UTEP Alumni Association Announces New President, Board Members
Last Updated on September 28, 2021 at 12:00 AM
Originally published September 28, 2021
By UC Staff
UTEP Communications
The group tasked with fostering Miner pride and creating opportunities for engagement for all alumni of The University of Texas at El Paso has a new top executive. Bernardino Olague began his term as President of the UTEP Alumni Association on Sept. 1, 2021, replacing outgoing president, Martha Isabel Aguayo.
“Martha provided steady-handed leadership to the association during one of the most difficult times in its history,” said Jake Logan, UTEP vice president for Institutional Advancement. “We are grateful for her service, and we know she will always be an exemplary ambassador for the University.”
Logan also said he now looks forward to working with Olague in support of his plan to leverage the lessons learned over the past 18 months to connect with more UTEP alumni.
Olague received his bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering in 1991 and his master’s in 2001. He is currently the vice president of LOI Engineers. Prior to joining the UTEP Alumni Association as a board member in 2015, Olague chaired the UTEP Alumni Association’s Golf Tournament Committee. In addition to the UTEP Alumni Association, Olague is also a long-time member of the Alumni Academy of Civil Engineers.
In his role as president, Olague said he aims to harness the passion and energy of the Alumni Board, which represents a broad range of educational and career backgrounds. He also said he will work to ensure the success of a new Alumni and Donor Engagement Strategic Plan created in 2021 to help advance UTEP’s mission through meaningful alumni and donor engagement.
“In the 2021-22 Alumni Association Board of Directors, we have a formidable team of professionals with the experience, passion and dedication to increase our impact on students,” Olague said. “I am incredibly proud and honored to be a part of this group.”
Other members of the 2020-2021 UTEP Alumni Association Executive Committee are:
- President-Elect – Manuel Castruita, El Paso Independent School District
- Treasurer – Fred Lopez, Quantum Consultants/ Realty Connect
- Vice President for Ways and Means – Anthony Martinez, Chick-Fil-A
- Vice President for Student Engagement – Rebecca Ramos Birch, IBM, Retired
- Vice President of Alumni Engagement – James Jones, Ph.D., CHEP, USA
- Vice President of Membership – Sergio Estrada, Kemp Smith Law Firm
- Secretary – Arturo Barrio, UTEP
- Immediate Past-President – Martha Isabel Aguayo, Home Pros Real Estate Group.
At-large board members for the 2020-2021 year are: Rick Acevedo, Ph.D., University of Detroit Mercy (Detroit); Javier Aguilar, UTEP; Zita Arocha, UTEP, Retired; Jose De Alba, Texas One Gas; Michelle Esparza, Mounce, Green, Myers, Safi, Paxson & Galatzan Law Firm; Pablo Estrada, D.P.T., EP Rehab Specialty Group; George K. Farah, Farah Law Group (Houston); Pilar Herrera, Ed.D., Retired; Venkateswara Kolli, M.D., Veterans Affairs Hospital of El Paso; Brandy L. Peterson Maddox, Center for Disease Control (Atlanta); Maggie Morales Moody, GiGi’s Playhouse; Elizabeth Reyes, City of El Paso; Paul Sanchez, Westwood Professional Services (Las Vegas); Florida Simon Dotson, Champions Real Estate Group (Pearland, TX); Daniel Valdez, Ysleta Independent School District; Maria Zampini, University Medical Center, and Maribel Villalva, UTEP AVP for Alumni and Donor Engagement, Ex-Officio Member.
