move forward.

Robert Alcala

Born and raised in El Paso, Mr. Alcala has worked in the field of Rehabilitation for over 35 years. He is the Area Manager for the DARS El Paso East Supervisory Unit and has received numerous recognitions over the years to include Regional and Statewide Area Manager of the Year distinctions. Mr. Alcala serves as our current Vice Chair on the Workforce Solutions Borderplex Disability Sub-Committee and was an active participant in the development of this sub-committee.

Satish Bhaskar

Mr. Bhaskar serves as the Executive Vice President and CFO of the Housing Authority of the City of El Paso (HACEP). Mr. Bhaskar directs strategic and financial leadership of HACEP’s affordable housing initiatives and programs. He is responsible for strategic and financial leadership of HACEP’s state-of-the-art housing initiatives and programs which provide high-quality housing to over 40,000 El Pasoans through its 8,000 affordable subsidized housing stock. Mr. Bhaskar holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Missouri, Block School of Business, and a Master of Accounting (MA) from the University of Kerala in India.

Joseph Biernacki

After more than 45 years in the electronic components industry, Mr. Biernacki retired at the end of 2020 from full-time employment as Vice President of Operations and Quality with Stackpole Electronics, Inc., a global component manufacturer. He has remained with Stackpole as a consultant working on special projects. Mr. Biernacki earned an MBA from the University of Texas at El Paso College of Business Administration, and a BA from Drew University in Madison, NJ. He has served on several boards and committees at UTEP, with the aim of helping students better prepare to enter the workforce.

Bill Coon

Bill Coon received his B.S. degree in Psychology from Southwest Oklahoma State University in Weatherford OK. His non-profit career began with the YMCA in San Antonio in November 1989 as a sports director. He has over 30 years in non-profit management. He has been part-time employee at the front desk to the President/CEO of the YMCA of El Paso. Bill serves on the Sun Bowl Board of Directors and works with the Game Day Committee, Soccer Committee and Parade Committee of the Sun Bowl.

Chrystal Davis

Chrystal Davis is the Chief Clinical Officer at Emergence Health Network in El Paso, TX.

Dr. Jose Manuel de la Rosa

As the newly appointed Vice President for Outreach and Community Engagement, Dr. de la Rosa serves as the liaison between the university and community healthcare providers, fostering relationships that will advance education at TTUHSC El Paso. He also works closely with Federally Qualified Health Centers, the Border Health Commission. Hispanic Chamber, school districts, and medical societies to strengthen to develop and strengthen community relations and partnerships. Dr. de la Rosa remains active as a member of the American Association of Medical Colleges. the American Medical Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics. and various other national organizations. At the local level. he serves as a member of the Executive Committee and Board of the Catholic Foundation for the Diocese of El Paso.

Dan Dunlap

Dan Dunlap is a native Texan, born and raised in Amarillo. He graduated from Texas A&M University in 1970 with a degree in Mechanical Engineering and a Commission in the United States Air Force. In 2000, Mr. Dunlap and his wife, Ann, became the sole owners of Christopher’s Home Furnishings which they continue to operate today as a classic “Mom & Pop” business. In addition to being self-employed, Dan is currently serving his fifth term as Mayor of Marfa, Texas, and is also serving as the Municipal Judge for the City of Marfa, Texas.

Ernestina Fauntleroy

I am Ernestina Fauntleroy and have been in the child care profession for over 20 years. In my early teenage years, I developed a passion for kids while babysitting my nieces and nephews. When I started having my children, I realized the necessity of having a qualified child care provider. I am a caring person who loves helping in the development of children. I’ve learned child care requires you to be energetic, people-oriented, self-sufficient, dependable, and an effective communicator. All are attributes I possess and continually seek improvement in to become more effective in my profession.
As a military spouse, I’ve obtained experience in Military Child Care Centers and Family Child Care Homes. During my tenure in the Military Child Care Centers, I served as a Lead Teacher/Mentor. This position was challenging and rewarding. Having the opportunity to mentor military spouses in child care afforded me the chance to give back to the military community. My experience has also provided the opportunity to serve as a child care volunteer in churches. My experience and passion fostered a safe and secure environment within the ministries I served.

My passion for children led me to start my child care home business. I was awarded and have maintained a Texas Rising Star Home since 2010 and a National Accredited Home since 2009. I’m also a National Association Family Child Care (NAFCC) Observer. I have completed my Associate of Science in Early Childhood Education. I’ve also obtained my Child Development Associate (CDA) Credentials. All are great accomplishments towards my professional development. They also provide parents a peace of mind knowing I’m qualified to care for and teach their children. My greatest accomplishment is the lifelong relationships I have established with parents and their children. I will forever cherish all the children I’ve had the pleasure to care for. They will forever hold a special place in my heart.

Art Garza

Art Garza was named chief executive officer (CEO) at Del Sol Medical Center in January of 2022. Before he arrived in El Paso, Garza served as the CEO of Valley Regional Medical Center in Brownsville, Texas, of which he is a native. His career in healthcare spans almost 30 years with the Hospital Corporation of America (HCA) and his military service. As an early careerist, Art was a multimodality radiography technologist. As of 2010, Art has served as a chief operations officer (COO) at three hospitals. His journey as a hospital administrator has led him to North Suburban Medical Center in Thornton, Colorado, East Houston Regional Medical Center in Houston, Texas, and Valley Regional Medical Center in Brownsville, Texas.

Christina Gonzalez

Christina Gonzalez, Assistant Vice President, Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, El Paso Branch

Christina Gonzalez oversees Administrative and Technology Services for District Law Enforcement. She also has oversight of Facilities Operations as well as administrative functions for the El Paso Branch and is Secretary for the Branch Board of Directors. Her previous experience in the El Paso Branch includes direct responsibility for the accounting and budget function from 1999-2005 and cash operations from 2005-2018. Christina also serves on the executive board of the Greater El Paso Chamber of Commerce. She obtained a Bachelor of Accountancy Degree with honors from New Mexico State University in Las Cruces, New Mexico.

Leonard Tripper Goodman

Leonard “Tripper Goodman, III is the President and CEO of Goodman Financial Group which is a financial services firm founded in 1919. Mr. Goodman is active in the local community serving as Chairman of ReadyOne Industries’ Board of Directors, Chairman of the UTEP Development Board, and Co-Chairman of the Paso Del Norte Group’s Civic Committee. In addition, he is currently serving on multiple boards across the community. He is a lifetime member of The Million Dollar Round Table and has been the recipient of the National Management Award from the General Agents and Managers Association (GAMA) and elected President of the General Agent Association – John Hancock Financial Services.

Michael D. Hernandez

Mr. Hernandez is executive director of the Horizon City Economic Development Corporation. The nonprofit attracts investments, retains and expands area businesses and cultivates entrepreneurs in the fastest growing community in El Paso’s metropolitan area. The corporation in 2019 launched the Horizon Tech Accelerator Program to build an aerospace and engineering innovation and services-focused ecosystem with the University of Texas at El Paso. Hernandez is a graduate of UTEP where he mentors the area’s top high school journalists as a volunteer with the university’s Journalism in July program.

Randall Kinzie

Mr. Kenzie has been a businessman in the Borderplex community since 2011. He serves as the managing partner for Mayor Clay Productions L.P., a full-service video production company and television content development house. Together, he and his wife, Belinda, own and operate Stone Village Tourist Camp and Stone Village Market in Fort Davis, Texas.

Ruby Maldonado

Ms. Maldonado serves as the president for Roof Toppers of El Paso, Inc. Roof Toppers of El Paso, Inc. has been in business since 1991, and was founded by Ruby and her husband, Ruben. The company began as a residential roofing company and through years of expertise ventured onto the Commercial and Industrial side of roofing. Incorporated in 2004, the company changed ownership to be majority woman-owned in April 2015.

Lili Mireles

Lili Mireles is the VP of Bitwise El Paso, where she leads the company’s efforts to build a more inclusive and accessible tech community across far west Texas. Lili hopes to use her role to uplift El Paso and the border community by making sure conversations around tech are inclusive of the border perspective, focusing on creating a space that is welcoming, innovative, and reflective of their community. As the daughter of immigrants and a first-generation Texan, Lili has a deep sense of appreciation for the hard work and sacrifice of those who came before her. She feels privileged to be in a position to be able to serve others and hopes that leading the Bitwise El Paso team helps more individuals find jobs, opportunities, and long-term success for all. When she’s not working, Lili enjoys volunteering with different immigrant and refugee advocacy groups.

Ross Moore

As the president of the EPFTSP, Mr. Moore is one-third of the eligible non-supervisory personnel within the county's largest school district on all matters of compensation and working conditions. He is the lead advocate on education issues effecting the students and teachers; such as the abuse of standardized testing, real college and career readiness, and Special Needs. Mr. Moore works every day to ensure local students in the community develop into the high-quality workforce of tomorrow.

Mary Jo Ochoa-Hernandez

Mary Jo Ochoa-Hernandez has been in Adult Education and Literacy (AEL) since 2005 and currently works with the Far West Adult Education Consortium to provide AEL services in the Borderplex region. As the Career Pathway and Transitions Coordinator for Socorro ISD, Ms. Ochoa focuses on providing local career and educational opportunities aligned to the vision of the Texas Workforce Commission. She currently serves on the Adult Education and Literacy Advisory Committee whose charge is to advise the Texas Workforce Commission on matters related to the administration of the AEL programs in Texas.

Emma Schwartz

Emma Wollschlager Schwartz, MPH, served as president of the Medical Center of the Americas (MCA) Foundation, a non-profit organization that drives the vision for positioning the Paso del Norte region as the premier center of health delivery, medical education, and biomedical research for military, border and Hispanic populations. Prior to joining the MCA Foundation, Schwartz was founder and president of Wollschlager Consulting, LLC, dba W Consulting, LLC, a healthcare management and regulatory compliance consulting company. Schwartz’s involvement in the community includes work as director of WestStar Bank in El Paso and the Paso del Norte Center of Hope, an anti-human trafficking outreach and victim support organization.  She is a member of the Borderplex Alliance and is on the Advisory Board of the Greater El Paso Chamber of Commerce.

Dr. William Serrata

Doctor Serrata is the President of El Paso Community College (EPCC), a nationally recognized institution of higher education offering associate degrees technical and vocation diplomas, one-year certification and continuing education classes located in the Borderplex city of El Paso, TX. Dr. Serrata holds a B.A. and M.A. in English and a Ph.D. in Educational Human Resource Development.

Mica Short

A native of El Paso, Ms. Short holds a bachelor’s degree in Political Science and a master’s degree in Public Administration, both from the University of Texas at El Paso. In 2017, Ms. Short was honored by El Paso Inc. as a Woman of Impact and the Greater El Paso Chamber of Commerce with the Breakthrough Leader Award. Mica currently serves as the Vice President of Development for the Paso Del Norte Community Foundation team where she focuses on the development and implementation of a charitable giving program to support the philanthropic goals of individuals, corporations, foundations and nonprofit organizations in the region.

Ruben H. Torres

Ruben Torres has over 15 years of experience in finance. His diverse career includes experience in private equity, financial advisory, public finance, and commercial banking.

Mr. Torres began his career at Credit Suisse Asset Management (CSAM) in New York City. While at CSAM, his position as a portfolio administrator within the Post Venture Group charged him with the responsibility of managing the information and transaction flow between the institutional clients, portfolio managers, and trading desks.

After leaving CSAM, he returned to his hometown of El Paso, TX and focused on a career as financial advisor with First Union Securities, A.G. Edwards and Sons, and Merrill Lynch. Within those wire houses, he specialized in institutional and corporate investment needs such as cash management and debt and equity repurchase programs. His clientele included all the local municipalities, certain publicly traded firms within the region, various Mexican broker-dealers, and all Bolivian Banks.

Mr. Torres had been employed at Wells Fargo Bank for 10 years prior to departing in October of 2014. Mr. Torres was responsible for all new business acquisition for El Paso’s Business Banking Group (BBG). Although centered in CRE, another of Mr. Torres’ niches is that within public finance. He is credited with introducing Wells Fargo’s public finance abilities to the local municipalities. Due solely to his efforts, Wells Fargo Securities has participated in over $400MM in municipal underwritings.

Mr. Torres is a Principal and former CFO of PDN Capital Management, LLC. In 2010, he partnered with Alex Del Moral for their initial acquisition. At PDN, he is responsible for identifying acquisitions targets, raising capital, and overseeing the financial aspect of their respective holdings. Their first acquisition was Superior Sign and Lighting (2010) and subsequently purchased Western Display Services in 2013.

In March of 2016, Mr. Torres joined JP Morgan’s Business Banking Group as Vice-President and is responsible for the bank’s loan and deposit portfolio for companies with revenue between $3 and $20 million dollars.

Mr. Torres completed his Bachelor’s education at the University of Texas at El Paso (B.B.A., Finance) and is an active board member of the El Paso Downtown Management District (Treasurer), Chairman to the City of El Paso Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone #5 (TIRZ), and former Chairman of the Cathedral High School Board of Trustees. He is also a member of The Borderplex Alliance. 

Bobby Gear, Jr

Mr. Gear serves as the Director of the Texas Workforce Commission's Texas Veterans Leadership Program. The Texas Veterans Leadership Program is a resource and referral network that serves to connect returning veterans of the wars in Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria and the Horn of Africa with the resources and tools they require to achieve a successful transition into civilian life.